CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– University of Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman announced Tuesday the hiring of Tom Michael as Deputy Director of Athletics. A former Fighting Illini basketball standout and longtime administrator for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA), Michael is returning to Champaign after 12 years as Director of Athletics at Eastern Illinois University.
Michael will serve as the second-highest ranking administrative officer for the DIA with a role in campus, Big Ten, and NCAA governance. He will contribute to developing and implementing competitive strategy for the athletics program and will work closely with sport programs and student-athlete support services, including daily oversight of football and men's and women's track and field/cross country. Michael also will oversee facilities management and capital projects along with the business office.
"I am extremely excited to welcome Tom Michael back home to Champaign," Whitman said. "Tom has established himself as an experienced, respected leader in Division I, having served on various conference and national committees while leading Eastern Illinois for more than a decade. As a former men's basketball standout, Tom's passion for the Orange and Blue is unquestioned, and I know he will bring great pride to such an important position. Tom and I have known each other for more than 20 years, and I look forward to working closely with him to continue our program's upward trajectory."
Following 12 years at EIU, Michael concludes his tenure as the longest-serving athletic director in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Panthers claimed 24 conference titles during the Michael era, including 12 over the last four years. After winning five OVC championships during the 2022-23 season, EIU won four league titles in 2023-24 to capture the OVC Commissioners Cup.
Beyond the success on the fields of competition, Michael's impact on Panther Athletics includes dramatic facilities investment and improvements, record fundraising and naming rights agreements, and holistic student-athlete development featuring increased graduation rates, more than 3,000 hours of community service, and consecutive OVC Sportsmanship Awards in 2024 and 2025.
Michael served on the President's Council to EIU President Jay Gatrell and held numerous leadership positions at the conference and national levels. He served on the FCS Football Oversight Committee and was part of the FCS Playoff Selection Committee from 2021-24. Michael was president of the FCS Athletic Directors Association in 2022-23 while also serving as chair of the OVC Athletic Directors. He also served on the Division I Decision-Making Working Group in 2025 to help develop and implement a reformed NCAA governance structure following the House Settlement.
"I am thrilled with this opportunity to come back home and work with Josh Whitman and the outstanding team he's assembled," Michael said. "There is so much positive momentum right now at Illinois. As an alum, there is a tremendous amount of pride in the success that is being achieved across the board. And as a professional, I am honored to be able to return to Champaign and work alongside the best teams, coaches, and staff you will find in college athletics.
"I also want to thank President Gatrell and all the fine people at Eastern Illinois that I've enjoyed working with these last 12 years," Michael added. "It has been a great situation in Charleston with a supportive President, passionate coaches, and dedicated student-athletes who represent the Panthers in a first-class fashion."
Prior to his tenure at EIU, Michael spent 18 years in various roles at Illinois. He started in 1996 as an academic counselor before becoming Assistant Athletics Director for Academic Services in 2002. He earned additional promotions to Associate Athletics Director in 2008 and Senior Associate Athletics Director in 2012.
Michael played four years for the Fighting Illini from 1991-94, participating in two NCAA Tournaments and appearing in a total of 115 career games. He was a three-time team captain and two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, and more than 30 years later he remains the Illini school record holder for career 3-point field goal percentage (.449) and single-season 3-point percentage (.493).
Michael earned two degrees from the University of Illinois, a bachelor's in speech communication (1993) and a master's in sport management (1994).
He and his wife Shana have three children, Nicholas, Nathaniel (wife Sesely), and Kylie (fiancé John Michael), and one grandson, Trace.
Michael assumes the Illinois Deputy AD position that has been vacant since January following Roger Denny's hiring as Athletics Director at the University of Oklahoma. Michael's start date with DIA will be May 14.
