Tom Michael was announced as Illinois' Deputy Director of Athletics on May 5, 2026. A former Fighting Illini basketball standout and longtime administrator for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA), Michael returned to Champaign after 12 years as Director of Athletics at Eastern Illinois University.
Michael serves as the second-highest ranking administrative officer for the DIA with a role in campus, Big Ten, and NCAA governance. He contributes to developing and implementing competitive strategy for the athletics program and works 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 oversees facilities management and capital projects along with the business office.
Following 12 years at EIU, Michael concluded 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 Panthers Athletics included 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.
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.
