Illinois hires Tom Michael as deputy AD, returning after 12 years at Eastern Illinois
Illinois deputy AD hire Tom Michael brings a familiar name back to Champaign, as the former Illini player and longtime administrator returns to the athletic department. Michael, who spent the past 12 years leading Eastern Illinois, is set to begin his new role May 14.
Josh Whitman made a move Tuesday that brings a familiar face back into the leadership structure at Illinois, hiring Tom Michael as deputy director of athletics.
Michael returns to Champaign after 12 years as athletic director at Eastern Illinois University and nearly two decades spent earlier in his career inside the Illinois department. A former Illini basketball player, he now steps into the department’s top deputy role with responsibilities that span both strategy and operations.
His portfolio will include involvement in Big Ten and NCAA matters, along with planning and execution across the athletic program. Michael is expected to work closely with sport programs and support units, with direct oversight of football and track and field/cross country. Facilities, capital projects, and the business office will also fall under his direction.
At Eastern Illinois, Michael’s tenure stretched more than a decade, making him the longest-serving athletic director in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Panthers won 24 league championships during that run, including 12 over the last four years. The 2023-24 season ended with four conference titles and the OVC Commissioner’s Cup.
The gains extended beyond competition. The program invested in facilities, expanded fundraising and sponsorship agreements, and emphasized academic and community outcomes. Illinois cited improved graduation results, more than 3,000 hours of community service, and consecutive conference sportsmanship awards in 2024 and 2025.
Michael also carried a national profile through committee work. He served on the FCS Football Oversight Committee, spent four years on the FCS playoff selection group, and led both the OVC athletic directors and the FCS Athletic Directors Association. In 2025, he was part of a Division I working group tied to changes in NCAA governance following the House settlement.
Before leaving for Eastern Illinois, Michael worked 18 years at Illinois, starting as an academic counselor in 1996 and moving through several promotions to senior associate athletic director.
As a player from 1991-94, he appeared in 115 games, served as a three-time team captain, and helped Illinois reach the NCAA Tournament twice. He still holds the program’s career and single-season records for three-point shooting percentage.
Michael will step into a role that has been open since January, when Roger Denny left to become athletics director at the University of Oklahoma. His start date with Illinois’ Division of Intercollegiate Athletics is set for May 14.
Josh Whitman statement
“I am extremely excited to welcome Tom Michael back home to Champaign. 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.”
Tom Michael statement
“I am thrilled with this opportunity to come back home and work with Josh Whitman and the outstanding team he’s assembled. 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. 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.”
