Mike Hermann will serve as the new director of athletics at the University of Illinois Springfield effective June 17. His official title will be director of athletics-designate until approval by the U of I Board of Trustees. He is currently in his third year as the Senior Associate Director of Athletics for External Operations at the University of the Pacific, an NCAA Division I program in Stockton, California.
Hermann brings more than 18 years of experience as a director of athletics to the role, including serving as the athletic director at two NCAA institutions, Niagara University and Towson University. He also served as director of athletics at Kansas Wesleyan University, a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) program, where in 2019 he was named the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year.
He has also held senior athletic leadership roles at Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, Seattle University, Xavier University and with the Horizon League.
“I’m humbled by the opportunity to serve the students of UIS at this amazing institution and energized by the chance to serve alongside the hard-working athletics staff,” Hermann said. “I want to thank Chancellor Janet Gooch, Vice Chancellor Jamarco Clark and search committee chairs James Koeppe and Kelsea Gurski. I cannot wait to get started in Springfield.”
Hermann has enhanced athletics programs throughout his career, executing key coaching hires and building supportive cultures for coaches and student-athletes. Most importantly, he values the student-athlete experience with a focus on student achievement both in sports and the classroom.
At Kansas Wesleyan, Hermann helped complete a $7.5 million fundraising campaign for an outdoor sports complex, grew attendance at competitions, increased corporate partnership revenue by 50 percent and saw impressive athletics success, including 26 conference championships.
“We're excited to welcome Mike to the UIS Athletics family,” said Jamarco Clark, UIS vice chancellor for student affairs and interim director of athletics. “His extensive background in collegiate athletics and dedication to its advancement make him an ideal fit for this crucial role. With his leadership, we're confident UIS Athletics will thrive, bringing pride to our entire community.”
Hermann’s goal is to fulfill UIS Athletics’ vision statement of becoming a premier public NCAA Division II program in the Midwest. He said he finds that goal to be exciting, recognizing that its achievement would offer an outstanding experience for the Prairie Star student-athletes and generate engagement from the UIS and Springfield communities.
“As I start on campus, I have a threefold plan,” Hermann said. “First, I want to listen and understand the current status and future opportunities of our program by meeting with key internal and external stakeholders. Second, I look forward to beginning to build relationships in this community with staff, coaches, students, alumni and Springfield residents. Third, I look forward to working with the stakeholders to map the path forward to reach the goal of becoming the premier program in our region.”
Hermann earned his bachelor’s degree at John Carroll University in Cleveland and a master’s degree from Kent State University. He also earned a certificate in diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace from the University of Southern Florida.