John Carroll University has named Michelle Morgan Senior Director of Varsity Athletics and Recreation. She will join JCU in July 2018 to provide strategic leadership and administration of the University's NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletics program as well as club sports, intramural, personal fitness and recreational programs focused on the personal growth and development of student-athletes and the overall physical well-being of all students.

Morgan was selected for the position following an extensive national search. She most recently served as the Senior Women Administrator and Associate Director at the University of St. Thomas and has been recognized by the NCAA as an emerging leader in administration of athletic departments.

"Michelle Morgan brings an excellent combination of experiences in university and professional sports that will build on the successful athletic programs here at John Carroll," said Dr. Mark McCarthy, Vice President for Student Affairs at John Carroll University. "Her strategic planning, vision, leadership, and organizational skills coupled with her track record for building financial and community support for athletics will serve the University well. Her work to support the renovation, expansion and building of state-of- the-art athletic, recreation and student center facilities at St. Thomas University will be a valuable asset as we look at strategic investments to enhance the overall student experience at John Carroll. At the same time, Michelle demonstrates an unwavering commitment to academic success, personal growth and character development of student athletes at the NCAA Division III level."

Morgan served for eight years at the University of St. Thomas, most recently managing sports information and events, as well as season ticket operations, sponsorship sales, and revenue generation for the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex (AARC). She also has served as the Athletic Department's liaison to the University's Marketing, Insights, and Communications team and leads external relations, branding, and marketing initiatives. She also led negotiations for the first department-wide athletic apparel contract at St. Thomas.

Morgan was selected as one of 25 emerging administrators in collegiate athletics, across all NCAA divisions, to participate in the 2017-18 NCAA Pathway Program, a yearlong experiential leadership development program that prepares participants to run all facets of an athletics department.

"I am excited to join a program that has enjoyed tremendous success both academically and athletically within its conference and on a national level ," said Morgan. "I am committed to serving the student-athletes, coaches, staff, alumni, campus leaders and the entire John Carroll University community. I look forward to adding value to the long-standing tradition of academic and athletic success for John Carroll athletics and recreation."

Morgan is a Disney Institute trained ambassador for the NCAA's "Game Day the Division III Way" Program, an Associate Board Member for Positive Coaching Alliance (MN), a member of the NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Committee, and a regional member of the NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship Selection Committee.  

Along with her responsibilities at St. Thomas, Morgan is also an active associate member of the Chicago Blackhawk Alumni Association.  Currently serving as the Director of Events, Michelle has spearheaded efforts for a pair of alumni games prior to the National Hockey League (NHL) Outdoor Stadium Series game and the 2017 NHL Winter Classic.  In this role, she served as the liaison to the NHL, Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues, and the Chicago Blackhawks organizations for the 2016 and 2017 NHL Stadium Series alumni weekends. Each event, held at TCF Bank Stadium and Busch Stadium, respectively, hosted nearly 40,000 fans for games featuring the organization's alumni.  

Prior to joining the St. Thomas athletic department, Morgan worked for the Minnesota Wild organization of the NHL as a Corporate Services Coordinator before moving into the role of Account Executive for Corporate Sponsorships in 2007.

A 2005 graduate of St. Thomas with a degree in Business Administration – Marketing Management and a minor in Public Relations, Morgan also holds an Executive Masters of Business Administration degree from St. Thomas.  Morgan was an accomplished student-athlete at St. Thomas as a four-year member of the women's hockey team.

Morgan will become the 11th full-time athletic director in John Carroll University history, following Rev. Edward Bracken (1920-1933), Ralph Vince (1934-1936), Tom Conley (1936-1943), Gene Oberst (1946-1951), Herb Eisele (1951-1970), John Keshock (1970-1978), Ron Zwierlein (1978-1981), Jerry Schweickert (1981-1986), Tony DeCarlo (1986-2003) and Laurie Massa (2004-2018).