Although the University of Illinois Springfield has hired four athletic directors in the past five years, the newest one says he has big plans. Although they might take time to achieve.
Mike Hermann joined UIS as its athletic director in June. Before coming to UIS, he was the AD at Kansas Wesleyan, an NAIA school, for seven years. This makes UIS the fourth school he has been an AD at, two of those being NCAA Division I schools.
Hermann said that the campus and Springfield community have been very welcoming to him. He believes the Springfield community wants UIS athletics to be successful and that local people and businesses are excited to work with him and be able to contribute to that success.
“Certainly, the community knows that there’s been a number of ADs here, and that makes it hard to build relationships,” Hermann said. “So, I look forward to being here for an extended period of time where relationships can be deeper, which is what this community really needs, and what this position also needs as well.”
Amy Pruitt, the assistant athletics director for student-athlete excellence at UIS, said that Hermann’s level of involvement and communication has helped him establish connections with both staff and students. And this has helped to alleviate any concerns they may have.
“His approachable style and focus on relationship-building have reassured many that he’s committed to the department’s success and the university’s long-term goals,” Pruitt said.
Hermann stated he intentionally sought out a new position at a school that was in Division II, as he felt relationships between the staff, coaches, ADs, and athletes had become “transactional” at the Division I level.
“For me and for my values, this has really been a good fit, and I’m happy to be here and to lead this department and work with the coaches and student-athletes and staff that are here,” he said.
Pruitt said that Hermann’s involvement and excitement have not gone unnoticed.
“Mike has shown exceptional dedication by attending both home and away athletic events, traveling alongside teams to away competitions,” she said. “This visible support demonstrates to student-athletes that he is genuinely invested in their success, both on and off the field, which has been incredibly encouraging for team morale and has strengthened his connection with them.”
Hermann said that he hasn’t been faced with anything he didn’t expect when coming into this job, as he has worked at public universities before. However, what he is facing now, around five months into the job, is that it takes more time to get things done than he thought it would.
“I think you always want to come in with big aspirations. And you want to accomplish things and do things, but it always takes more time than you anticipate it’s going to. And I’m starting to feel some of that now,” Hermann said.
He said the department has already made smaller level changes that impact game day operations, like ticket sales and fan experiences.
“My philosophy and my experience has been that how can we make 1% improvement every day? So that when you get over 100 work days and you look back at it, you’ve made 100% recruitment or significant improvement,” Hermann said. “And we’re doing that.”
On a bigger scale, a main goal of his is to improve the outdoor facilities – like the soccer field as well as adding the amenities that the baseball and softball fields need. He said he is assessing all the ways he might be able to get these big improvements paid for outside of the university financing it – like community partnerships, fundraising and grants.
“But I think it’s important to be committed to the long haul,” Hermann said. “I’m not often one that says, ‘Oh, let’s put that off to the next year.’ I want to try to find a way to do it now.”
Jade Aubrey is a graduate student in the UIS Public Affairs Reporting program.
