NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion University Director of Athletics Dr. Wood Selig has hired Mike Hermann as Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Relations, Selig announced on Tuesday.
“Mike Hermann is a seasoned athletic administrator having served 12 years as a Division I Athletic Director with a combined 34 years of intercollegiate athletic administration experience. For most of Mike’s career, he has focused on the external leadership including fundraising, corporate sponsorship, ticket sales, media relations and marketing. He is uniquely positioned to join our ODU athletic administration and help guide us with a focus toward revenue generation and community engagement,” Selig said. “I enjoyed working with Mike when he was serving as AD at Towson University and we were both members of the Colonial Athletic Association. I have always had great respect and appreciation for the first-class manner in which Mike always led his program. We were fortunate to attract such a knowledgeable athletic administrator with a rich history of success. I look forward to welcoming Mike and his wife Paula to the Old Dominion University family.”
Hermann comes to ODU from Kansas Wesleyan, where he was the Athletic Director for six years. While at Kansas Wesleyan, he was named the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics NAIA Athletic Director of the year for 2018-19, and was also named the KCAC Athletic Director of the Year. During his time at Kansas Wesleyan, the athletic programs won 26 KCAC Championships, including six last year.
"I'm excited to join the ODU team and feel fortunate to be part of the ODU program at a time when athletics and the university have so much positive momentum. As an opposing athletics administrator, I've witnessed the passion of the ODU fan base. I'm excited to become part of the Hampton Roads community and to work with the supporters to enhance the student-athlete experience. I'm grateful to President Broderick, Wood Selig and the selection committee for this opportunity. I cannot wait to get started."
Prior to his time at Kansas Wesleyan, Hermann spent four years as the Associate Athletic Director for External Relations at Seattle University. While there, he helped increased fundraising by 150 percent and exceed $1 million for the first time in program history. Hermann helped increase Redhawks men’s basketball attendance by 30 percent, and they twice broke the single-game attendance record.
From 2006-10, Hermann was the Athletics Director at Towson. He hired current Tigers head coach Rob Ambrose, who was named the 2011 CAA and Eddie Robinson National FCS Coach of the Year, and has led Towson to three FCS playoff berths, including the championship game in 2013. During the 2009-10 season, Towson set the single-season record for external relations revenue, and broke the record for average football attendance.
He was first hired as an Athletic Director in 1998 at Niagara and spent nine years with the Purple Eagles. The athletics department saw record-breaking success, as men’s basketball earned its first NCAA Tournament berth in 35 years, while men’s and women’s ice hockey, and women’s tennis appeared in NCAA Tournaments for the first time.
Before becoming the head man at Niagara, Hermann spent six years as the Associate AD at Xavier, overseeing marketing, corporate partnerships, ticket sales and fundraising. Prior to that he was an Assistant Commissioner at the Horizon League for five years. He got started in college athletics as the Sports Information Director at Wright State.