Morgan brings big resume, ideas to John Carroll as AD

Michelle Morgan was officially named John Carroll athletic director April 13, but her first day on campus in that capacity was July 9.

She spent that day in many meetings, shaking many hands and saying hello countless times.

It’s been a bit of a whirlwind for the 35-year-old Chicago native who’s spent most of her adult life in Minnesota and surrounded by sports — mostly hockey.

Now she’s ready to make her mark in Northeast Ohio and help build the Blue Streaks’ successful athletic department into an even greater success.

Morgan landed the JCU job based off her role at St. Thomas, a Division III school in St. Paul. She’s a graduate of the school, played women’s hockey for four years there, is replacing Laurie Massa, who was AD from 2004 to 2018 until recently retiring.

Morgan served for eight years managing St. Thomas’ sports information and events, plus season-ticket operations, sponsorship sales and revenue generation for the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex.

Before she got the JCU AD gig, Morgan was recognized by the NCAA as an emerging leader in administration of athletic departments. She won’t argue that earning that recognition stems from the fact she organized a unique D-III college football event that became a huge success.

Last season, Morgan approached the Twins about playing the St. ThomasSt. John crosstown rivalry game (think JCU vs. Baldwin Wallace but bigger — St. Thomas’ enrollment is more than 10,000) at Target Field. The game — played on Sept. 23, 2017 — drew a record crowd of 37,355. Before that game, the D-III college football attendance record was 17,535.

Morgan has a passion for hockey, and prior to her work at St. Thomas, she worked for the Blackhawks and Wild, and helped coordinate several outdoor NHL Winter Classic games.

As for first impressions, Morgan made a positive one with JCU men’s basketball coach Pete Moran.

“We are beyond excited and confident in the direction Michelle is going to lead our already historic athletic department,” said Moran, a Willoughby resident. “Her passion and commitment to Division III athletics is unprecedented.”

The 2005 St. Thomas graduate spent time with The News-Herald on July 10 discussing her new role as the leader of JCU athletics:

Q

What were your impressions of Northeast Ohio when your interviewed for the job in March?

A

I’ve worked in hockey for most of my life, so I’ve never been through here before since (Cleveland’s) not well know for that sport. I didn’t know much. But I could tell through the work of my predecessors such as Laurie and (former JCU AD) Tony (DeCarlo) that this was a special place. I was in a great place at St. Thomas. So I didn’t need to jump. I wasn’t going to jump unless it was a right fit. I think there’s a great bone structure here at John Carroll. Now it’s, how do we peel back those layers and launch it to a bigger brand nationally? (The teams) are competitive, and already winning. Given the right tools and facilities — not if but when — it’s a gamechanger. (JCU) is a sleeping giant. I know that.

Q

What are some of the goals you have to improve JCU’s athletic facilities?

A

Obviously, there is room for improvement. A lot of our teams are space-starved. We’re scheduled one on top of another. I know that by Day 2 (on the job) and we don’t even have coaches and athletes here yet. The fact we don’t have a fieldhouse of indoor (practice) facility is something to look at ... I think it’s definitely possible. It’s about having a plan to get there. (Having that) will only give us another tool in our toolkit, and give us more national exposure. It’s a trickledown affect. The more success you have and the more exposure you get allows you to recruit better.

Q

Were facility upgrades a point of discussion during the interview process?

A

Absolutely. Institutionally that was a discussion, from my end asking those questions, as well as the coaches on a panel in the interview process. They have a huge stake in this. This is truly a collaborative team effort.

Q

Was organizing the game at Target Field instrumental in getting the JCU job?

A

There’s no question. That put me on the national radar with a lot of search firms, a lot of schools. That game parlayed me into speaking at the NCAA national convention last January on a panel. I talked about game management, marketing, doing a lot with a little. I was given a zero dollar budget (for the game at Target Field) ... and I sold a title sponsorship for six figures. So it was about getting creative, and after I spoke on that panel, there were six schools knocking on my door.

Q

St. Thomas plays big-time D-III college football, and the JCU football team has competed well with national power Mount Union. Can you envision a day when JCU can consistently post wins against Mount? (The Blue Streaks have beaten the Purple Raiders once since 1994.)

A

That’s my plan, and beyond that because there’s bigger fish to fry than Mount Union. Football, yes Mount’s the big cat, but you’ve got (national D-III powers) Mary-Hardin Baylor, Wisconsin Oshkosh, St. Thomas ... That’s my expectations, to be competitive (with those schools). I’m just as competitive as any of these coaches or athletes here.

Q

How do you plan to achieve your goals at JCU?

A

I need to build relationships with people. They need to trust me. They need to know what our vision and our plan is so they can get on board and support (JCU).

Morgan