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Mike Thomas(Born December 12, 1959) is an american athletic director for the University of Illinois of the National College Athletic Association(NCAA).Thomas spent seven years at the University of Denver as assistant athletic director for internal operations, and one year at the University of Iowa in marketing and promotions. Thomas being the athletic director for the Fighting Illini since August 10, 2011 is finishing his third year this 2013-2014 athletic year. Before being athletic director at the University of Illinois Thomas was the athletic director at the University of Cincinnati from 2005 until taking the athletic director job at the University of Illinois in 2011. Before Thomas's stints at the University of Cincinnati, Thomas was the athletic director at the University of Akron in 2000 until 2005. From 1993 to 2000 Thomas worked as the associate director of athletics under Terry Holland for the University of Virginia until taking the University of Akron job in 2000.

Personal and Early Life
Thomas received his bachelor of science degree in Business Administration from Colorado State University in 1983. Thomas earned his Masters degree in Athletic Administration from Western Illinois University in 1986. Thomas and his wife, Jenifer, have four children: Vincent, Joseph, Michael, and Meredith.

University of Virginia
Thomas as an associate director of athletics had a wide variety of responsibilities at Virginia, handed out by University of Virginia Athletic Director Terry Holland. One of Thomas' duties at Virginia was to be the head of the Virginia's senior management team, Thomas had to organize, supervise eight varsity programs and manage a budget of more than $5 million. Thomas also had a role in Virginia's football stadium expansion and fundraising committee, as well as serving on committees on gender equity, and financial and strategic planning. Virginia finished in the top 25 in the Director's Cup in each year of Thomas' tenure and also finished top ten nationally in student-athlete graduation rates.

University of Akron
Thomas gaining his first year of being an athletic director at Akron, Thomas gained some national attention by taking a last place standing Akron to a second place standing Akron in the Directors Cup in the Mid-American Conference schools. In the same year his the University of Akron ranked second in the MAC Academic Achievement Awards. Thomas also had successful hires for the football and basketball teams at Akron. Thomas also increased Akron's financial base by increasing corporate sponsorship levels by 500% and giving Akron's highest ever annual level of finances. All athletic attendance was boosted by community support which Thomas brought to Akron. Thomas also improved Akron's multimedia presence, this was by overseeing the development of the Zips Sports Radio and Television Networks which provided Akron's statewide radio coverage and increased television exposure. Even Akron's athletic image was re-structured, resulting in a double-digit increase in the department's licensing and merchandising royalties which also raised the financial annual salary. Thomas also supervised $140 million in facility construction and renovation, including $25 million in capital improvements to Akron's athletic facilities. Thomas also received the award General Robert R. Neyland Outstanding Athletic Director Award for the things he had done for the University of Akron in the athletic department.

University of Cincinnati
Thomas gained his power into the athletic director’s position once again but this time at Cincinnati in 2005 was hired because of his success at the University of Akron. Thomas made a strategic plan that guided the athletic program of Cincinnati over the top and into a nationally recognized school for athletics. Thomas made an acronym for championships, academics, and together as it was titled CATAPULT. The plan focused on winning BIG EAST team championships, high-level academic achievement, and a comprehensive integration with the UC Campus and Greater Cincinnati community. These things that were sought out were accomplished by providing UC athletics with one NCAA individual champion, four BIG EAST team titles, 12 All-Americans, and 72 All BIG EAST honorees. Thomas was also involved in expanding and redefining academic services and the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program, which resulted in UC being in the 16-member BIG EAST Conference for academic success, earning multiple BIG EAST Academic Excellence Awards. Thomas also helped by improving their community service hours, which have grown from 1000 annual hours to over 5500. Thomas has increased UC's athletic department budget by $7 million, a 20% increase, while reducing the annual operating deficit by over $6 million at the same time. The average attendance also rose as well as the revenue for football as the donor base rose by 300 percent and under Thomas, Cincinnati's athletics program also raised $70 million from donors. Thomas also negotiated a deal with Adidas which was UC’s first across the board shoe and apparel contract.

University of Illinois
Under Thomas’ tenure at Illinois, the University has Illinois has won a national championship in men's gymnastics and was national runner-up in volleyball (2012) and men's golf (2013). Fifteen of nineteen varsity teams have participated in post season over the last two academic years. Illinois has produced eight individual national champions and 54 individual All-Americans during the past two years under Thomas. In 2012 under Thomas, the Fighting Illini finished 21st in the final Learfield Director's Cup standings, this being the second best finish in school history. Thomas and the university launched the $165 million State Farm Center renovation project and even entered into the largest corporate naming rights deal for a college venue with State Farm. Thomas also had renovations of Assembly Hall which is the basketball arena after being built forty-two years before the renovations which was Thomas' idea. Thomas has also raised the hours of community service as the universities athletic departments completed more than 7,000 hours of community service on an annual basis. The student-athlete 2013 graduation rate of 90 percent tied for the best in school history (1998) and followed a graduation rate of 89 percent in 2012 under Thomas. Illinois finished second in 2012 and 2013 in the Big Ten in student-athlete graduation rates, including best among public institutions. In the 2012-13 athletic year Illinois set a school record with six teams earning NCAA Public Recognition Award that is based on their most recent Academic Progress Rate(APR) and nineteen of the twenty-one Illinois teams equaled or exceeded the national APR averages in their sport, including four with perfect scores. Thomas also earned a contract extension of two years with a bump in his salary for the next upcoming two years.