Jeff Michaels is in his 17th academic year as Shippensburg University’s director of athletics and his 21st year overall with the Raider athletic department in 2025-26.
Michaels was officially appointed to his post on July 1, 2011 after serving as Shippensburg’s acting director of athletics for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years. His previous four years (2005-06 through 2008-09) were spent as the university’s associate director of athletics.
Shippensburg University athletics has achieved significant success at the conference, regional and national levels during Michaels’ tenure. In 17 years as Shippensburg’s athletic director, Raider athletic teams have won 62 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championships – with the titles spanning 11 of SU’s 20 teams – in addition to five NCAA Division II team national titles.
In August 2019, the athletic department was awarded the Shippensburg University Presidential Medal by Laurie Carter. “These members of the SHIP family have worked tirelessly to make Shippensburg University a better place,” Carter said. “Through exemplary work ethic and dedication, this group has brought the university national attention.”
The 2016-17 academic year was an especially banner campaign for Raider Athletics, highlighted by the school’s first Dixon Trophy in six years. Fourteen of SU’s 20 intercollegiate athletic teams posted an average score of 10 points or higher in the 2016-17 Dixon standings, marking SU’s first trophy under the conference’s modified scoring format. The Dixon Trophy is annually awarded to the most successful overall athletic program in the PSAC.
On a national level, Shippensburg posted a 13th-place finish in the 2016-17 Learfield Sports Director’s Cup standings. Twelve teams contributed to SU’s national score in the Learfield standings, marking the fourth-best national finish in school history for the Raider athletic program. The Directors’ Cup gauges the top intercollegiate athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level based on their finishes at NCAA Championships.
Also during Michaels’ tenure, Shippensburg finished eighth in the 2012-13 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings, marking the best national finish in the history of the Raider athletic program.
During his term as the acting director (2009-11), Shippensburg won 12 conference championships spanning six sports and competed at 21 different NCAA championship tournaments or events over the course of two academic years.
Shippensburg also won the Dixon Trophy in both years of Michaels’ acting tenure, setting total point and margin of victory records in the process. On a national scale, Shippensburg finished 10th in the 2010-11 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings and 18th after the 2009-10 academic year.
In the classroom, Shippensburg has amassed 40 Academic All-Americans and 40 PSAC Top 10 award winners. Among the distinguished standouts from this group is Lucy Kauffman, the 2015 recipient of the NCAA’s Walter Byers Scholarship Award, an honor that is considered the NCAA's highest academic award.
Additionally, all of SU’s athletic teams have posted their highest team cumulative grade-point averages in history during Michaels’ tenure. SU has been tracking team academic data since 1997.
During his tenure as SU’s associate director of athletics, Michaels was responsible for organizing and implementing all aspects of NCAA rules compliance and education for the university athletics department. Michaels continues to provide assistance in these areas to his counterparts in the department and also represents Shippensburg University in a variety of regional and national settings.
Previously, Michaels has served as the chair of the NCAA Division II Field Hockey Committee and as the PSAC liaison for tennis. Michaels was also a facilitator for the NCAA Division II Leadership Academy and has previous experience as a member of the Division II women’s lacrosse regional advisory committee.
Prior to Shippensburg, Michaels served five years as an assistant to the athletics director at Slippery Rock University where he worked with compliance and facilities. He also spent five years as the sports information director at Lycoming College. Prior to Lycoming, Michaels served six months as Slippery Rock’s interim sports promotion and information director under CoSIDA Hall of Famer John Carpenter and one year as a graduate assistant in the same capacity.
Michaels earned his bachelor of arts in mass communication and political science from Lycoming in 1992 and his master’s degree in athletics administration from Slippery Rock in 1993. In May 2009, he earned a master’s degree in sport management from California University of Pennsylvania.
Michaels also spent the fall semester of 1998 as an adjunct faculty member at the Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport teaching an introductory course in broadcast communication.
Michaels resides in Shippensburg with his wife, Carrie, and is the father of two sons, Douglas and Drew.
