Former Director of Athletics Sandra Michael has become HFU's sixth Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Hall of Fame inductee, it was announced today. 
 
Michael joins Mike McLaughlin (Class of 2016), Catherine Carr (2019), Melissa Murphy (2022) and Kelly Killion (2025), as well as the 2007-08 women's basketball team (2017), in etching her name into the league's history.
 
Michael was the first director of athletics at then-Holy Family College, beginning her tenure in 1985. She played a pivotal role in the growth and development of the institution's athletics program and student-athletes. When she was appointed, the school sponsored just three club sports. By the time she concluded her 32-year tenure, Tigers Athletics had grown to 15 varsity intercollegiate programs with over 3,000 student athletes competing on a national level.
 
Under Michael's leadership, Holy Family joined the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in 1986 and later completed its transition to NCAA Division II in 2003. After the construction of the Campus Center gave the program its first facilities in 1989, she spearheaded an extensive fundraising campaign to create the state-of-the-art fitness center, which opened in 2003.
 
Michael also took pride in the growth and development of the CACC, actively participating in various community service initiatives and playing a key role in recruiting new member institutions. A valued colleague, she served as president of the CACC Directors' Council, providing strong leadership across the conference schools.
 
Michael's influence extended well beyond the Holy Family campus and the CACC as she represented them on numerous committees, including serving a four-year term on the NCAA Division II Management Council from 2009-2013. She was also a member of the NCAA Division II Membership Committee from 2009-2014, chairing it from 2010-2014, and held leadership positions with the Division II Women's Basketball Committee from 2004 to 2008 and 2017.  
 
Michael took great pride in mentoring student-athletes, emphasizing the importance of earning their college degree while representing themselves as model citizens. She encouraged them to give back to their communities and spearheaded the creation of the Build the Library Initiative. Through this initiative, student-athletes collected new books and donated them to local elementary school libraries, helping to foster a love of reading and learning among young students.
 
Her accomplishments have earned her numerous professional honors. Michael is a two-time recipient of the NAIA Female Athletics Administrator of the Year Award and was twice recognized as Athletics Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, in 2002 and 2009. In 2009, she was inducted into the inaugural class of the Holy Family University Athletics Hall of Fame in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to Tiger athletics.
 
A Philadelphia native, Michael earned a Bachelor of Science in Health, Physical education, Recreation and Dance from Temple University and a Master of Education from Holy Family.