Michelle Schmitt Last College: Illinois State Position: Assistant Athletics Director

Michelle Schmitt is in her 16th year on the Gamecock staff and her sixth as an Assistant Director of Athletics. In her sixth year as the basketball SID, she also oversees track and field and cross country, works with a number of sports in their recruiting efforts and assists in enhancing USC's public relations efforts nationally. Prior to working with basketball, she worked with the internationally-recognized Gamecock track and field team for eight years.

As the publications coordinator, she won more than 55 CoSIDA publications awards. In addition, she successfully coordinated USC's media relations efforts at the 2004 Athens Olympics where USC-affiliated athletes won seven medals, including four gold medals. She also worked at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, promoting USC with former athletes and volunteer coaches winning five Olympic medals.

Most recently, she was the Director of Planning and Special Projects. Prior to that, Schmitt was assistant SID for three years before taking over duties as director of publications and special events. She came to USC in 1993 from the Big Ten Conference, where she was the publications and special projects assistant.

A native of Elmhurst, Ill., and a graduate of Mascoutah High School, Schmitt, 40, is a 1990 graduate of Illinois State University, where she received her Bachelor's degree in Public Relations. She earned her Master's degree in Sport Administration from Illinois State in 1991. She is a 1998 graduate of the Sports Management Institute and a 2002 graduate of Leadership Columbia.

Entering her 18th year in the SID field, Schmitt worked in the SID offices at ISU and Illinois Wesleyan and was the Media Relations Director for the Springfield (Ill.) Cardinals in 1991. In the military from 1985-88 (Army), Schmitt worked in the White House Telecommunications Center in the White House Communications Agency. She won the White House Service Award, the U.S. Army Commendation Medal and the prestigious Presidential Service Award.