Mike Haggas

Contributor/Announcer

A Clarke University alum that made his biggest mark post-graduation, Mike Haggas joins the Clarke Athletics Hall of Fame as a contributor for his work as the Kehl Center public address announcer.

Haggas attended Clarke in the early 1990s, graduating in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing where he would then go on to work for the university in the admissions office from 1994 to 2000 before transitioning to the Director of Development from 2000 to 2004.

While serving in those roles for the university, Haggas would lend his voice to the Robert and Ruth Kehl Center speakers as the public address announcer for both volleyball matches and basketball games.

Haggas is observed as being responsible for creating an in-arena atmosphere that provided for many fun times, including but not limited to an “If you’re happy and you know it” chant that current PA announcer, Andy Schroeder has continued for Pride basketball games.

As a student-athlete, Haggas was a member of the Clarke men’s tennis team from 1990 to 1994 where he was a three-year letter winner as well as serving as a resident assistant during his junior and senior years from 1992 to 1994.

Since departing Clarke in 2004, Haggas worked for the University of Missouri Trulaske School of Business as their Director of Development then transitioned to Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina from 2010 where he currently serves as the Associate Vice President for Academic Fundraising since 2023 after serving as the Director of Development for their School of Business from 2010 to 2017 and the Assistant Dean for College Advancement from 2017 to 2023.

Haggas hopes the Clarke Community will remember his devotion to Clarke Athletics was the opportunity he was given to be the Public Address announcer for nearly 10 years for men’s / women’s Volleyball and men’s / women’s Basketball.

Making the Kehl Center our advantage for every visiting team was a way to support the team and become known as a place that victories would have to be earned. Adding our own flair and touches to create a fan experience was a part of making sure our fans also knew that their enjoyment of the game was our gift to them.

Creating new cheers, tag lines, and traditions were some of the ways I had hoped to leave a mark on our fans but more importantly on the student- athletes who we were there to support. I loved being able to be that part of the Clarke community and make the experience fun.