Northwestern Now Over the past decade, he has led a transformation of Wildcat athletics brand and strategy Mike Polisky developed the campaign known as “Chicago’s Big Ten Team.” Mike Polisky has been named the new Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation, Northwestern President Morton Schapiro announced today. Having served as the Wildcats’ deputy director of athletics for external affairs since 2010, Polisky will assume the role immediately. He is the 22nd person to lead the department in its 126-year history. “After our search committee conducted a thorough nationwide search and identified a number of strong candidates, I appointed Mike Polisky to build on our unprecedented successes and to lead Northwestern Athletics and Recreation into a new era,” Schapiro said. “With his long experience at Northwestern, and his integrity and wisdom, I’m confident we will continue to be a model for excellence on the playing field and in the classroom.”