Hall of Fame
Michael Vidmar excelled on the gridiron and the tennis court, an unusual combination that underscored his athletic versatility. A linebacker for the football team, he made an impact immediately, earning the Scots’ special teams Player of the Year award and returning an interception 77 yards for a touchdown his first season on the team. Michael went on to be a three-year starter and garner All-MIAC honorable mention and second team accolades his final two years. The Scots’ lone captain as a senior, he ended up with 246 career tackles to rank among the program’s best. In tennis, Michael played at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles for the Scots for the majority of his four years on the team and had success against the MIAC’s top players. A two-year captain, Michael was awarded the 1989 MIAC Arthur Ashe Award, given to the tennis student-athlete for excellence in tennis, sportsmanship and community service. Not surprisingly, Michael was named Macalester’s M Club Male Athlete of the Year as a senior in 1989, the first year the honor was awarded. An economics and business major, he went on to earn a Master’s in Sports Recreation Management from the University of Minnesota and worked in the sports recreation industry for 25 years. Michael has coached several sports at the high school, college and recreation levels and is a USPTA certified tennis professional who still competes in USTA events. He currently works for the State of Minnesota as a trainer.
