Michael J. Hagan '85

Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, home to Saint Joseph's University basketball since 1949, will be renamed for Michael J. Hagan '85 at the conclusion of a multi-year expansion and renovation project set to begin this fall.

Hagan, chairman and chief executive officer of Horsham-based NutriSystem, Inc., and his wife Joyce are contributing $10 million as the lead benefactors for the most comprehensive enhancement of athletic facilities in Saint Joseph's history.

“Mike Hagan is a success story and a singular example of the Jesuit tradition of giving back. His involvement as an alumnus, University Trustee, and now major benefactor is one of humility and selfless action,” stated Saint Joseph's President Timothy R. Lannon, S.J. “This gift allows Saint Joseph's to preserve an important part of its history while at the same time modernizing a facility of which all Hawks can be proud.”

"I love Saint Joseph's University, first and foremost,” Hagan says. “I think the profile of the school is on a massive uptick and when this facility opens, it will attract some of the best recruits out there. There's no argument that we have great coaches. Once we provide them with a better platform, I believe you're going to see Hawk teams consistently competing with the best in the nation.”

The three-phase project will begin with the construction of a two-story, 20,000-square-foot new wing adjacent to the existing Fieldhouse consisting of locker rooms, offices, study rooms and a new Athletic Hall of Fame room. The second phase will upgrade and renovate the current sports complex by adding a dedicated practice facility with permanent wood flooring as well as locker rooms and offices. Phase three will include a complete overhaul of the interior of the Fieldhouse, followed by the construction of an upper-level concourse and an increase of spectator capacity by a minimum of 1,000 seats.

After graduating from Saint Joseph's, Hagan prospered as an accountant and technology manager at Merill Lynch. He was chairman of Malvern-based Verticalnet, Inc., before assuming control of NutriSystem in 2002, which he turned from a failing company into a successful enterprise. Forbes magazine named Hagan its “Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2006 after NutriSystem earned the No. 1 ranking on the its list of America's "Best 200 Small Companies."

“There's something about Saint Joseph's that's hard to describe,” reflects Hagan. “I feel surrounded by friends every time I drive down City Avenue.”