Following a national search, longtime collegiate athletics administrator Michael Oblinger was named Athletics Director at UNCW on Feb. 20, 2023. He began his appointment on April 1, 2023.
Oblinger, who came to the North Carolina coast from the University of Connecticut, previously served as Deputy Director of Athletics-External Relations for the Huskies.
Oblinger is UNCW's seventh full-time athletics director, taking over the helm of the department from Jimmy Bass, who retired after nearly 13 years in the role.
At UNCW, Oblinger leads an NCAA Division I program with a rich history of athletics competition, 19 intercollegiate teams and more than 350 student-athletes who posted a collective, cumulative 3.388 GPA for the fall 2022 semester.
“Michael Oblinger is a proven leader who is dedicated to supporting student-athletes in their journeys to pursue excellence in the classroom and in competition,” Chancellor Volety said. “He understands the meaningful role that great athletics programs play in the life of a university. He looks forward to amplifying the winning environment already in place at UNCW, helping our Seahawks soar even higher in the years to come.”
Oblinger brings nearly 20 years of experience to UNCW. At UConn, a Big East Conference school, Oblinger led 40 colleagues in advancing the university’s overall mission, where he served as the Athletics Department’s Chief Revenue Officer and sat on the Athletic Directors Executive team. During his six years with UConn Athletics, the department surpassed several goals for fundraising, ticket revenue and social media engagement. During the past three years, philanthropic giving to the department totaled $71.4 million. He was also the sport administrator for UConn’s nationally recognized men’s basketball and baseball programs.
"UNCW is getting an experienced, well-traveled leader in Mike Oblinger,” said UConn AD David Benedict. “Mike played an integral role in driving unprecedented fundraising numbers during his tenure and played a key role in my executive team. Mike will be sorely missed, but we couldn’t be happier for him and his family. I commend UNCW Chancellor Volety and the search committee for providing him the opportunity to lead their athletic department."
Before UConn, Oblinger was Director of Major Gifts and Annual Fund at Louisiana State University-Tiger Athletic Foundation. He previously held positions at Nevada, Memphis and Ohio State.
“I am excited about the opportunity to lead UNCW Athletics during a pivotal time of growth and change across the collegiate sports landscape,” Oblinger said. “As a former college basketball player, I understand the unique responsibilities and challenges that student-athletes face while balancing academics and athletics. I am dedicated to teaming up with our coaches and staff, Chancellor Volety and UNCW supporters to enhance the Seahawk experience for our student-athletes, alumni, fans, the university and the community.”
Oblinger played basketball at Monmouth College in Illinois, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science. He also holds a master’s degree in sport administration from Western Illinois University. He and his wife, Liz, are the parents of a daughter, Quinn, and a son, Miles.
The Michael Oblinger Timeline
Feb. 20, 2023: Introduced as seventh full-time athletic director in UNCW history at a press conference in Golden Hawk Room of the Nixon Annex.
April 13, 2023: Charlotte associate head coach Nicole Woods is named the 12th head women's basketball coach in UNCW history during a press conference in the Golden Hawk Room of the Nixon Annex.
April 25, 2023: Head men's basketball coach Takayo Siddles signs a contract extension through the 2027-28 season.
April 25, 2023: The men's golf team captures its eighth conference championship and the first under Michael Oblinger's watch at the Morgan River/Cotton Dike Course in Dataw Island, S.C. Junior Patrick Sparks becomes the program's sixth medalist and sets a UNCW tournament record by shooting a three-day total of 68-65-72=205.
April 30, 2023: The men's tennis team captures its ninth CAA title with a 4-1 victory over Elon in Williamsburg, Va.
May 28, 2023: The baseball team completes a sweep of the conference tournament to capture the CAA championship with a 5-4 victory vs. Northeastern in Charleston, S.C.
Sept. 28, 2023: Signs UNCW baseball Head Coach Randy Hood to an extension following the program's 2023 CAA Championship season that will keep him with the program through the 2028 season.
Nov. 14, 2023: UNCW and Wilmington Health announce a ground-breaking partnership aimed at elevating the standard of health, well-being and performance of student-athletes at UNCW.
Jan. 29, 2024: Unveils a renovation plan for Brooks Field including replacing the entire playing surface with synthetic turf, construction of modern dugouts, and a new configuration of the outfield wall to be completed in time for the 2025 season.
Mar. 2, 2024: The men's and women's swimming and diving programs are crowned champions of the CAA for the second straight year as the Seahawks sweep both championship meets in Hampton, Va.
April 21, 2024: The men's tennis program claims its fourth consecutive CAA championship with a 4-1 win over Elon in Williamsburg, Va.
May 11, 2024: The softball team wins its second CAA title in three seasons with a 3-1 win over top-seeded Campbell at Boseman Field.
May 26, 2024: The baseball program repeats as CAA tournament championships for the team's eighth overall conference title at Brooks Field. With the win, UNCW becomes the first CAA school to win both the baseball and softball conference tournaments in the same academic year.
Aug. 1, 2024: UNCW's Board of Trustees approves the Department of Athletics Master Plan for Facilities.
Aug. 2, 2024: Extends the contract UNCW baseball Head Coach Randy Hood until the 2029 season.
Aug. 20, 2024: UNCW volleyball assistant coach David Fischer is named the Head Coach of UNCW's Beach Volleyball program.
CAA Championships Under Michael Oblinger
-Men's Golf, 2023
-Men's Tennis, 2023, 2024
-Baseball, 2023, 2024
-Softball, 2024
-Men's Swim and Dive, 2024
-Women's Swim and Dive, 2024
