Wilson is newest AD for Eastern Illinois Athletics

CHARLESTON — Eastern Illinois University has named Mark Wilson as its next Director of Athletics. The selection is one of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Football Championship Subdivision’s most accomplished and respected athletic leaders to guide the future of Panther Athletics.

Wilson brings more than 30 years of NCAA Division I leadership to Charleston. This includes 21 years as Director of Athletics at Tennessee Tech University. Wilson’s tenure at Tennessee Tech is one of the longest tenures among NCAA Division I athletics. At TTU, he built a national reputation for championship success, transformational fundraising, strategic leadership, and lasting institutional impact.

“Mark Wilson is a national leader in intercollegiate athletics with extensive NCAA Division I FCS experience, a distinction highlighted by his recognition as a NACDA Athletic Director of the Year,” said EIU President Jay Gatrell. “Mark’s vision aligns perfectly with EIU’s commitment to excellence, both in competition and the classroom. Furthermore, his deep understanding of the Ohio Valley Conference represents a tremendous asset to our institution.”

Gatrell said that he is thrilled to welcome Wilson to Panther Nation. He is confident that he will elevate the student-athlete experience while positioning its 19 programs for championship-level success.

“I am grateful for President Gatrell’s confidence in my leadership and honored to follow my good friend and exceptional athletic director, Tom Michael,” Wilson said. “I look forward to partnering with a president who leads with transparency, operates with unparalleled integrity, and demonstrates an unwavering commitment to student-athlete success.”

From Tennessee Tech to Charleston: the Wilson resume

Wilson comes to Eastern Illinois following one of the most successful eras in Tennessee Tech Athletics history. During his tenure, the Golden Eagles captured more than 45 Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) championships and 18 NCAA postseason appearances.

Such highlights include Tennessee Tech being the first OVC program in history to win a baseball regional. That historical effort would result in the team advancing to a Super Regional. In addition, it includes Women’s Basketball NCAA Tournament appearances in two of his last three seasons. That would include an NCAA Tournament victory.

Additionally, Wilson developed the department’s WIN (Work Intensely Now) academic initiative. The intent was to create a culture of academic excellence that produced 34 consecutive semesters. Throughout that initiative, it would result in a department-wide grade point average above 3.0. It would also deliver two Ohio Valley Conference Institutional Sportsmanship Awards, reflecting a department committed to competitive excellence, academic achievement, integrity, and respect.

Under Wilson’s leadership, Tennessee Tech transformed its athletics fundraising operation into one of the Ohio Valley Conference’s premier programs. It would set multiple fundraising records, securing several of the largest gifts in department history, generating $30 million in philanthropic support including more than $16 million during his final five years, maintaining 21 consecutive balanced budgets, and leading more than $90 million in athletics capital and programmatic improvements.

One of Wilson’s defining accomplishments at Tennessee Tech was his leadership of the approximately $55 million Tucker Stadium West project. It was a transformational investment that will reshape the future of Golden Eagle Football. To date, it is the most significant athletics facilities initiative in the university’s modern history. The project represents more than a decade of vision, strategic planning, relationship-building, and fundraising.

Wilson envisioned and championed the effort from its earliest stages, uniting university leadership, donors, alumni, and the community behind a shared vision while guiding the project through planning, design, demolition, and the beginning of construction. Wilson’s ability to transform vision into reality by building consensus, inspiring philanthropic investment, and leading complex initiatives from concept to construction reflects the leadership he will bring to Panther Athletics.

Career highlights

Throughout his career, Wilson has held senior leadership positions at Tennessee Tech University, Ohio University, and the University of Massachusetts. During each tenure, he would develop nationally recognized expertise across both the NCAA Division I FBS and FCS levels in athletic administration, fundraising, external relations, strategic planning, and revenue generation.

He has also served in numerous leadership roles within the NCAA, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), and the OVC, including President of the NACDA Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Executive Committee, Chair of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee, Chair of the OVC Council of Directors of Athletics, and AD Chair of the OVC Commissioner’s Search Committee.

In 2013, he was recognized as the NACDA Under Armour FCS Athletic Director of the Year. That designation is one of the highest honors in collegiate athletics administration.

Wilson and his plans for Eastern Illinois

Wilson is widely respected for building championship-caliber athletics programs through authentic relationships, fiscal responsibility, competitive excellence, and a long-term vision that positions institutions for sustained success.

“I’ve always believed that college athletics is about changing lives,” Wilson said. “Success is measured by the opportunities we create for student-athletes to earn a championship ring on the right hand and a diploma in the left. I’m honored to join Eastern Illinois University and look forward to working alongside our coaches, staff, alumni, and supporters to build on Panther Athletics’ proud tradition while creating an exceptional experience for our student-athletes and everyone who proudly wears EIU blue.”

About Mark Wilson

Wilson received his undergraduate degree from the University of Maine. He would later earn his graduate degree in sports management from the University of Massachusetts. He and his wife, Melanie, have five adult daughters who live from the East Coast to the West Coast. Their dog, Bo, will accompany them to Coles County, where they look forward to becoming part of the community. As a family, they enjoy snow skiing, spending time outdoors, and relaxing at the lake.

Tenure will mark the 11th full-time Athletic Director in the school’s history

Wilson will begin his tenure as Eastern Illinois University’s Director of Athletics on September 1, 2026, taking the helm of a Panther Athletics program coming off a successful 2025-26 campaign. That would include Ohio Valley Conference championships in volleyball, softball, and men’s outdoor track and field. Furthermore, there were also NCAA Tournament appearances in volleyball and softball, and a second-place finish in the OVC Commissioner’s Cup.  He will be the 11th full-time sitting athletic director in EIU Athletics history.

Eastern Illinois University Athletics began in 1899 with an early football team. The Panthers compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Ohio Valley Conference. EIU boasts six national championships in four sports. Those include three cross-country titles. Eastern has also produced notable alumni like NFL star Tony Romo and Olympic medalist Lauren Doyle.

Rich Moser, EIU Sports Information Director

Website |  + postsBio

Rich Moser is the Sports Information Director at Eastern Illinois and has served in that capacity since June 2006, following six and a half years as an assistant SID at Gonzaga University.

In the summer of 2009, he moved into his current role of Associate AD for Media & Public Relations.  At EIU, Moser oversees the media relations, graphic design, tickets, ESPN+, and the Athletic Hall of Fame.  In addition, he previously covered corporate sponsorships and marketing & promotions for the athletic department.

During his tenure leading the media relations department at Eastern Illinois, Moser has moved the athletic website from an on-campus design to a partnership with Sidearm Sports (www.eiupanthers.com).  In addition, he helped create the current football radio network and negotiated the current radio agreements. He currently has oversight for the Panthers' sports productions on ESPN+.  As the contact for EIU football, he has helped host three FCS home playoff games as the Panthers have made six post-season appearances in football since 2006.  He also helped facilitate the ESPNU All-Access 30-minute show in 2013 as the season was highlighted by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo winning the Walter Payton Award.   In addition, he has hosted the EIU weekly coaches show, Panther Sports Talk on WEIU TV, and served as the play-by-play commentator for several broadcasts.

While at Gonzaga, Moser was the primary contact for women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball, and crew while serving as a secondary contact with the men’s basketball program. He traveled to several NCAA Tournament appearances with the Zags as well as other highly regarded in-season tournaments like the Great Alaska Shootout and BB&T Classic. Moser also produced media guides for all 14 sports at Gonzaga and was the primary contact for the Bulldogs athletic website. He helped promote several players for All-America and Academic All-America honors.

Before joining the Gonzaga staff, he worked as the Sports Information Director and assistant baseball coach at Millsaps (MS) College and as a graduate assistant SID at Delta State (MS) University. He also worked one year each in Minor League Baseball and the Canadian Football League.

Moser is a 1994 graduate from the University of Kentucky and holds a master’s degree from Delta State. He and his wife Becky have one son.

• Rich Moser, EIU Sports Information Director

  Eastern Illinois FB win OVC Sportsmanship Award