By TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech University Director of Athletics Mark Wilson has agreed to a five-year contract extension, keeping him at the helm of the Golden Eagle athletic program through 2022.
The contract extension was announced Friday by Tennessee Tech President Phil Oldham with the approval of the Tennessee Tech Board of Trustees.
"Mark's desire to serve our student-athletes and the results we've seen academically and competitively give us confidence and excitement for the future," President Oldham said. "Nationally, he is recognized for the attributes he brings to our university—leadership, commitment and vision."
"It is an honor to continue to serve Tennessee Tech and I appreciate President Oldham and the Board of Trustees' confidence in me to continue to lead athletics at Tennessee Tech," Wilson said. "I've loved every moment of being here and I appreciate the hard work of our coaches and student-athletes.
"Tennessee Tech is a great institution with even greater times in front of us with Dr. Oldham's and the board's leadership. This university has been really special since it was Dixie College, but it still has many very special years in front of us."
Over his first 13 years at the helm of the department, Tech athletics has experienced a myriad of success, most notably during the 2016-17 athletic year. The Golden Eagles finished fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner's Cup final standings with 101.5 points earned, both records for the university. In fact, with just five and a half more points, Tech would have claimed the Commissioner's Cup for the first time in school history.
"Certainly we have momentum," Wilson acknowledged. "Tennessee Tech has always been a great place academically, and I believe we will continue to uphold those high standards of academic success and graduation of student-athletes, but I am very proud of our finish in the Commissioner's Cup this year and want us to continue to improve on that. It's going to be a challenge because we were only five and half points from first place, but we still finished fifth, so it's just a close race. I am extremely proud of the accomplishments of our student-athletes and coaches and I love working beside them every day."
Six of Tennessee Tech's 14 athletic programs finished in the top three of the OVC standings during the season, including first-place finishes from baseball and tennis, a second-place showing from indoor track & field and third-place rankings by football, soccer and outdoor track & field.
Both baseball and tennis claimed regular season and OVC Tournament titles, as well as berths to the NCAA Tournaments. Gilbert Boit won the OVC's Men's Cross Country Individual Championship after being selected OVC Freshman of the Year. Tennis' Eduardo Mena claimed OVC Player of the Year accolades while earning an invitation to the NCAA Tennis Individual Championships. Track & Field's Na'Asha Robinson became the first Golden Eagle to ever qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track Championships after winning multiple championships in the OVC. Baseball claimed a victory over Florida State in its opening contest in the NCAA Regional in Tallahassee, Fla.
Baseball's Matt Bragga, Tennis' Kenny Doyle and Indoor Track & Field's Wayne Angel all claimed OVC Coach of the Year honors while student-athletes combined to receive over 210 individual awards.
Upon his arrival at Tennessee Tech in 2004, Wilson embarked on an ambitious enhancement program to improve every facet of intercollegiate athletics at Tennessee Tech, including academic performance.
In the Spring of 2017, and for the 17th consecutive semester, Tech's student-athletes teamed up to top 3.0 for their combined grade point average (GPA), extending a streak that began in the Spring of 2009. During the Spring semester, the tennis team set an all-time department GPA record with a mark of 3.73 while soccer managed the second-highest mark ever with a team GPA of 3.71.
Tennessee Tech earned its highest NCAA Graduation Success Rate during the year (83 percent) and every athletic program exceeded the NCAA Academic Progress Rate minimum of 930.
From the get-go Wilson's priority has been enhancing the 'student-athlete' experience, challenging them with tough schedules, improved facilities, and opportunities to develop to their fullest potential, not only in competition, but also in the classroom, their lives and futures.
Private fundraising has enhanced facilities for TTU student-athletes, highlighted by the construction of a 25,000 square-foot Athletic Performance Center and state-of-the-art basketball offices. He initiated a new branding and standard graphic identity program for regional and national recognition of TTU athletics and under his leadership, TTU's teams have been highly active supporting community outreach programs such as Habitat for Humanity, Mustard Seed Ranch (a local home for disadvantaged youth) and Fall Fun Fest.
Wilson's hiring decisions have also paid off. Thirty Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) regular season and tournament championships have been won, along with the 2012 OVC Sportsmanship Award. The 2011 football team under Watson Brown won its first conference championship since 1975. The women's basketball team has won two OVC championships in the last seven seasons. The tennis team, under the direction of four-time OVC Coach of the Year Kenny Doyle, has won the regular season championship five of the last six years, as well as the 2016 and 2017 tournament titles and automatic berths to the NCAA Tournament.
"I think the best days are in front of us," Wilson explained, "and I say that because I think our student-athletes will continue to achieve academically. I think we can accomplish more for fan experience and we have some more facility enhancements we still need to do to stay on pace in the Ohio Valley Conference, regionally and nationally. I am driven and dedicated to doing that, particularly the renovations to Tucker Stadium and other facilities that need it. I really want to see our fundraising, our corporate support and our attendance increase, and that is going to be a point of emphasis for me."
In 2013, Wilson was named one of four winners of the Athletic Director of the Year Award for the Football Championship Subdivision, an honor selected and presented by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
Wilson, 48, has been active in the Ohio Valley Conference governance structure, and has served as chair of the OVC Board of Directors of Athletics and represented the OVC on the NCAA Leadership Council.
Well-respected on the national scene, he is highly involved in numerous committees. Following his previous appointment on the NCAA Leadership Council, Wilson recently completed his tenure as President of the FCS ADA Executive Committee following a year-long stint as First Vice President. He also recently completed a four-year term on the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee, acting as Chair for 2015-16 and also serving on the NCAA Football Oversight Committee at the same time.
Wilson's first 13 years as Director of Athletics at TTU have showcased his vision, energy, and enthusiasm for providing outstanding experiences for Tech's student-athletes and fans. In addition to major improvements in Tennessee Tech's athletics facilities, high graduation and APR rates by Golden Eagle student-athletes, and outstanding academic success, Wilson has also cultivated excellent relationships with the campus, community and alumni.
In short, Wilson has facilitated growth and excellence in all areas of TTU Athletics.
Wilson also developed a strategic plan for Tech's athletic facilities and has already seen some of those plans become reality. During the past seven years Tech has completed several construction and renovation projects to athletic facilities. In addition to the APC and the basketball office complex, projects have included a new natural grass practice field, installation of new turf in Tucker Stadium, installation of lights at the Tech soccer field, renovation of the running track, football offices, meeting rooms and locker rooms, and new lights at Tucker Stadium. Within the last three years, Tech debuted a spectacular, new video board, brand new seating and lighting and a state-of-the-art floor projection system in the Eblen Center. Additional building plans call for a new student-athlete center, an on-campus tennis center, and enhancements to Tucker Stadium.
Another step achieved under Wilson's direction has been increased fundraising and development efforts with the goal of providing the necessary facilities and resources for Tech's student-athletes, coaches and staff.
Just as important are the relationships that Wilson has developed and nurtured, including the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, the student body, the campus community and the region at-large. His leadership has been instrumental in the overwhelming success in the community's host role at Tucker Stadium for the annual Blue Cross Bowl for the TSSAA high school state championship football games.
Tech has also seen growth in regional and national media exposure for its student-athletes and coaches while his hands-on approach to marketing and branding Golden Eagle Athletics has earned increased opportunities and involvement for fans and sponsors. Some of the ideas he has implemented include the Purple Pride Caravans, a new athletics logo and branding marks that have gained nationwide recognition, and an updated and modern ticketing system.
Under Wilson's direction, Tech has introduced an enhanced digital video presence for athletics, including free live web streaming productions and a variety of additional video programs, interviews and features that give fans, alumni and supporters greater access to Golden Eagle teams, student-athletes, coaches and staff.
Wilson was named Director of Athletics on July 1, 2004. He came to Tennessee Tech from a position of Senior Associate Athletic Director at Ohio University. Prior to that, he served as the Director of Athletic Marketing for the University of Massachusetts, worked as a graduate assistant in the UMass athletic department and interned with the Northwestern University ticketing and marketing departments.
Wilson received his bachelor's degree in 1991 from the University of Maine in physical education and health, and earned his master's in sports management from the University of Massachusetts in 1994.
Mark and his wife, Melanie, have five daughters.
Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
