Monmouth grad Mike Oblinger '05 hopes the slipper fits for his school at NCAA tournament

The former Fighting Scot is the athletic director at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington

by Barry McNamara

Monmouth, IL (03/18/2025) — In April, a production of Cinderella will be staged at Monmouth College. But if you're looking for a Cinderella in March, how about the University of North Carolina-Wilmington?

The 14th-seeded Seahawks - a balanced squad with seven regulars averaging between 14.6 and 7.3 points per game - will open the NCAA men's basketball tournament Thursday against No. 3 seed Texas Tech. Watching the action very closely will be UNCW's athletic director, Mike Oblinger, a 2005 Monmouth graduate.

"It's been a lot of joy," said Oblinger of the days since the Seahawks won the Coastal Athletic Association tournament on March 11.

It's also been a lot more work.

"There are so many logistical things that go into the tournament," he said. "For example, it's 4 p.m. (March 17), and I still don't know when we're leaving tomorrow to go to Wichita. But that's not abnormal, It's par for the course. It's all been a little chaotic, but it's a wonderful problem to have."

Can the Seahawks make it to the weekend in Wichita?

"We're playing our best right now," said Oblinger. "This is a very veteran group, a very player-led group. They're not scared of the moment."

This is the fourth consecutive year that UNCW has won at least 20 games, so the veteran Seahawk players have won often, and some of the transfers have NCAA tournament experience at their prior schools.

"They know what winning is," said Oblinger. "They know what pressure is."

From Mundelein to Monmouth

Before he ever set foot on Monmouth's campus, Oblinger came from a high school program with that type of pedigree. The 6-foot-5 post was the product of a Mundelein High School program in suburban Chicago that won at least 18 games all four of his seasons. Leading the Mustangs was Perry Wilhelm, who just happened to be the father of a player that Fighting Scots coach Terry Glasgow was recruiting - Kyle Wilhelm '05.

"What led me to Monmouth was Kyle," said Oblinger. "I'll be honest, coming to Monmouth - there were more kids at my high school than there were at Monmouth. It was something different, but that's what I needed. Monmouth fit me well. I wanted to keep playing ball, and Monmouth made a lot of sense for me."

The Scots weren't a juggernaut at the time, and that's OK, said Oblinger. Twenty years later, the relationships are what stand out.

"I'm still in touch with my college roommates - guys like Jim Dibble, Bill Elsey, Tucker Blaser. And I met my wife, Liz (Ruebush '05) through basketball. She was a cheerleader. So it's the people I still have relationships with that are the highlight for me."

From would-be lawyer to AD

As Oblinger was starting college at Monmouth, the basketball career of another pretty famous Mike from Wilmington - Michael Jordan - was winding down. Monmouth student-athletes aren't likely to repeat the athletic success of Jordan, who prepped at the coastal city's Emsley A. Laney High School, but they can certainly aspire to "be like Mike" Oblinger.

"Well, don't do what I did," advised Oblinger.

At least not what he did initially.

While a basketball connection brought him to Monmouth, Oblinger said his background really wasn't anchored in athletics. He had every intention of using his history and political science double major at Monmouth as a gateway to law school. Further solidifying that path, he believed, was taking part in the college's Washington Semester program the first semester of his senior year.

But there was a small problem. While spending a few months in the fall of 2004 in the nation's capital, Oblinger reached a conclusion.

"I realized, 'I don't want to be a lawyer,'" he said. "'I don't want to teach, I don't want to get a Ph.D. and I don't want to go to law school.' (History professor) Simon Cordery was my adviser, and I remember going to him in a panic. He asked me, 'What else is important to you?' I blurted out 'Sports.' He said, 'Why don't you figure out what you can do with that?'"

An answer that made sense was the sports management master's degree program just down the road at Western Illinois University, but Oblinger still needed to visit one more faculty member in a panic - Glasgow.

"There are a lot of funny TG stories and TG-isms, but my lasting impression of Terry is him finding out where I wanted to go," said Oblinger. "I went to his office and told him what I was thinking, but I told him, 'I'm late.' By that time, I'd missed all the deadlines to get in. The next day, I was admitted. I don't know how he did it. I don't know who he talked to or what he said. But to this day, that leaves a mark with me. It's all led to how my career has played out, but it all started with getting into school. I'm so grateful."

So for students considering a career in athletic administration, maybe don't wait until the last minute to get started. But after students clear that hurdle, Oblinger offered several suggestions.

"You're on a college campus," said Oblinger. "Volunteer, intern, get real-world experiences. I got lucky. I had zero experience when I got down to Western. I would tell students to knock on someone's door. 'Can I help you out with something? Can I shadow you?' Don't waste time. Be intentional. Everyone's always looking for help. People want to help, and most people are willing to give advice. Reach out to your network."

Helping Oblinger grow his network in the early going was his Monmouth connections, which included former Fighting Scot Paul Bubb '79, another athletic administrator.

"I met Paul through a family friend," said Oblinger. "He was at Idaho State at the time, but he was back in the Macomb area to see family. I got connected with him and we met for a cup of coffee. He helped me catch up a little bit on the career path. It's been a great connection. In fact, I just got a text from him congratulating me on our NCAA tournament bid."

Soon, Oblinger found his niche in the profession, showing a talent for raising athletic department funds. And not just at any school - at The Ohio State University. He continued with successes in that area at the University of Nevada and the University of Memphis, really hitting his stride at Louisiana State University, where he served as director of major gifts and the annual fund for the Tiger Athletic Foundation.

From Baton Rouge, it was on to a six-year stint at the University of Connecticut. His final day there as the Huskies' deputy director of athletics, which included serving as the department's chief revenue officer, was the day in 2023 that UConn won the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

He left Storrs, Connecticut, for his AD post at Wilmington, an area that he called "a very attractive place to live." The university happens to be the crown jewel of the Coastal Athletic Association, winning 13 championships in the past two years and topping all league schools in "every sport where attendance is measured," said Oblinger. "We'd be tops in softball and volleyball, too," if that was tracked.

Those league titles are nice, but for the very short term, a victory in the Seahawks' first trip to the NCAA tourney in eight years is the goal. Time will tell if the glass slipper fits.

Media Attachments

MBB_CAA_Champs.jpg

An invitation to the ball or, to be more accurate, "The Big Dance." Oblinger celebrates the moment on March 11 with his family: son Miles, wife Liz (Ruebush '05) and daughter Quinn. Also pictured is UNCW's mascot, Sammy C. Hawk.

oblinger.JPG

UCONN.jpg

A family photo from Oblinger's six-year stint at the University of Connecticut.

Monmouth College

Monmouth grad Mike Oblinger '05 hopes the slipper fits for his school at NCAA tournament

The former Fighting Scot is the athletic director at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington

Media Attachments

Monmouth College

Share this Story

Recent News