On July 18, 2022, Dwight Merilatt, a seasoned administrator, was appointed Director of Athletics at Nebraska Wesleyan University. Merilatt joins the Prairie Wolves after serving as executive associate athletics director for external relations at Illinois State University for 8 years. In this role, he was responsible for development, marketing, ticket operations, strength and conditioning, and equipment room, direct supervision of four assistant athletic directors and management of a 40-person staff. He also served as the primary administrator for scheduling both conference and non-conference games for the Missouri Valley Football Conference games, and was responsible for Illinois State University's media sponsorships.
Before working at Illinois State, Merilatt served as associate athletics director for external affairs at the University of Evansville. In this role, he was responsible for the external operations of the athletics department, including corporate sponsorships, facilities, and game operations. Merilatt also helped to implement new basketball ticket and donor-related procedures, resulting in significant revenue increases and streamlined processes.
His additional experiences include positions at Eastern Kentucky University, West Chester University, Tampa Bay FireStix, Softball Country Club, a women's professional softball league in Tampa, Fla., and Tennis in Kentucky, a statewide tennis publication.
Merilatt received his bachelor's degree in sports management from the University of Kentucky and a Master of Science in sports administration from Eastern Kentucky University.
Merilatt, and his wife Mary Lee have two children - Gabrielle and Andrew.
