When UNC Wilmington’s women’s basketball players pack their bags and get on buses and planes to play their away games, it may seem like a normal travel day. But for Mike Merrill, 26, it’s a busy and somewhat hectic week. Merrill is the director of basketball operations for the Seahawks and is in charge of everything that goes on behind the scenes.

Before working his way up the ranks, Merrill attended UNCW and graduated in 2007. During his time as a student, his love for basketball got him involved with the team. After finding the job listing online, he applied to be on the women’s scout team—a team of guys who would come to practices and scrimmage against the players.

As he became more involved and got to know the coaches more, he was able to land the position as a student manager. As soon as he graduated, he was hired to be part of the basketball staff when former director Jimmy Garrity was promoted to assistant head coach under then-head coach Ann Hancock.

Merrill chose women’s basketball over men’s due to the dynamic on the women’s side. “I feel like they really listened,” Merrill said. “With guys sometimes, from my own experience, egos get in the way a little more.”

Merrill, along with marketing and development director Rob Brickels, co-coordinate the “Seahawks Tomorrow” program. They invite every fifth grade student in New Hanover County to take a tour of UNCW’s campus and then attend a women’s basketball game. This year, they partnered with the indoor track team, who volunteered as tour guides. The Seahawk Club also provided pizza and drinks before the game. 

“It is really a departmental effort,” Merrill said. “Without them, it wouldn’t have been possible. The kids absolutely love it. We get such positive feedback from the community and the elementary schools. We found out that for most of those fifth graders, it’s the first time they had been to a college campus. We want to inspire them and plant the seed early that if they work hard, they can go to UNCW or another college like UNCW.”

A typical day for Merrill during basketball season consists of him arriving early to his office and working anywhere from 12- to 14-hour days. “From October to March, it’s a 100 percent, 24-hour commitment.  It’s more than just the time you spend in the office,” Merrill said.

He makes sure everything is prepared to go on the road. This includes making sure all the food orders are placed, making sure the team has the necessary transportation vehicle and has a hotel. Merrill also oversees the student managers and the academics of the team. “I’m the main contact person for everything,” he said.  “All this preparation is done to make the actual travel day go as smooth as possible. It’s my goal to have a few hiccups as possible and for the players to have a good experience.”

Merrill’s contributions to the program also include the invention of the now popular “Trask Trek.” Over one Christmas break, he and his two roommates decided to start a tradition of inviting friends over before men’s basketball games to walk from his house, off Racine Drive, to Trask Coliseum.  “It started out with my roommates,” he said. “Before you know it, it went from just the three of us to having 25, 50 people.”

Merrill had friends in the Housing Department for UNCW and after participating in the walk, they pitched the idea to the student government who made it into an activity for “Midnight Madness.” Merrill never thought it would be as big as it is now. “The first time they had it for Midnight Madness, a year after I graduated, and there was like two or three thousand people,” he said. “We were floored.”

Merrill’s dedication to the school goes beyond being a director. He truly loves UNCW. “I’ve always enjoyed UNCW,” he said. “Being an alum, I feel I have a connection here, and I want to see women’s basketball here and the entire athletic department be successful, and being able to contribute to that helps.”

As for his future plans, Merrill eventually wants to coach. “My dad was in coaching when I was little, and still is, so I grew up around it,” Merrill said. “I never thought I would be involved with college coaching, but when the opportunity came available when I was graduating, I knew I had to go for it. You just have to be patient and wait for the right opportunity.”

For now, Merrill just wants to enjoy his time here at UNCW and continue the connections and relationships he has made with the athletes and the coaching staff. Being around basketball is what is most important to him. “I grew up playing basketball all the time,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine not having basketball in my life. I don’t know what I would do or where I would go.”