Mike Wagner became athletic director at Illinois Wesleyan University on August 1, 2015, and enters his ninth year at the helm of IWU athletics in 2024-25.
He replaced Dennie Bridges, who retired after serving as athletic director since 1981. Wagner is only the third IWU athletic director in the last 68 years as Jack Horenberger was the school's athletic director from 1947-81.
Under the guidance of Wagner, the Titans have won three NCAA Division III Team National Championships (2016 - women’s outdoor track & field; 2019 - men’s golf; 2021 - men's golf), 47 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championships, seen five Titans win individual NCAA Division III titles, had four NCAA Division III ‘Elite 90’ Award recipients, and two CSC Academic All-Americans of the Year.Â
Nationally, Wagner has secured NCAA Championship hosting responsibilities for several regional and super regionals in a variety of sports. Most recently, the Titans were selected as hosts of the 2025 NCAA Division III Softball and Women’s Volleyball Championships.
Wagner, who began working at Illinois Wesleyan in 1992, spent his first 16 years at IWU as an assistant football coach and coordinator of strength training and, in his role of associate athletic director since 2004, has been the event coordinator and facility director of the Shirk Center athletic complex.
In his role as associate athletic director, he assisted Bridges in all facets of department operation from fundraising initiatives, personnel decisions, operational structure, budget, gender equity compliance, marketing and promotions, and NCAA compliance.
In addition to home events, Wagner has coordinated over 75 outside events per year to generate revenue for the University and athletic department.
Wagner was the primary IWU staff member in the coordination of hosting the NCAA Division III national volleyball tournaments in 2007 and 2008; the national women's basketball finals in 2010 and 2011; the national indoor track championships in 2000 and 2005; and the inaugural Division III national women's golf championship in 2000. In addition, he has been the director of 28 NCAA regional and/or sectional competitions including men's and women's basketball, softball, baseball, football, and women's soccer.
As the Director of Strength and Speed since 2007, Wagner supervises the head strength coach and assistant strength coaches while managing and assisting in all aspects of the IWU Fitness Center.
He has also served as advisor to IWU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), instituting community outreach programs, working with the faculty representatives and administrators on academic issues and serving as co-director of the annual Tommy Awards (student-athlete recognition banquet).
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He has served as the chair of the Bloomington-Normal Sports Commission advisory board, representing Illinois Wesleyan and the community in attracting, and retaining athletic events for the area, and serves on a number of campus committees.
From 2008 to 2011 Wagner was chair of the NCAA national women's golf committee, helping determine teams for the Division III championships and supervising at the national tournaments. He was on the regional women's golf committee from 2006 to 2011.
A native of Wildwood, Ill., and a graduate of Gurnee Warren Township High School, Wagner graduated in 1992 from Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill., with a bachelor's degree in biology.
Wagner won four letters in football at Augustana and earned Honorable Mention All-American status from Don Hansen's Football Gazette as a senior in 1991. That same year he was an All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin linebacker for the Vikings and the teams he played on won three CCIW titles and appeared in three NCAA Division III playoffs.
An associate professor at Illinois Wesleyan in the earlier part of his career, Wagner earned a master's degree in exercise science at Illinois State University in 1994.
Wagner and his wife, Beth (also a former Augustana athlete), are parents of Rebecca and Matthew.Â
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