Merce Poindexter II joined Valpo Athletics in August 2023 as Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Welfare & Compliance.

Poindexter joined Valpo Athletics after previously serving as Assistant AD of Academic Services at the University of Illinois, a role he began in January 2021. At Valpo, he leads the department’s student-athlete services and compliance units in addition to serving as the sport administrator for football, men’s and women’s track and field and baseball programs. He also oversees Valpo student-athlete development initiatives, which includes career services, community service, educational programming and the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC). Poindexter's role also includes oversight of the department's sports medicine and sports performance units. 

During his time at Illinois, Poindexter served as a member of the athletic department’s senior staff. He provided oversight for Illini academic counselors and for part of his time in Champaign, he served as the lead academic counselor for football. He also served on Illinois’ diversity, equity and inclusion committee.

Prior to arriving in the Land of Lincoln, Poindexter was on staff at the University of Tennessee from February 2016 to January 2021. He started his time in Tennessee as Assistant Director of Academic Services before being promoted to Associate Director of Academic Services in November 2018. Poindexter oversaw academic support for the football and volleyball programs.

Poindexter spent time at Florida State University from June 2013 to February 2016. He started as an academic advisor for football and was promoted to senior academic advisor for football in October 2015. Poindexter also spent time as the football academic coordinator at Georgia Institute of Technology (June 2011 to June 2013) and assistant coordinator of academic services for football at the University of Akron (August 2009 to June 2011).

Poindexter graduated from the University of Akron in 2009 with a degree in business and organizational communication before earning his master’s in sport administration from Akron in 2011. The western Pennsylvania native was a student-athlete on the Zips football team and served as a team captain. He is a graduate of the NCAA Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute, which he participated in from 2020-2022. His family includes his wife, Shelly, and their son, Zayne.