Michael Merritt enters his 10th year at Howard as head coach of the men, and seventh year as head coach of the women's track and field and cross country programs, and continues to challenge his athletes to be highly competitive on the regional and national level.  Since his arrival in the spring of 2000, he has enhanced the track and field tradition at Howard University. 

Merritt was highly instrumental in the development of David Oliver and Lauren McNary.  Oliver was a three-time MEAC 110 Meter Hurdle Champion , two-time NCAA All-American in the 60 meter and 110 meter hurdles and  2004 U.S. Olympic Trials qualifier.  McNary is a three-time MEAC 400 Meter Champion and member of the 2005 USA Junior National Track & Field Team, Pan American Junior Athletics Championships qualifier and 2006 NCAA National qualifier.

In 2007-08, Landria Buckley was named an NCAA All-American in the 100m hurdles and earned a berth to the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Coach Merritt's athletes have won three MEAC Women's Cross Country Championships (2002, 2003 and 2005).  In addition, he has coached three MEAC Individual Cross Country Champions and earned MEAC Cross Country Coach of the Year Honors.  Coach Merritt has also developed eight NCAA National qualifiers, eighteen NCAA Regional qualifiers, twelve MEAC Individual Track & Field Champions, ninety-eight  All-MEAC Track & Field Honorees, three NCAA All-East Regional Team selections and four USA Track & Field National qualifiers. 

Prior to his arrival at Howard, Merritt graduated from Mount Saint Mary's College in 1979 with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology.  After graduating, he served stints as a track coach and social studies teacher at Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore, MD, Head Track & Cross Country Coach at Coppin State College, and assistant coach at Catonsville Community College.   

After completing his master's in Guidance and Counseling from Bowie State University in 1985,  Coach Merritt returned to Mount Saint Mary's and served twelve years as head women's and seven years as head men's coach at his alma matter.  Under his guidance, Merritt's teams won eight cross country, five indoor and seven outdoor Northeast Conference Championships.  His track & field program produced one hundred and twenty-nine NEC Individual Champions, and he was named sixteen-time NEC Coach of the Year.  In addition, Merritt's programs produced twenty-five NCAA National qualifiers, twelve NCAA All-Americans and a few national champions and Olympians.  In addition to his coaching duties, Merritt was hired at the Mount as the Director of Minority Affairs in 1986.  From 1988 to 1995, he served as the college's Compliance Officer charged with upholding the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.    

Merritt lives in Gaithersburg, MD.