University of Texas at Tyler Athletics

Head coach Louis Wilson will begin his fourth season at the helm of the UT Tyler men's basketball program in 2022-23, and eighth season overall as a head coach at the Division II level. 

The 2022-23 season will mark the 31st year of collegiate basketball coaching experience for Wilson, as he accumulated 23 years of experience at the Division I level as an associate or assistant head coach prior to his time in Tyler. He spent five years as head coach at Division II foe Adams State of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) from 2010-15, totaling a 95-46 record as head coach of the Grizzlies, and led the program to three consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division II National Tournament from 2010-13.

Wilson has immediately made an impact with the Patriots by leading program through the final two seasons of the mandatory three-year transition period from NCAA Division III to NCAA Division II in 2019-20 and 2021-22, and established UT Tyler as an immediate contender within the Lone Star Conference in the first full year of Division II membership in 2021-22. The Patriots went 16-10 during that season, a continued improved after a 12-10 record in 2020-21, and received the program's first ever national ranking at the Division II level on Dec. 15th, 2021 in the no. 25 spot of the D2SIDA Men's Basketball National Media Poll.

The Patriots were ranked within the top 10 of all three NCAA Division II South Central Regional rankings in the no. 8, no. 9 and no. 10 spots, and began the year with a 7-0 record, the best start in the 19-year history of the program. Senior Micah Fuller received his second straight all-conference accolade, an All-Lone Star Conference Second Team nod, while junior Milan Szabo became the first representative of UT Tyler to be named to the All-Academic Team in men's basketball.

The Patriots made the program's first appearance in the Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament, earning the no. 11 seed in the 12-team field. UT Tyler nearly pulled off the first round upset over no. 6 seed Midwestern State in that first round contest, but eventually fell by a 66-62 margin.

Micah Fuller broke the school record for career made free throws (317) under the guidance of Wilson, and also rose to no. 3 on the school's all-time scoring list with his 929th point in a Patriot uniform. 

UT Tyler improved from an 8-19 record in the second year of the transition period in 2019-20, to a 12-10 mark in a shortened 2020-21 season in the institution's final year of the transition period. 

UT Tyler won 10 out of the final 11 games during that 2020-21 season, including a signature 61-60 win over then-ranked no. 10 Texas A&M-Kingsville, securing the program's first ever win over a nationally-ranked Division II opponent. Wilson entrenched UT Tyler as one of the Lone Star Conference's best defensive teams throughout that final 11 game stretch as the Patriots finished the season ranked near the top of the league in several key defensive categories, including scoring defense (3rd, 71.0) and steals per game (2nd, 8.09).

The Patriots have been represented by four All-Lone Star Conference selections during Wilson's two seasons leading the program, as Ty Glover was named an All-LSC selection in 2019-20, Emmanuel Gant (Honorable Mention) received all-conference accolades in 2020-21, and then Fuller as Third Team and Second Team selections (2020-21, 2021-22).

Wilson came to UT Tyler in 2019-20 after finishing a season as the Associate Head Coach at Division I Grand Canyon University in 2018-19. The Lopes reached 20 wins for the fourth-consecutive season with a 20-14 mark and fell one game shy of reaching the NCAA Division I Tournament with an appearance in the Western Athletic Conference Championship game.
  
Prior to his time at GCU, Wilson spent three seasons as an assistant at Utah State University (2015-18) where he helped develop the 2017 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year in Kolby McEwen and two of the top-10 career three-point shooters in program history in guards Chris Smith and Darius Perkins.

He finished his career as the program's all-time leader in winning percentage during his five-year tenure at Adams State (67.4), and established the program as a two-way threat in Division II, ranking among the top 20 teams in scoring annually and leading the nation in steals and opponent turnovers in 2011-12. The Grizzlies went 73-37 in RMAC games with Wilson as head coach from 2010-15, and received at-large bids into the Division II National Tournament in each of his first three seasons.
 
Wilson established himself as a premier Division I assistant prior to accepting his first head coaching role at Adams State, and served as Associate Head Coach at California State, Northridge from 2006-10. He was a member of a Matador staff at California State, Northridge that led the team to an appearance in the 2009 NCAA Division I National Tournament.

Prior to his time at California State, Northridge, Wilson served as Assistant Coach at Idaho State from 1998-2006 and at Southern Utah from 1992-98.
 
As a player, Wilson was an all-state guard and two-time state champion at Anchorage East High School in Alaska before playing for Trenton (Mo.) Junior College and William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo. His 1987-98 NAIA quarterfinals team was inducted into the William Jewell Hall of Fame.
 
 

HEAD COACH LOUIS WILSON

Hometown: High School: College: Family:

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage East High School William Jewell College ('88)

 

COACHING CAREER

Year

School

Position

2021-22 2020-21 2019-20 2018-19 2017-18 2016-17 2015-16 2014-15 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 2005-06 2004-05 2003-04 2002-03 2001-02 2000-01 1999-00 1998-99 1997-98 1996-97 1995-96 1994-95 1993-94 1992-93 1991-92 1990-91 1989-90 1988-89

UT Tyler UT Tyler UT Tyler Grand Canyon Utah State Utah State Utah State Adams State Adams State Adams State Adams State Adams State California State, Northridge California State, Northridge California State, Northridge California State, Northridge Idaho State Idaho State Idaho State Idaho State Idaho State Idaho State Idaho State Idaho State Southern Utah Southern Utah Southern Utah Southern Utah Southern Utah Southern Utah East Anchorage HS East Anchorage HS East Anchorage HS East Anchorage HS

Head Coach Head Coach Head Coach Associate Head Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Head Coach Head Coach Head Coach Head Coach Head Coach Associate Head Coach Associate Head Coach Associate Head Coach Associate Head Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Coach Assistant Boys Basketball Coach Assistant Boys Basketball Coach Assistant Boys Basketball Coach Assistant Boys Basketball Coach

 

NCAA HEAD COACHING RECORD

Year

School

Ovr.

Conf.

Postseason

2021-22 2020-21 2019-20 2014-15 2013-14 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11

UT Tyler UT Tyler UT Tyler Adams State Adams State Adams State Adams State Adams State

16-10 12-10 8-19 19-9 17-10 20-9 19-9 20-9

7-8 7-10 5-17 14-8 13-9 16-6 15-7 15-7

LSC Postseason Tournament  NCAA Regionals NCAA Regionals NCAA Regionals

Total @ UTT @ ASU

8 Seasons 3 Seasons 5 Seasons

131-85 36-39 95-46

92-72 19-35 73-37