The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Marc Wilson Named Assistant Women's Basketball Coach At UAB
5/27/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
May 27, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Marc Wilson, a veteran assistant coach who was most recently at Indiana for three seasons, has been hired as an assistant coach for the UAB women's basketball program, Blazers' head coach Audra Smith announced on Wednesday.
"I am thrilled to have Marc join our UAB women's basketball family," said Smith. "He has tremendous experience and brings over 10 years of experience to UAB. Marc has a ton of knowledge and he will enhance our post game and help us continue to develop into a top defensive team."
Wilson, who replaces JoVanka Ward who left the UAB staff following this past season, has spent more than 10 years as an assistant coach in women's basketball, including seven years in the Big Ten Conference. Most recently, he worked with the post players and was a key recruiter at Indiana from 2006-09.
Prior to his time with the Hoosiers, he served as an assistant coach at Kent State for two seasons. Wilson was a key factor in the Golden Flashes making back-to-back appearances in the Mid-American Conference championship game from 2004-06.
Wilson also had a three-year stint at Rhode Island from 2001-04, working mainly with the post players and serving as the team's recruiting coordinator. During his time with the Rams, he helped lead them to the 2003 Atlantic 10 championship game.
Wilson began his coaching career by spending four seasons as an assistant at his alma mater, Minnesota, from 1997-2001. Over his four years with the Golden Gophers, he recruited two future WNBA players in Lindsay Whalen and Janel McCarville. McCarville was the top overall pick in the 2005 WNBA draft by the Charlotte Sting and Whalen was taken No. 4 overall in the 2004 draft by the Connecticut Sun.
One of Wilson's career honors was being named to the Big Ten All-Star coaching staff during the summer of 1998, when he traveled overseas and helped coach the team against some of Europe's top programs.
Wilson played his collegiate career at Minnesota from 1982-86, where he still ranks among the top 10 in school history in career scoring (1,386 points), field goals made (540), free throws made (306), free throw attempts (428) and assists (375).
Tabbed as team captain and Co-Most Valuable Player in 1986, he also earned All-Big Ten honorable mention honors in 1983 and 1986.
"I am really excited to be a part of coach Smith's staff," said Wilson. "I like the stability that coach Smith has instilled here and the family environment here with the staff, as well as the team. I look forward to working with the young talent that we have.
"I am thankful for this opportunity that coach Smith has provided me. I respect her as a person. She has high integrity and character. She has put those characteristics into the UAB program.
"Conference USA is a quality conference and I want to help UAB to a league championship and a trip to the NCAA tournament, which is everyone's goal here. I am really looking forward to being a part of this program."
