Andrew Wilson - Men's Basketball Coach - James Madison University Athletics

Andrew Wilson

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
wilso2af@jmu.edu
Phone:
540-568-6462

After joining head coach Mark Byington as an assistant coach in Harrisonburg prior to the 2020-21 season, Andrew Wilson has made an immediate impact at James Madison.

In their first two seasons, Wilson and the staff led JMU to back-to-back winning seasons, the program's first consecutive winning campaigns in nearly a decade.

Wilson made his JMU debut in style in 2020-21, leading the program to its ninth-ever CAA Regular Season Championship, as the Dukes improved from 9-21 the year before to a 13-7 mark in 20-21.

Wilson, the Dukes' Defensive Coordinator, was responsible for one of the most improved defensive turnarounds in the country in his first season in Harrisonburg. The Dukes finished in the top 100 nationally in five different major defensive statistical categories (FG%, 3pt%, TO%, Steals, & Points Per Possession) in 20-21, after finishing outside of the top 300 nationally the year before his arrival. The Dukes' defense also led the CAA in all five aforementioned statistical categories.

The Dukes led the league in scoring and scoring margin on the year, despite the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic, and won 10 of 11 games down the stretch to clinch JMU's first No. 1 seed in the CAA Tournament since 1992-93.

This past season, Wilson's second in Harrisonburg, the Dukes battled to a 15-14 mark while overcoming unprecedented obstacles. Faced with a ban from the league's tournament, JMU overcame injuries and a 29-day COVID-19 pause to notch the program's second straight winning season.

JMU opened the 21-22 campaign with a 9-2 mark - the program's best start since the 1986-87 campaign - and earned a hard-fought and historic win over in-state power Virginia, holding the Cavaliers to just 49 points in a 52-49 battle in front of 8,439 fans at home.

In 2021, Wilson was selected to participate in the prestigious TopConnect Basketball Symposium (formerly Villa 7), which originated in 2003 by then VCU Athletic Director Dr. Richard Sander. The symposium identifies the top assistant basketball coaches in the country and connects them with mid-major Athletic Directors providing networking and leadership development opportunities. Since its inception in 2018, 12 attendees have been hired as Division I Men’s Basketball head coaches.

Prior to arriving in Harrisonburg, Wilson served alongside Byington for all seven seasons of the latter's tenure at Georgia Southern, including the final year as Associate Head Coach. The pair led the Eagles to their first-ever postseason bid and three straight 20-win campaigns in the last three years.

Georgia Southern racked up 13 all-conference selections, including Tookie Brown, who was the first Sun Belt Player of the Year in program history in 2019, an Honorable Mention All-American and was the first player in league history to take home four First Team All-Sun Belt nods. In addition, every senior to come through GSU's program graduated during Wilson's seven years in Statesboro.

The Eagles were one of 44 Division I programs in the country with 20+ wins for three straight seasons and one of just 26 to win 10 or more league games in six straight. The program academic APR score also increased from 932 to 981 during Wilson's seven years at Georgia Southern.

In June of 2019, Wilson was selected to attend the Jay Bilas Coaches Leadership Program. The program was designed to identify and develop up-and-coming coaches who have the potential to be Division I College Head Coaches. The four-day leadership program in Charlotte was limited to 12 coaches nationwide who have been recognized as rising stars in the profession as assistants.

Wilson spent six seasons as an assistant coach at College of Charleston under head coach Bobby Cremins before moving to Binghamton for the 2012-13 season. While at Charleston, Wilson coached alongside Byington as assistants and the pair helped lead the Cougars to an average of 22 wins a season, three postseason tournament appearances, three Southern Conference title game appearances, four 20-win seasons, the 2011 Southern Conference regular season title, and the program’s first NBA Draft pick in 14 years when the Los Angeles Lakers selected guard Andrew Goudelock.

Wilson played parts of six seasons at Florida State (2000-06) after suffering multiple injuries that led to two consecutive medical redshirts. Wilson became a three-year starter under head coach Leonard Hamilton and helped lead a resurgence of the Seminole basketball program. He became the first student-athlete in ACC history to play in six different seasons and became FSU’s all-time leader in games played. As a senior captain in 2005-06, he helped lead the Seminoles to their first 20-win season in nearly a decade, finished second in the country in three-point FG%, and became the first player in program history to hit at least seven three-pointers in multiple ACC games.

Wilson was also a standout in the classroom during his career at FSU. He earned a master’s degree in Sport Administration, was named to the All-ACC Academic Basketball Team three times and the ACC Academic Honor Roll five times.

A 2000 graduate of Harrison High School in the metro Atlanta area, Wilson was a two-time, first team all-state honoree and was the school’s all-time scoring leader upon graduation. He was elected to the Harrison High School Hall of Fame in 2015. Wilson was the 2000 Cobb County Tip-Off Club Player of the Year and was named to The Atlanta Tipoff Club Metro Atlanta Boys Prep Team.

Wilson and his wife Lisa reside in Harrisonburg and are the proud parents of Cate (12), Mackenzi (9) and Knox (3).