Louis Wilson
You knew Louis Wilson wasn’t going to stay a free agent for long. Two months after he resigned as head coach at the University of Texas Tyler, the longtime basketball coach from Anchorage was hired as an assistant coach at Utah Valley University.
He had spent the past four seasons at UT Tyler, where he won 45 games and in 2021 earned a signature 61-60 win over No. 10 Texas A&M-Kingsville for the program’s first win over a nationally ranked Division II opponent.
Wilson posted a 140-102 career record as head coach with four playoff berths in nine seasons as head coach and brings to Utah Valley 32 years of collegiate basketball coaching experience, including 23 years at the Division I level.
“We are thrilled to add Louis Wilson to our coaching staff,” Utah Valley head coach Todd Phillips said in a release. “This is a terrific addition to UVU basketball. Louis brings a wealth of experience and success as both assistant and a head coach. He is a tremendous coach and even better human being.”
Wilson grew up in Anchorage and played at East High, where he won state titles in 1981 and 1983 and went 89-10 in his career under legendary coach Chuck White. He played college ball at Trenton (Mo.) Junior College and William Jewell College before returning to East and coaching under White from 1988 to 1992.
THE WILSON FILE
Louis Wilson’s College Coaching Career
2023- Utah Valley
2019-22 Texas Tyler
2018-19 Grand Canyon
2015-18 Utah State
2010-15 Adams State
2006-10 Cal State Northridge
1998-06 Idaho State
1992-98 Southern Utah
Wilson called White the most influential person in his life next to his mother, Dolores Waldron.
“The opportunity to pour into young people, the way my high school coach, Chuck White, and my college coach, Larry Holley poured into me to help them improve in every facet of their being is the honor of my life,” he said. “To continue that work at a place as special as Utah Valley University means the world to me.”
Wilson was head coach at UT Tyler and Adams State and served as associate head coach at Cal State Northridge and Grand Canyon. In the 2018-19 season, he helped Grand Canton finish with a 20-14 mark as the team reached the WAC Championships title game and fell one game shy of reaching the NCAA Tournament.
Throughout his career, Wilson has looked out for Alaska and regularly signed elite local players.
At Southern Utah, it was Mark Schweigert. At Idaho State, it was Doug Hardy. He had Travante Williams and Deray Wilson at Adams State. Isiah Brown was with him at Grand Canyon and at UT Tyler it was Da’Zhon Wyche.
“I feel a responsibility to help my community for sure. Alaska raised me,” Wilson said. “Chuck White opened doors for me through basketball that have richly blessed me. His only expectation of me has been to pay it forward. I have worked hard to honor that. I have had the blessing to leverage my opportunities on behalf of many Alaskans. It is the least I can do for all I have received.”