Marcus Wilson joins University of Evansville men's basketball coaching staff
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Another former University of Evansville men’s basketball standout is returning to the Purple Aces.
Marcus Wilson has joined head coach David Ragland's staff as an assistant just days after his former UE teammate Craig Snow was announced as Ragland’s first hire.
Wilson and Snow were starters on the 1999 Aces team that made the NCAA tournament, still representing the program's most recent berth. They'll bridge the gap between UE's successful past by showing the current players what it takes to win at a high level — something Ragland noted in his introductory news conference.
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“It’s a dream job," Wilson told the Courier & Press. "I almost didn’t know how to take it; it was so unbelievable. This is something I’ve dreamt of for years. I never knew if I was actually going to pursue it, but I always thought, ‘It would be really cool to come back and work for my alma mater somehow.’ With David (Ragland) being able to do it and bring back one of my teammates who I won a championship with, it was just something I felt that the stars were aligning. It was just a perfect scenario for me.”
Wilson, whose No. 5 jersey hangs in Ford Center's rafters, scored 2,053 points in his career and earned Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year honors in 1999. He was named to the MVC All-Centennial Team in 2007 and the UE Hall of Fame in 2008.
Ragland said the following in a news release:
"I am elated to bring Marcus Wilson back to his alma mater in an assistant coaching position! Marcus is extra passionate about assisting in the success of our program. Marcus and I have known one another for over 20 years and I admire his competitive spirit and his desire to help young people become better in all aspects of life. I wanted to hire a staff that wants to be at the University of Evansville and with the additions of Marcus and Craig, there is no doubt in my mind that this is where they want to be!"
Wilson has worked the past four years as an analyst for the MVC and ESPN, often calling his alma mater's games. Prior to that, he was a video coordinator under former UE coach Jim Crews at Saint Louis University, which made the NCAA tournament in 2014. He was with the Billikens from 2013-16.
Wilson played professionally overseas for 11 years before retiring. Snow also played professionally in Europe. They hope to produce future UE pros.
“Almost every year since ‘99, teams that have won the Valley have had two guys that played pro… That’s what we want to do,” Wilson said. “We want to be able to have guys that can play at a high enough level. The Missouri Valley Conference is such an elite conference, you need guys who can play pro in order to win the league… I think developing that talent at UE going forward will be crucial.”
Wilson is “good friends” with Ragland, he said. The two have known each other since their playing days and have similar coaching backgrounds. Wilson said he and Ragland often call each other and hang out away from basketball.
He added the two of them have talked about coaching together for years.
“To be able to match with somebody that you agree with and that you genuinely love and trust, even if we weren’t working together… We’re more like family,” Wilson said. “To be able to work for somebody that you feel that close to is a blessing and I think it’s going to add to our staff and team chemistry.”
Wilson is married to 2001 UE graduate Camilla Wilson and has three children: Isaiah Wilson, Ryan Wilson and John Bol. Wilson wasn't sure at the time of his hire if his family would relocate to Evansville with him.
UE also announced Thursday morning the hiring of George Swanson as its third assistant on Ragland's staff. Swanson joins the Aces from North Idaho College, a junior college where he was an assistant for the men's team for eight seasons. He was set to become the head coach of the NIC women's team before accepting the UE job. He's known Ragland for over 15 years.
The staff has started working to identify players to fill the Aces' four open scholarships — and that number might be down to two already. A pair of recruits announced on social media Wednesday they've committed to UE:
Yacine Toumi, a 6-foot-10 big with three years of eligibility remaining. He's transferring from Indiana Hills, a junior college, after starting in Division I at Little Rock.
Gabe Spinelli, a 6-2 guard from the Boston area. He'll be a freshman after taking a post-grad year and is the son of Scott Spinelli, who recently was the interim coach of Boston College.
“One thing we all know about Coach Ragland is he’s been considered one of the best recruiters," Wilson said. "We do have some guys I’m really excited about that the fans will be excited about if we can get them signed here. Craig and I both have extensive relationships, not only across the country in AAU but internationally.
“We just want to try to get as high a level of talent as possible.”
While UE is coming off a 6-24 campaign and its third last-place finish in four seasons, Wilson is confident the new staff can change the Aces’ fortunes.
“We have super high expectations, knowing that we all truly believe in the guys we have on the roster… we truly believe in what we have,” Wilson said. “I think there’s going to be a noticeable difference in the level of passion that we’re gonna have because this is all three of our dream jobs.”
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Evansville Purple Aces: Marcus Wilson joins David Ragland's staff
