Bobby Wilson began as Academy of Art cross country head coach and track & field assistant coach in August 2024.
Over the course of Wilson's extensive coaching career, he has mentored five academic All-Americans, eight NCAA Nationals qualifiers, 15 ECAC/IC4A qualifiers/champions, 13 conference champions, one conference record holder, nine school record holders, two men's team championships, and five women's team championships.
Wilson, who specialized in cross country as well as distance and vertical jumps as a track & field assistant coach with Angelo State beginning in 2022, helped guide the Rams numerous All-Lonestar honors, postseason appearances, All-American awards, and an individual National Championship.
In 2023, Wilson coached the men’s vault group to a top 10 national ranking including Jacobee Jones who placed second in the Indoor and Outdoor Lonestar Conference Championships in the pole vault. Jones qualified for the indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships and placed fifth at the NCAA outdoor championships for his first All-American honor.
Wilson's impact continued as he coached the distance runners to all new personal bests by more than a minute in the 5,000m on the track and the 3,000m steeplechase where they scored significant points to help the teams to second place finishes at the Lonestar Championships.
The first cross season for Wilson saw the Rams women’s team improve from 11th place to sixth place on the women’s side in 2023. Just two points out of fifth place collectively, the squad was led by walk-on freshman Anna Eischen who finished inside the top 25 at the LSC Championship to earn All-Conference Team honors.
Prior to Angelo State, Wilson was the assistant coach for track & field at Davidson where he led the men’s and women’s vertical jumps, combined events, and throws in addition to handling training and strength & conditioning programs for all student-athletes from 2014 to 2016.
Over two seasons at Central Michigan, Wilson served as first assistant coach and mentored the jumpers, pole vaulters, and multi-event athletes including Josh Kettlewell to one of the most decorated careers in program history. Kettlewell won the heptathlon at the Penn State National Invitational, shattering a 14-year-old school record by 300 points before moving on to win the Mid-American Conference Championship and finishing 17th in the country.
Prior to his time at Central, Wilson served as the head coach for cross country and track & field at Oswego State for one year after acting as an assistant coach at Bucknell. During his three seasons in Lewisburg, Pa., Wilson guided the women's squad to three consecutive Patriot League team championships and the men's team to its first title in 19 years.
Additionally, Wilson worked with Amy Mantush who set a Patriot League record in the high jump in 2010, Nicholas Hruch, Kyle Anthony, and Drew Fitzgerald who all qualified for the NCAA Regional/First Round in the high jump, long jump/triple jump, and high jump/pole vault respectively.
Wilson has also coached at William & Mary, Oneonta State, and his alma mater Virginia Commonwealth. After completing his bachelor’s degree in Travel and Tourism as well as a minor in Information Systems at VCU and finishing his competitive career as a 16-foot pole vaulter and Colonial Athletic Association Champion, he earned his master’s degree in administration from Central Michigan.
