After a national search, Toyelle Wilson was announced as the fifth head coach in the history of the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women’s basketball team Thursday by vice president of intercollegiate athletics Adrian Rodriguez.
Wilson joins the Islanders following an illustrious coaching career spanning nearly two decades, with impactful roles as both a head coach and assistant coach at the highest levels of collegiate basketball. She brings to the Island 110 career wins and five postseason appearances out of the seven seasons she’s been a head coach. Including her time as an assistant coach, Wilson has made 13 NCAA Tournaments with two runs to the Sweet 16, four to the Elite Eight, and the National Championship Title in 2019.
“I am absolutely honored to be named the next head coach at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi,” said Wilson. “This position is an incredible opportunity, and I am grateful to lead such a remarkable program. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to President Miller, Athletics Director Adrian Rodriquez, Eric [Schultz], and Cassi [Rozanski] for trusting in my vision for the future of this program. They did a tremendous amount of work in a short period of time to get me to this point. I am a person of faith, fit, and feel and immediately when I started talking with them it checked every box in what I was looking for in my next coaching opportunity.
“I also want to acknowledge and thank Coach Royce Chadwick for his years of leadership and dedication to Islanders Women’s Basketball. I am eager to carry that legacy forward while focusing on the development of our student athletes both on and off the court. I look forward to connecting with the Islanders community, our amazing fans, and the players as we embark on this exciting journey together. Go Islanders!”
A nationally respected leader in women’s college basketball, Wilson brings a championship pedigree, a proven track record in player development, and an unwavering commitment to excellence both on and off the court.
“Toyelle Wilson is a visionary leader who perfectly embodies the values and aspirations we want for our Islanders Women’s Basketball program,” said Rodriguez. “Her championship pedigree as both a head and assistant coach speaks for itself, but it’s her character, dedication, and clear vision for our student-athletes that truly distinguish her. Wilson has consistently championed academic excellence, community involvement, and the comprehensive growth of student-athletes throughout her career. As a mentor, motivator, and culture-builder, she’s exactly the kind of leader we need to guide the Islanders into a bold new era. With Toyelle at the helm, the future of Islanders Women’s Basketball is incredibly bright, and I am ecstatic to welcome her and her family to the Island.
“Additionally, Toyelle shared her excitement with the fact that the Islanders have won 22 SLC championships in the last 3-1/2 years, made three consecutive trips to March Madness in both Women’s and Men’s Basketball, and have won the SLC Women’s All-Sports Award three years in a row,” Rodriguez said. “She is excited to join a program with a rich championship culture and we are excited to see her bring her great talents to the Island of Champions.”
Most recently, Wilson spent the last four seasons serving as the head coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU), where she orchestrated a remarkable turnaround for the Mustangs, finishing tied for fourth as the program’s highest finish in the American Athletic Conference her first year. Under Wilson, the Mustangs also made the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2014 and 2015 after SMU finished the 2022-23 season with its second consecutive WNIT appearance. That same year, SMU finished 13-2 in Moody Coliseum, including a 10-0 start at home to set the program’s new best start to open a season and best home winning streak.
Prior to SMU, Wilson was a key figure on staff at the University of Michigan from 2019-21, helping the Wolverines reach back-to-back NCAA Tournaments including a historic Sweet 16 appearance in 2021, the first in program history. At Michigan, she was instrumental in recruiting and developing elite talent, including All-Americans and WNBA draft picks, while elevating the program to national prominence.
From 2013-19, Wilson served as an assistant coach at Baylor University under Hall of Fame Coach Kim Mulkey. During her time with the Lady Bears, the program captured six Big 12 regular season titles and the 2019 NCAA National Championship. Wilson played a central role in Baylor’s success, contributing to four Elite Eight appearances and one Sweet 16 run. Her reputation for elite defensive schemes, dynamic recruiting, and strong player relationships helped produce 40 All-Big 12 honorees, three Big 12 Players of the Year, three Defensive Players of the Year, and 10 WNBA draft picks.
Wilson’s head coaching journey began at Prairie View A&M from 2010-13, where she made history by leading the Lady Panthers to three consecutive SWAC Tournament Championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances, a first in program history. She earned SWAC Coach of the Year honors twice and helped elevate Prairie View’s national profile through both athletic and academic excellence. Prior to accepting the head coach position, Wilson was the Panthers’ top assistant for four years and spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Robert Morris University.
Wilson was additionally one of 30 coaches across the nation who participated in the Center for Coaching Excellence (CCE) by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The CCE is an elite program for select basketball coaches and is designed to provide college women’s basketball coaches with the professional skills and personal ethics training necessary to be exceptional leaders. Wilson is also a member of the WBCA.
A native of Voorhees, New Jersey, Wilson earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Manhattan College in 2003 and was a four-year letterwinner for the women’s basketball team. She was a team captain and earned Defensive Player of the Year honors while leading the Jaspers to an NCAA Tournament berth and a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship in 2003.
Wilson assumes her role immediately and will be formally introduced to the community at a formal press conference to be held on Tuesday, April 15th at 2 p.m. CT in the Dugan Wellness Center on the campus of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
