Kean University

Richard Wilson is one of a select group of Kean student-athletes who went on to coaching positions at the school after highly successful playing careers.

A four-year starter for the basketball team, Wilson enjoyed a very productive stint during an otherwise disappointing time for the program. He graduated as the sixth highest scorer in the team's history, having collected 1,075 points, and also established a record for shooting percentage in a season, converting at a 62.5 percent clip.

Wilson, a three-year captain, was named second team All-New Jersey State College Athletic Conference as a junior and senior, when he was also a first team All-State nod. He was an All-Eastern College Athletic Conference choice in 1973-1974.

As a senior, Wilson averaged 10.2 points and five rebounds per game, a solid follow up to his junior season when he was second on the club in rebounding (seven) and scoring (14.2), hitting almost 58 percent of his shots from the floor. He led the squad in both categories as a sophomore, pouring in 12.8 points (on 61 percent shooting) and 8.7 rebounds per game.

Wilson was the recipient of the William LaRusso Sportsmanship Award as a junior and senior and won the 1975 D'Angola Award, presented annually to Kean's outstanding male and female student-athlete.

Following his graduation, Wilson served as an assistant women's basketball coach under Pat Hannisch before taking over the head job in 1986-1987. In his first five seasons at the helm, Kean strung together five New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) championships and appeared in five NCAA Tournaments, advancing all the way to the Final Four that first year.

He won 100 games quicker than any coach in Kean history and was twice named NJAC Coach of the Year, as well as Converse Coach of the Year in 1986-1987.

Wilson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in management science from Kean in 1975.