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SOU tabs Wilson for women's post Mail Tribune / Drew Fleming Newly-hired SOU women's basketball coach Kevin Wilson talks with the media on Tuesday. Development at prior college was key factor By DON HUNT ASHLAND - If the only criteria for selecting a new women's college basketball coach at Southern Oregon University was wins and losses, Kevin Wilson's application would have been thrown in the trash the day it arrived. But the SOU search committee looked beyond the W-L category and on Tuesday Wilson was introduced as the Raiders' new hoop mentor. Wilson posted a 60-89 record in five years at Colorado Northwestern Community College, a mark that would get many coaches fired rather than promoted. But the 43-year-old Southern California native impressed the SOU committee with his work ethic, outgoing personality and knowledge of the game when he interviewed for the job last week. SOU officials also came to realize that while a 40 percent winning percentage may seem unimpressive, it was a huge improvement from what Wilson's predecessors were able to accomplish at Colorado Northwestern, a tiny junior college in Rangely, Colo. "We've heard nothing but positive things about this guy, both as a teacher and a person," SOU Athletic Director Phil Pifer said. "And if you look at the big picture, you realize that what he did (at Colorado Northwestern) was quite remarkable." What Wilson did was take a school with a tiny enrollment (400) in a tiny town (2,500) in a remote part of Colorado and lead it to its first-ever playoff berth during the 1997-98 season. Two years later, Wilson guided the Spartans to a regional championship and the consolation title of the national junior college tournament. And this past season Wilson's squad won 10 of its first 12 games to earn its first-ever top 25 ranking. Wilson is looking forward to taking over a SOU program that already has a reputation for winning. The Raiders were 220-111 in 11 seasons under previous coach Shirley Huyett and have been a regular visitor to the playoffs. "I'm used to working with kids who supposedly had little chance of winning," Wilson said. "Now we'll be expected to win and build on a tradition that's already in place. "It's exciting to think of the possibilities." The Raiders return two of their best players in forwards Melissa Core and Jaime Stanford. SOU had only three seniors on its 12-player roster last season. Strategically, Wilson likes his teams to run the floor and use a variety of presses. "We'll be in better shape than any team in this (Cascade) conference - I guarantee it," Wilson said. "We're going to work hard. We're going to play defense. We're going to hustle all over the court. But we're also going to laugh and have fun." Wilson said basketball shouldn't be a 24-hour, seven-day commitment to college players, particularly at the small college level. "I'm going to encourage the girls here to get involved in other things - art, drama, music - whatever other hobbies they have," he said. "I want them to enjoy the entire college experience and not just basketball." Wilson was born and raised in Canoga Park, Calif., in the San Fernando Valley. He played basketball and baseball in high school and had solid careers in both sports but didn't distinguished himself in either. "Defense was my specialty in basketball," he said. "If we ran a box-and-one, I was the one. "Nothing came easy for me. I didn't have a lot of natural ability." Wilson played one year of college basketball at Eastern Utah before transferring to Brigham Young, where he obtained an undergraduate degree in physical education in 1985. He picked up a master's degree at Utah State in 1992. Wilson will teach a variety of health and P.E. classes at SOU. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.