Misty Wilson knows Tarleton.
After coming to Tarleton as a student in 1998, she was offered the chance to compete in a pickup basketball game at practice against the scholarship players and turned that opportunity into a Hall of Fame four-year playing and a 20-year coaching career at Tarleton. Wilson recently wrapped up her eighth year as a head coach in 2021-22.
She has led the women’s basketball program through its first two of four transition years to the NCAA Division I level as a member of the Western Athletic Conference, starting in 2020-21.
In this last season, Wilson put together one of the most impressive turnaround seasons in NCAA Division I, improving the Texans' win total by seven year-over-year. Tarleton went 16-13 overall in 2021-22, including an 8-10 conference mark. The Texans finished seventh in the WAC and had the largest improvement of wins year-over-year in the WAC (not including Dixie State, who played in just three games the year before). The Texans put 10 new players on the court year-over-year, improving greatly in defense and rebounding. They had the second best scoring defense in the WAC, allowing just 59.2 points per game, forcing opponents to the fifth worst field goal percentage in the conference at .379. On the boards, Tarleton had the fourth best rebounding margin. The Texans rolled through their non-conference slate, which boosted them to their first winning season as a NCAA Division I program. They went 8-3 to start the year, with wins over Oral Roberts, Incarnate Word, and the College of Charleston.
Wilson has taken Tarleton to seven winning seasons of her eight years at the helm.
Tarleton capped its debut Division I season by playing its best basketball of the winter. The Texans closed out the 2020-21 campaign by winning five of their final nine games and enjoyed a four-game winning streak throughout February. Under the veteran head coach, Tarleton earned five victories over WAC opposition – four of which came on the road – and notched the first weekend sweep of a conference foe in Texan basketball history with a pair of wins over Chicago State. Wilson also coached Iyana Dorsey and Marissa Escamilla to Honorable Mention All-WAC accolades. Dorsey led the WAC in free throw percentage (83.6) and three-point field goal makes (54) and her 344 points scored were the most by a freshman in the Wilson era. A junior, Escamilla was Tarleton’s leading scorer (14.2 PPG) and rebounder (7.2 RPG) and her 59 offensive rebounds were tops in the WAC.
Wilson’s final season in NCAA Division II included a 21-8 overall mark, Wilson’s third consecutive 20-win season. The Texans went 15-7 in the final LSC season for Tarleton State, with a 11-5 record in Wisdom Gym. Wilson coached four-year star Mackenzie Hailey, who was named second team D2CCA All-Region, All-Lone Star Conference First Team, and was a three-time conference player of the week honoree that season. Wilson also coached transfer Alexa Hoy, who was named all-conference honorable mention list in her first season with the Texans.
In 2018-19, Wilson led Tarleton to its most successful season since 2013-14, going 22-9 overall and 14-6 in the Lone Star Conference. The 22 wins are the most for Wilson as a head coach. Tarleton earned the No. 6 seed in the NCAA Regional Tournament, advancing to the postseason for the third straight year under Wilson – the longest stretch for the program since they went to five straight from 2009-14. Wilson coached four all-conference players in Mackenzie Hailey, Katie Webster, McKinley Bostad and Kaylee Allen. Webster was also the LSC Academic Player of the Year, the first to win the award under Wilson. Hailey also received first team D2CCA All-Region honors.
She followed up in 2017-18 with the first 20-win season of her head-coaching career as she led Tarleton back to the NCAA regional for the second consecutive year. She coached Mackenzie Hailey and Katie Webster to Honorable Mention All-American honors from the WBCA.
Wilson enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2016-17 as the leader of Tarleton Women’s Basketball that culminated in her first-ever championship and appearance in the NCAA regional tournament. Tarleton put together a magical run through the Lone Star Conference Tournament, including a 17-point rally against Angelo State to earn Wilson’s first LSC Tournament Championship and an automatic berth into the national playoffs.
She started her career with back-to-back 17-win seasons. In her sophomore season as the leader of the program, she earned her first LSC Tournament victory with an overtime win over Texas A&M-Commerce to advance to the semifinal round of the league’s postseason tournament – making her the fastest head coach to advance to the semifinals in school history. In her first season at the helm, Wilson guided Tarleton to a record of 17-10 and a berth in the Lone Star Conference Championship Tournament. Her 17 wins in her debut season is the most victories by a Tarleton Women’s Basketball rookie head coach in the NCAA era, topping Ronnie Hearne's 14 wins in his inaugural 2003 season.
Wilson was named the sixth head coach following the retirement of 11-year head coach, Ronnie Hearne, at a press conference on March 26, 2014. Wilson earned the promotion following a four-year playing and 12-year coaching career as the top assistant.
She has seen great success and helped lead the team to all nine NCAA tournament appearances in school history.
As an assistant coach, she spent her first collegiate coaching season alongside Claude Cummings before Hearne took over the program in 2003. For the 11 seasons alongside Hearne, the coaching tandem lifted Tarleton into the national spotlight by earning postseason berths in each of Hearne’s 11 seasons - including six NCAA regional tournaments. Wilson was a part of 219 wins over her 12-year career as an assistant coach.
Wilson, the eight-best scorer in Tarleton history, joined the staff in August 2002 following a stellar four-year playing career. The Burleson native played in 103 games from 1998 to 2001. She scored 1,440 career points and was the season scoring leader three years in a row.
She's currently in the top-10 of several Tarleton career categories, ranking as high as second all-time in steals and third in free throws made and attempted (433-545). As a junior she earned a second team All-Lone Star Conference South Division and second team All-South Central Region honors, including first team honors as a senior. In addition, she was the team’s Most Valuable Player for three consecutive years.
In 2018, she received special honor as the Tarleton Athletics Hall of Fame committee unanimously voted her into the Hall of Fame for her efforts as a player. She was inducted as the 164th member of the Hall of Fame and the 17th member to have competed in women’s basketball.
Wilson earned a bachelor's and master’s degree in exercise and sports studies from Tarleton. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 2001 and finished her master’s degree in the spring of 2004. She lives in Stephenville with her three children: Jade, Mya and Kenna.
| The Misty Wilson File |
| Hometown |
Burleson, Texas |
|
| High School |
Burleson High School ('98) |
|
| College |
Tarleton ('02) |
|
| Family |
Daughters: Jade, Mya and Kenna |
|
|
|
|
| Coaching History |
| Year |
School |
Position |
| 2002-14 |
Tarleton |
Assistant Coach |
| 2014-Present |
Tarleton |
Head Coach |
|
|
|
| NCAA Head Coaching Record |
| Year |
School |
Overall |
Conf. |
Home |
Postseason |
| 2014-15 |
Tarleton |
17-10 |
9-7 |
10-3 |
LSC Quarterfinals |
| 2015-16 |
Tarleton |
17-11 |
10-6 |
11-4 |
LSC Semifinals |
| 2016-17 |
Tarleton |
16-14 |
12-8 |
8-5 |
NCAA First Rd. |
| 2017-18 |
Tarleton |
20-12 |
12-8 |
11-3 |
NCAA First Rd. |
| 2018-19 |
Tarleton |
22-9 |
14-6 |
13-2 |
NCAA First Rd. |
| 2019-20 |
Tarleton |
21-8 |
15-7 |
11-5 |
|
| 2020-21 |
Tarleton |
9-16 |
4-10 |
5-5 |
Inaugural D1 Season |
| 2021-22 |
Tarleton |
16-13 |
8-10 |
9-6 |
1st D1 Winning Season |
| TOTAL |
Tarleton: 8 Years |
138-93 |
84-62 |
78-33 |
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