Runnin’ Ute assistant coach Marty Wilson’s collegiate career started in 1984 as a player and continued as a coach from 1989-1996. After 12 years away from Malibu, Calif., Wilson will be returning to his alma mater to help newly hired head coach Tom Asbury rebuild Pepperdine’s men’s basketball program.
“I am very excited to return home to where my college basketball playing and coaching career began,” Wilson said in a press release. “I am thankful that coach Asbury, John Watson and Andy Benton are allowing me the opportunity to return and assist in restoring a program that has such a long tradition of excellence.”
Efforts by The Chronicle to contact Wilson were not immediately returned.
Wilson is currently in his fourth season at Utah. He has spent all 18 years of his collegiate coaching experience out West. After leaving Pepperdine in 1996, Wilson went south to spend two years at the University of San Diego. Following the 1997-1998 season, Wilson went north to coach six seasons at UC Santa Barbara before joining Ray Giacolletti for his first year at Utah in 2004.
Wilson worked under Asbury during in the college ranks before Asbury left to coach at Kansas State after the 1993-1994 season. When Asbury’s successor resigned halfway through his second season, Wilson became the Pepperdine’s interim head coach for 13 games.
“I’ve had a working professional relationship with Marty going back over 20 years,” said Asbury. “He is a highly qualified coach, an outstanding individual and family man and an excellent representative of our university.”
Because Wilson has spent so much time on the West Coast, he has earned a reputation as one of the top recruiters in the area. He has also become a valuable assistant under first-year head coach Jim Boylen.
“I’m disappointed that we’re losing a quality assistant coach and a high-character guy,” Boylen said. “But I’m very excited for Marty to have this opportunity to go back to his alma mater and rebuild a program. He will be missed here at Utah and we wish him the best.”
Wilson will serve out the remaining four games of Utah’s regular season and stick with the team through the MWC tournament in mid-March, as well as any postseason tournaments that might follow.