Morgan State hires Wilson
Ex-Bowie State coach to lead Bears after Wheatley goes to NFL
Morgan State announced the hiring of longtime Bowie State coach Damon Wilson as its head football coach Thursday.
Wilson comes to Morgan after serving for 13 seasons as coach at Bowie State, where he won three straight Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships, earned five NCAA Division II postseason berths and won three CIAA Coach of the Year awards.
“Morgan is a great university in a great position to grow,” Wilson said in a news release. “I look forward to working with the student-athletes to build on the University’s legacy as well as engaging with the alumni and other supporters of the program to ensure that our student-athletes have the support needed for them to be successful on and off the playing field.”
Wilson’s hire comes less than a month after Dena Freeman-Patton’s selection as the first female athletic director in the Bears’ 155-year history. Freeman-Patton, a Lake Clifton graduate, succeeded Edward Scott, who left Jan. 31 to join Virginia as a deputy athletic director.
Upon her hiring, the school said Freeman-Patton began consulting with the firm conducting the search for the next head football coach to review potential candidates and provide feedback and recommendations to school president David K. Wilson.
“Working closely with higher education placement firm Renaissance Search and Consulting, in conjunction with the University’s internal advisory committee, we were able to conduct a thorough and inclusive national search for the Bears’ next head coach,” Freeman-Patton said. “I thank everyone involved in this comprehensive effort, including the stellar candidates who were evaluated. Coach Wilson was our top choice, and I look forward to working with him to build a successful program and continue ‘The Morgan Way.’”
Wilson replaces Tyrone Wheatley, who left the program in February to become
the running backs coach for the Denver Broncos. In two seasons of competition (the Bears did not play in 2020 due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic), Wheatley compiled a 5-18 overall record and a 3-10 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Wheatley, a former star at Michigan and running back for the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders, said he took the job in Denver in pursuit of his mission to eventually become a head coach in the NFL.
Before taking over at Bowie State, Wilson served as assistant head coach/ running backs coach at Prairie View A&M and as running backs coach/ special teams coordinator for Texas Southern.
Coppin State promotes Woods to women’s basketball coach
Coppin State announced Thursday that Jermaine Woods has been promoted to head coach of the women’s basketball program.
Woods, who was the Eagles’ associate head coach for two seasons, succeeds Laura Harper, who was hired by Towson on April 21 to helm its women’s basketball team. Harper replaced Diane
Richardson, who left the school April 5 to fill the head coaching vacancy at Temple.
“I am beyond thrilled for the opportunity to be the head coach of the Coppin State University Women’s Basketball team,” Woods said in a statement distributed by the school’s athletic department. “I am grateful and would like to thank President Dr. Anthony Jenkins and [athletic director] Mr. Derek Carter for entrusting me with our amazing student athletes. My goal is to cultivate a culture that produces great people, exceptional students, and championship athletes. We will continue to build a program that represents the vision of our University and athletic department.”
As a member of Harper’s staff, Woods helped the Eagles enjoy a successful bounce-back season. After going 2-13 in 202021 in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, they compiled a 15-13 record last winter that included a 9-5 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and a school-record six victories against NCAA Division I nonconference opponents for their first winning season since 201314. Harper was named the MEAC Coach of the Year.