THE FLATS – After four seasons as assistant coach on the Georgia Tech basketball staff, Anthony Wilkins has been promoted to associate head coach with the Yellow Jackets, head coach Josh Pastner announced Monday.
Wilkins, 41, came to Tech in June of 2018 after spending five seasons on the staff at Tulane and has made his biggest impact in player and skill development for the Yellow Jackets’ team.
Recognized as one of the top rising coaches in the nation, Wilkins was one of a select group of assistant coaches invited to attend the Collegiate Coaching Consortium in April at the Final Four. The National Association of Basketball Coaches and Athletic Director U bring together the group of coaches and a group of Division I athletic directors in a two-day exercise in professional development and identifying top talent.
“I’m proud of the steps our program has taken to restore the energy and excitement I grew up watching,” said Wilkins. “I’m mostly proud of the progress and excellence our young men have demonstrated here with us and after. I’m energized to help keep pushing everything forward.”
Focusing his on-court efforts with Tech’s offense, the Yellow Jackets have made significant strides in his four seasons on The Flats, helping elevate the Jackets into the top half of the ACC in scoring, field goal percentage, three-point shooting and ballhandling. In 2020-21, Tech achieved its highest national ranking on offensive efficiency (23rd according to KenPom.com), and its highest ACC rankings in scoring (6th), field goal percentage (2nd), three-point percentage (3rd) and fewest turnovers (3rd). He helped develop Tech’s guard tandem of Jose Alvarado and Michael Devoe into two of the ACC’s top 10 scorers the last two years, and is credited with developing the perimeter skills of Moses Wright, the ACC Player of the year in 2021.
“This is a well-deserved promotion for Anthony, and I’m excited that he’s on our staff,” said Pastner. “He’s been instrumental in our successes over the last four years, keeping us grounded in our culture and excelling on the court with his coaching and his ability to develop our players. He’s going to be a head coach in the near future.”
Before coming to Tech, Wilkins served as an assistant coach for four seasons at Tulane University, serving as director of basketball operations during his first year with the Green Wave. At Tulane, Wilkins handled game strategy and scout prep responsibilities along with player development and recruiting duties. He also had six years of professional playing experience prior to entering the coaching world.
He went to Tulane after serving one season as player development director at his alma mater Kent State (2012-13), where he helped guide the Golden Flashes to a 21-14 overall record and an appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament. During that season, he completed studies for his bachelor’s degree in communications from Kent State.
Prior to that, Wilkins co-founded and served as associate head coach of Stackhouse Elite AAU travel team in 2011 in Atlanta, and he also served as a counselor and coach at the NBA Top 100 camp. His player development background includes training draft eligible players, along with a number of professional players currently playing in the NBA or abroad.
Wilkins began his coaching career after spending six years playing professional basketball in Sweden, Ukraine, Mexico and South Korea. He played in the NBA’s Development League (now G League) for Fort Worth and Tulsa (2005-06) and Bakersfield (2007-08). Wilkins also participated in the Atlanta Hawks Vet Camp in 2005 and played on the organization’s summer league team in 2006.
As a senior at Kent State, Wilkins was co-captain of the 2002-03 team that went 22-9 and advanced to the NIT. He started all 31 games and was named the team’s defensive player of the year while scoring 9.9 points per game and hitting 39 percent of his three-point field goals. As a junior in 2001-02, his Kent State team finished 30-6 and advanced to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.
Born in Atlanta, Wilkins lived in the city for much of his childhood and attended Therrell High School for two years before finishing his high school studies at Glenville High School in Cleveland, Ohio.
Wilkins (left) was one of a select group of assistant coaches invited to attend the Collegiate Coaching Consortium in April at the Final Four.
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Georgia Tech’s men’s basketball team won the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship in 2021 after finishing fourth in the regular season. Tech has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1979, winning four ACC Championships (1985, 1990, 1993, 2021), playing in the NCAA Tournament 17 times and playing in two Final Fours (1990, 2004). Connect with Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball on social media by liking their Facebook Page, or following on Twitter (@GTMBB) and Instagram. For more information on Tech basketball, visit Ramblinwreck.com.
