Coaching Achievements
• 18 All-Conference Honors • 7 Individual Conference Champions • 6 NCAA All-Americans •
Coaching Experience
• Wichita State: Assistant Coach/Pole Vault (2006-22) • Friends University: Assistant Coach/Pole Vault (1998-2005) • Wichita Southeast High School: Assistant Coach/Pole Vault (1998-2005) •
Athletic Achievements
• Competed at Wichita State University (1994-1998 • Member of 1996 conference team • Personal best 4.90m/16-0.75 •
Pat Wilson served as Wichita State's pole vault coach for 16 years
During his time as coach, seven student-athletes have won conference titles and six have earned All-American honors. In addition, vaulters have earned 18 all-conference honors.
In 2020, Wilson’s group saw success both on the track and off it. Emily Gardiner participated in the NCAA Career in Sports Forum, which is an exclusive event for NCAA athletes to learn and connect with other about careers at the NCAA level.
In 2019, Wilson took claim to two all-conference honors from his student-athletes. Hayden Bugner finished as the American Athletic conference runner-up in the indoor men’s pole vault. Wilson also had three men score at the outdoor conference meet.
In the program’s first year in the American Athletic Conference, Wilson coached Hayden Bugner to all-conference honors with third place finishes during the indoor and outdoor season.
During the 2017 outdoor season, Alesa Frey became the sixth female Shocker to win an individual outdoor pole vault conference title and the seventh under Wilson.
In 2016, Taylor Swanson and Hayden Bugner each finished third at the MVC Outdoor Championship to earn All-Valley honors.
Wilson coached the 2010 and 2012 MVC outdoor pole vault champion Cassie Craig, who was also an all-conference performer during the 2010 indoor season.
In the 2009 MVC Outdoor Championship, WSU pole vaulters racked up 25 points, a WSU record.
At the 2008 MVC Outdoor Championships, Beau Morris took the men’s title, while Brooke Demo finished second in the women’s event. Demo also earned a berth the NCAA Championships, where she placed 13th.
During the 2007 indoor season, Demo and Erica Evans finished second and third, respectively, at the MVC Indoor Championships. Then outdoors, Evans turned in another all-MVC performance, placing second. Evans was one of three WSU women to place in the top-six at the MVC Outdoor Championships with Ashley Rosenbaum taking fourth and Liz Wray placing sixth. On the men’s side, Dylan Schmidt also earned all-MVC honors finishing third at the conference meet.
Wilson came to Wichita State after having been the pole vault coach for Friends University track and field since the program was revived in 1998.
He coached the pole vault squad at Southeast High School from 1998-2002, and had also served as the head pole vault coach for the Wichita public school system.
Wilson spent his college years at WSU (1993-97) where he was an all-conference performer, as well as a member of the 1996 Missouri Valley Conference Outdoor Championship team.
Wilson is originally from Leon, Kan., and a high school graduate of Bluestem High School.
