After leading the basketball program to its greatest single-season turnaround in school history, VMI Head Basketball Coach Andrew Wilson has signed a three-year extension to coach the Keydets through the 2029-30 season.

His original contract upon his hire in April of 2022 was a five-year agreement through the 2026-27 season. Today’s extension initiates an additional three years to lead the Keydets into the 2030 calendar year.

The extension comes in the wake of the success the Keydets enjoyed this past season in which VMI earned 15 wins, an 11-win improvement from the prior season, to mark VMI’s greatest single-season turnaround since the program began in 1908. Only 14 schools in the country improved by 10 or more wins from the previous (2023-24) season.

“Coach Wilson has raised the bar for our men’s basketball program,” said VMI Director of Athletics Jamaal Walton. “I am thrilled to continue to watch this program grow under his leadership. Coach Wilson proved this past season that VMI basketball can have success in the SoCon, one of the toughest mid-major conferences in the country. The future is bright for VMI Basketball!”

The 15 wins in a single season is just the 12th time in the program’s 117-year program history that the Keydets reached that win total, and just the seventh time in VMI’s 89-year history as a member of the Southern Conference.

The nine SoCon wins (seven regular season + two SoCon Tournament wins) marks only the ninth time in program history the Keydets have reached nine wins in the league.

“I’m very thankful to Jamaal Walton and MG Wins for the opportunity to continue leading the Keydet basketball program for years to come,” Wilson said. “My coaching staff has done a tremendous job in helping to elevate the program and deserves a lot of credit. My family and I consider ourselves fortunate to be a part of the VMI community and value the many great friendships and relationships we have formed.”

Other notable achievements from the 2024-25 season include:

• Advanced to SoCon Tournament Semifinals for the first time since 2021 and only the 14th time in program history by defeating the #2 seed UNCG in the quarterfinals
• 2 SoCon Tournament Wins for the first time since 2002-03 season and just the second time in 37 years (1988)
• 3 Straight SoCon Road Wins for the first time since 1998 (wins at The Citadel, Wofford and Western Carolina)
• Defeated rival The Citadel three times  in a single season for the first time since the 2014-2015 campaign
• Beat The Citadel and UNCG for the first times ever at the SoCon Tournament
• 2 SoCon series sweeps (The Citadel, Western Carolina) for the first time since the 2017-18 season
• VMI’s win at Mercer on Feb. 15 snapped a five-game losing skid to the Bears and marked VMI’s first win in Macon since 2008. It was also only VMI’s fifth ever win against Mercer in 25 all-time contests
• VMI’s 91-82 win over Furman on January 22 snapped a five-game losing streak to the Paladins and was VMI’s first win over Furman since the 2021-22 season
• VMI also defeated the eventual SoCon Tournament champion Wofford on their home court in Spartanburg on January 29 by a score of 74-67

https://vmikeydets.com/news/2025/4/9/mens-basketball-vmi-extends-coach-wilson-through-2029-30.aspx