PRAIRIE VIEW - Prairie View A&M alum Nolan Wilson may have taken a road less traveled, but he had a head start.
 
Before becoming the assistant women's basketball coach at Rice University, Wilson worked alongside some of the world's best as a player development coach for the Dallas Mavericks. However, despite being a basketball lifer, it wasn't until a fateful trip to PVAMU's recreational center as an undergrad that he finally set out on the path that's taken him to where he is.
 
At the time, Wilson was a sparingly-used sophomore on the Panthers' football team.
 
"During my sophomore year, I wasn't playing a lot as I was just coming off an injury," Wilson recalled. "One day I was in the rec center hooping and I actually got the attention of one of the assistant basketball coaches. We had a conversation – I had talked before about playing basketball but I had chosen to focus on football instead – and he said to come out and practice to see how I'd fit in with the team as well as whether or not I could be a practice player for them."
 
Now, if you knew Wilson's background, you'd probably wonder how he didn't start out on the hardwood. Built like a modern-day shooting guard, the 6'6 Wilson grew up with a father that was a high school All-American hoopster and a mother who was a basketball standout in her own right.
 
Unsurprisingly, Wilson always gravitated to the court. However, as Wilson admits, that doesn't always ensure the path.
 
"Though I played both sports, basketball was my first real passion. I had loved it since I was a kid," he said. "I hadn't played organized football until my senior year in high school. I had gotten some looks based on my senior year, but no real scholarship offers. I came to Prairie View as a preferred walk-on, but it wasn't to play basketball, so for me to have that opportunity was a real blessing in disguise. It's always been my first love, so when I got the opportunity I had to jump on it."
 
As for that opportunity? Wilson impressed the Panthers' basketball coaching staff to the point where he was offered a spot on the team, mainly on the scout team. Early on, he wasn't sure about which sport to commit to.
 
Then, fate intervened. With the Panthers' basketball team ravaged by injuries, chances for tangible playing time opened up.  The coaches approached Wilson about fully committing to the team.
 
Wilson realized he had a decision to make.
 
"I decided it was best for me to focus on one sport, so I talked with (then-PVAMU Head Football) Coach (Heishma) Northern about it and he said it was best for me to focus on what I really enjoyed," Wilson said.
 
Having his football coach's blessing helped make that choice a little bit easier.
 
"Coach Northern was a two-sport athlete himself, so he knew where I was coming from.
He felt I had an opportunity and didn't want me to miss out on it," Wilson said.
 
The rest was history. Wilson went on to become a key reserve for PVAMU's basketball team, which used a mid-season surge to rebound from a slow start to league play on its way to the semifinals of the 2015 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament.
 
"The transition came easy to me," Wilson said. "It's not like I wasn't passionate about the game of football, but basketball always came a bit more naturally to me thanks to a stronger knowledge base about it and having played it a lot longer."
 
From that point, Wilson remained a part of the Panthers' basketball program in a key reserve role. During the tail end of his undergraduate career, he began to realize that his long-term goals lied in the coaching realm. With current PVAMU Head Basketball Coach Byron Smith holding the role of tutor – Smith initially took the reins during Wilson's senior year – Wilson began immersing himself into that aspect of the game.
 
Smith ultimately offered Wilson a graduate assistant spot on his staff; something that hadn't existed to this point in the program's existence.
 
Wilson credits the Panthers' general with helping him learn the principles that apply to his coaching philosophy to this day.
 
"Learning from Coach Smith really ignited my passion for it. He allowed my coaching aspirations to come true," Wilson said. "He taught me to always hold yourself to a higher standard. It's about doing quality work, being a quality person and doing the small things. You have to be a man of integrity and do the small jobs that no one wants to do. You have to continue to persevere and don't make excuses for yourself, as the world is full of those."
 
That mindset was instilled long before Wilson's days on the Hill. In addition to their athletic backgrounds, his mother and father – an educator and Marine, respectively – were sure to impart key lessons during Wilson's coming-of-age.
 
"They helped lay the foundation for my work ethic and discipline," Wilson said of his parents. "They were passionate and made sure I understood the importance of attention to detail. When you combine all that, you'll go pretty far regardless of where you're trying to go."
 
It also helped that he had a romantic edge in his favor. Wilson's initial introduction to Rice University came from a vested interest in one of the Owls' best players; a connection that he parlayed into a networking – and eventually professional – opportunity.
 
"My wife – she was my girlfriend at the time – was the starting point guard for Rice when (Head Women's Basketball Coach) Tina Langley arrived. On our off days, I'd go and see their practices and games," Wilson said. "Through that, I was able to get a feel for their style of play and how they were coached and eventually was able to meet and connect with Coach Langley, which was amazing. Eventually one of their coaching spots opened up, and I was able to land with them."
 
Wilson made the most of the chance. As the Owls' Assistant Scouting and Recruiting Director during the 2018-19 season, he played an integral role in the most successful year the program has seen. That year, the Owls won a school record 28 games and went 16-0 in league play, claiming a Conference USA title.
 
From there, he landed a stint with the Dallas Mavericks as an assistant coach in player development. Though he worked with some of the game's best, he never forgot his roots. Additionally, he chose to look at the opportunity as an objective along the way as opposed to the goal itself before returning to Rice as a member of Langley's coaching staff.
 
Wilson is fully aware that his career track isn't that common. While he's grown up around the game and become married to it – in more ways than one … his success is marked by taking advantage of situations with hard work and accountability.
 
"No matter the talent level, at the end of the day basketball is basketball, and a lot of times it's about doing the little things right … that said, the NBA is the highest level, and being around that only pushes you to get better," Wilson said. "My path was unlikely, admittedly. I wasn't recruited or looked at by any Division I school for basketball. So, I had to earn my stripes and find ways to contribute. That mindset carried over into my coaching career. I did the things that no one wanted to do, and I took pride in outworking people.
 
"That allowed me to get where I am. I may not be the smartest or the most-talented, but I will not allow someone to outwork me whether that's on the field, on the court or in the office. I take responsibility and pride in what I do."
 
Wilson also takes pride in his time at Prairie View A&M. In his words, PVAMU is his "second home" and this particular chapter of his story was one of many aspects that helped form the man and coach people see today.
 
It also helped him realize that the thing about success is that there's not much of a secret to it.
 
"I love Prairie View. My older brother was a 2009 graduate of PVAMU, so he introduced me to this. Being at Prairie View was an experience, man," he said. "I met so many people and learned so much. When you meet people who not only looked like you, but could uplift and relate to you, and had seen the things you've seen and struggled the way you struggled, you can't help but to take advantage of every opportunity.
 
"Whatever you end up doing, you have to try to be the best at it. Take ownership and accountability for everything you do. All that matters is whether you're willing to put the work in. You have to see what needs to be done and be willing to make the sacrifices necessary toward your goals."