MELBOURNE, Fla. – Growing up on the Space Coast as one of the best high school players in the state of Florida, Aerial Wilson knew of the women's basketball program at Florida Tech but given the attention she was receiving from several Division I programs, it was more of a cursory glance than anything.

"I was a little bit familiar with Florida Tech, just slightly," says Wilson. "When my sister came here, Kayk Wilson (2011-2015), that's when I really started coming to the games and understand more about the program."

Panthers Head Coach John Reynolds knew that for as much as he would love to have Wilson's game at the Clemente Center, he knew that it was a losing battle. Some players, no matter how local, are bound for the brighter lights on the court.

"Oh, I saw enough of her in high school to know that she wasn't going to play at the Division II level," Reynold says with a chuckle. "That's what I saw. No sense driving down the street, it's not going to happen."

However, the two eventually did get a chance to link up and Wilson now enters her third season as Reynolds' assistant as the Panthers begin the 2021-22 season this weekend at the SSC/GSC Challenge in Tampa. 

Wilson played high school ball in her hometown of Rockledge, where she truly shined as one of the state's best players in any classification. In her junior season at Rockledge, Wilson finished second in the state of Florida in scoring, averaging 27.2 points per game, leading the Raiders to the 2008 Class 4A Final Four. She found another level the following season, earning the 2009 Florida Class 4A Player of the Year and being named a finalist for the Florida Miss Basketball award by leading the state in scoring by averaging 31.2 points per game.

Wilson's outstanding play at Rockledge earned her a scholarship to Virginia Tech, where she had a four-year career playing in one of the best basketball conferences in the country. During her time in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Wilson played against future WNBA stars Chelsea Gray, Natasha Howard and Alyssa Thomas. Her best year in Blacksburg came in 2011-12 when she averaged 12.1 points, 2.9 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game and garnered the team's Most Valuable Player award.

Even during her playing days, Wilson had an eye on the future, specifically towards coaching. As a point guard, that vision was a necessity for her to excel and would prove equally as valuable for the path she chose next. Wilson's coaches and teammates could see what lay in store for her.
 
"It's funny, my teammates used to always say 'you're going to make a great coach', because I played the point guard position, but my IQ was so high," Wilson says. "At the time, I didn't know if I wanted to coach. Then I got into it when I graduated, and I just fell in love with it. I actually love it more than playing."

Wilson returned to Brevard County to begin her coaching career in the fall of 2014 as an assistant coach at Eastern Florida State College. During her lone season at EFSC, the Titans went 22-8 finishing the season ranked 19^th in the country and won the FCSAA Southern Conference for the first time in 12 years thanks to a stellar 13-2 record in league play. While serving as recruiting director, the Titans brought in several players that eventually moved to Division I programs following their stint at EFSC.

Wilson then moved down the road the following year to become the head coach at Melbourne High School at the age of 24. During her four seasons in charge, the Bulldogs went a remarkable 88-16, including 47-1 against Brevard County opponents. Melbourne would win three undefeated Cape Coast Conference championships, two district titles and two Elite Eight appearances during Wilson's time on the bench. In the process, she earned Cape Coast Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2017 and 2018.

Wilson would make her return to the college game with Florida Tech in the fall of 2019 on the Panthers' staff and immediately lessons were learned for both head and assistant coach both in-game and away from it. 

"I would say the main thing is he has a lot of life lessons outside of basketball, that are very important to me," Wilson stated. "He's a great mentor, he teaches me things that I need to know, especially to take my career to the next level. So, I appreciate that about him. He's very good defensively. So, I'm learning a lot of the defensive sets. Being an offensive player, my strength is on the opposite side. So, understanding his mentality, and the way that he's been doing things for 30-plus years, has really helped me.

"I think like anybody that's going to move into this field or plans on having the longevity in the field, they have to love all of it," Reynolds says. "Not just the games, not just the practices. I think she's kind of grasped it right from the beginning. I think that was really important for her."

Reynolds cites an offseason where he had Wilson in charge of practices for a month as he recovered from shoulder surgery and when he returned, the rhythm and levels of the practice were as if he hadn't been gone at all.

Much like her first coaching job, Wilson also helps to oversee the Panthers' recruiting efforts. Given Tech's excellent academic reputation, the staff always enter recruiting with the understanding that they are searching for someone who not only succeeds on the court but in the classroom as well and sometimes that search can lead them quite a way.

"We have a lot of international kids, and I really didn't know a lot about that side of recruiting," Wilson says. "I know a lot about Florida and Georgia but recruiting European kids is definitely a different style and it's a different communication level. So, I feel like I've definitely strengthened my ability to communicate with kids that are playing overseas."

As a former point guard, Wilson is not shy about wanting to force the issue offensively and push the tempo. Combined this with the sport's turn towards moving the game towards the perimeter and the collection of shooters that shape the Panthers' roster and you start to see Wilson's vision come into picture. 

"I like to play fast, quick shots, aggressive, competitive guards," Wilson said. "I think our style of play, we get up a lot of threes, and that's probably not traditional, but we're okay with that. I feel like a lot of our girls have a really high IQ on the defensive side, so we can play that style of basketball."

Like any good coach, Wilson has taken something from every level of the game she's competed at to help mold her into the coach she's become and hopes to be.

"Rest in peace to my high school coach, Coach (James) Brown, he taught me a lot," Wilson stated. "So, when he knew that I wanted to play Division I, our whole program and system, he kind of made it around me and we trained like Division I athletes. He took reports, conditioning drills from the University of North Carolina. He prepared me mentally for that level and then when I got to college, it was a transition." 
I was 18 years old, coming in there being challenged, but it was well worth it. For me, I would say playing on that level, and having those experiences and making myself grow up faster than normal, it definitely prepared me for where I'm at right now."

Given her success and knowledge at the position, Wilson and the Panther point guards are in constant conversation about how to drive the offense. As Wilson sees it, the floor general has to be aware of how to get everyone on the floor in a position to succeed, not just themselves. 

"Every day outside of practice, they'll come in my office, talk to me about different things," Wilson said. "So, it's a passion of mine. Point guard is the hardest position because you have to know everybody's role. You have to see the floor. You kind of have to be the second coach out there."

Wilson believes her experience of consistently playing against the best competition at the high school and collegiate level is something that serves her well now as a coach when it comes to guiding her players against the best of the Sunshine State Conference.
 
"Anytime that I'm scouting, I'm definitely putting a lot of effort and time into it just to make sure that our girls have the best chance at winning and understanding the players that they're playing against," she stated. "It is very important to me, and I feel like I have a great advantage to that based on my experience playing at a high level. You have to be on your P's and Q's when you're competing at that level."

"She's got a strong personality, so she doesn't back down and she's not afraid to make a mistake," Reynolds says. 
That personality also manifests when Wilson is working one-on-one with a player, which she believes can pay off for them down the road.

"I always try to hold the girls to a higher standard than I held myself and sometimes that can be challenging for them," said Wilson. "But when you see potential that this kid can be something, then you can push them to that level, even if it makes them uncomfortable. That's when you really can see greatness when a kid is uncomfortable."

The Panthers enter the 2021-22 season with a team that blends experience with transfers looking to make an immediate impact. They'll combine an emphasis on outside shooting with the trademark defense of a Reynolds coached team. Wilson believes they have the capability to be in the mix in the ultra-competitive SSC.

"They're hungrier than they were last year," she said. "We have all of our seniors back and they want a different result than what happened last year. Practices are more competitive, more intense, and the accountability level is different than it was last year. I think we have a special team. I'm sure it will be underestimated, but our girls are playing free. They're having fun and they're competing at a high level."

Above all, Wilson doesn't take for granted that she's been able to launch her coaching career in front of many of the same people who watched her shine as a player growing up.

"I definitely feel like I'm blessed," she said. "All of my family lives here, so being able to have my family support me and come to games and then just being here at Florida Tech, I love it. I'm so thankful and blessed that I got to start my college coaching journey here."

As the Crimson and Gray seek a road back towards the top of the SSC standings, they can trust in Aerial Wilson, someone who's seen and done so much already in her basketball career, to guide them there.