Art Wilkins
Head Coach
Phone: 205-3545
Email:
art.wilkins@aic.edu
The winningest coach in American International College football history, Art Wilkins will be entering his 17th at the helm the Yellow Jackets. Wilkins, who to date has amassed an 100-65 career record, has developed a once slumping program into a prominent Division II football team, culminating with three conference championships since 1999 and the programs first NCAA playoff appearance.
Wilkins became the 12th head football coach at the College in June of 1994 after serving as an assistant coach at various institutions such as Bucknell, Penn State, Appalachian State and the University of South Carolina.
Wilkins became the first coach in school history to amass 100-career victories in 2009. He did so with a decisive 41-13 win over Merrimack on October 24, 2009.
AIC had a season to remember in 2008. The Yellow Jackets posted an overall record of 9-2, marking the second-most wins in a season in program history, won the Northeast-10 title with a perfect 7-0 conference record and made their first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament. Wilkins was named the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year while senior wide receiver Travis Poole was named the Northeast-10 Most Valuable Player and senior defensive lineman Jean Simeon was named the NE-10 Defensive Lineman of the Year. His team was represented by 13 players on the all-conference team, four were all-New England selections and two were named to the Daktronics all-Region team.
AIC posted a record of 7-3 in 2007, its highest win total since posting an 8-2 mark in 2001, and ended the season on a six-game winning streak. Freshman quarterback Rob Parent took over the starting job after junior Shane Murphy suffered a season-ending injury in week one and went on to earn Northeast-10 Freshman of the Year honors. Five other players were named to the all-conference team.
Wilkins led the Yellow Jackets to four-straight EFC Championship appearances (1997-2000) after capturing Central/Bay State Division titles each year, including an 8-0 conference clip in 1997. In addition to posting the program’s first championship in 1999, the Yellow Jackets posted a record 10 wins and produced the top passer, rusher and scorer in the nation. The team also finished first in Division II in turnover margin, second in total offense, third in scoring and fourth in rushing, while running back Kavin Gaillard was the runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded to the top player in Division II.
Since Wilkins’ arrival, AIC has posted winning seasons 12 times in 15 years, including in 12 of the past 13 years. Under his tutelage AIC players have earned major awards from the EFC/NE-10 15 times and a total of 52 players have earned All-Conference recognition.
A 1972 graduate of Bucknell University, Wilkins was a three-year letter winner on the varsity football squad as a linebacker and offensive guard. He received the Pangburn Award as the student-athlete most “typical” of a “Bucknellian.” He received his undergraduate degree in English and Religion and earned his Master’s Degree in 1973 while serving as a graduate assistant on the football staff.
Wilkins left Lewisburg, and headed for Penn State where he served as an assistant under the legendary Joe Paterno for four seasons. In that time, Wilkins had both the pleasure and distinction to have coached in four major bowl games. The Nittany Lions participated in the Orange, Cotton, Sugar, and Gator Bowls from 1974 through 1977, respectively.
Following his four-year stay with Paterno and the Nittany Lions, Coach Wilkins returned to Bucknell in 1977 as an assistant, coaching the linebackers. He was later promoted to defensive coordinator in 1978. Wilkins left Bucknell in 1985 to accept a position at Appalachian State in Boone, N.C. There, he coached the Mountaineers inside linebackers and special teams for one year before being appointed the offensive coordinator the following season. In both the 1986 and 1987 seasons, his squad captured the Southern Conference Championship and then advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. In 1988, Wilkins was named the Southern Conference Assistant Coach of the Year.
Coach Wilkins moved back to the Division I-A level in ’89 when he became the offensive coordinator at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. He stayed with the Gamecocks for five years before making the move north to American International College.
In addition to his outstanding contributions on the sidelines, Wilkins has worked on two football publications. He edited the book “Developing Linebackers the Penn State Way” by Jerry Sandusky in 1987 and was the co-author of “Begin Your Offense by Pressuring the Punter” in a summer manual for the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). He has also served as a member of the Summer Manual Committee as well as on the Rules Committee for the AFCA and will be serving his fourth year on the AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll Committee.
Updated: 05/19/10
| Year-By-Year Results |
| Year |
Overall |
Conf. |
| 1994 |
3-7 |
- |
| 1995 |
2-8 |
- |
| 1996 |
6-4 |
- |
| 1997 |
8-3 |
8-1 |
| 1998 |
7-4 |
7-2 |
| 1999 # |
10-2 |
8-1 |
| 2000 # |
9-3 |
8-1 |
| 2001 |
8-2 |
8-2 |
| 2002 |
5-6 |
5-5 |
| 2003 |
5-4 |
5-4 |
| 2004 |
5-4 |
5-4 |
| 2005 |
5-4 |
5-4 |
| 2006 |
6-4 |
6-3 |
| 2007 |
7-3 |
7-2 |
| 2008 # |
9-2 |
7-1 |
| 2009 |
5-5 |
3-5 |
| Totals |
100-65 |
82-33 |
| # Won conference title |
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