UPIKE Athletics

Kyle Wilson has been the head coach of the men's bowling program since 2004.

In 2024, the Bears recorded a third-place finish in the NAIA national tournament and was fifth in the USBC ITCs.

In 2022-23, Wilson led the Bears to a program-record eight tournament victories and boasted two NAIA All-Americans in Bryce Oliver (First Team) and Eli Mayberry (Second Team). Oliver was also named NAIA Player of the Year. 

During the 2021-22 season, Bryce Oliver became the fourth Bear in program history to qualify for USBC ISC Nationals after winning the USBC ITC Sectional Tournament. He repeated the feat in 2024.

Wilson was hired at UPIKE in October of 2004 after meeting Ron Damron, then-athletic director and women’s bowling coach. From there he has led the Bears to the Intercollegiate Team Championships (ITCs) nine times, including four times in the last seven seasons.

Under Wilson’s guidance, the Bears have captured four Mid-South Conference Tournament Championships, as well as seven regular-season MSC titles.

Wilson has coached five USBC All-Americans at Pikeville, including Ronnie Sparks (2006, First Team), Cassidy Schaub (2006, Second Team), Kyle Barnes (2008, First Team), Andrew Letscher (2017, Second Team) and Bryce Oliver (2023, 2024) and four NAIA All-Americans. He has also coached two USBC National Rookies of the Year (Ronnie Sparks & Andrew Letscher) and one NAIA Rookie of the Year (Andrew Letscher). Wilson is also a five-time Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year (2013-14, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2022-23 and 2023-24). 

Wilson’s recruit Letscher had a banner year in 2017, adding on to the NCBCA All-America nod with being named the NCBCA Rookie of the Year, IBMA Honorable Mention All-American, NAIA Rookie of the Year, MSC Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-MSC.
  
At age 16, Wilson started the Junior Tournament Bowlers Association (JTBA), an organization which offered top scratch tournament competition for better bowlers in the Midwest, in which he was the Executive Director until July 2005, when he turned over the organization to others so that he could focus more on his duties at Pikeville.

Kyle is a native of Mount Vernon, Ohio, where he graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1982. He worked at his parent’s family restaurant (JODY’S), until September 2005, when his parents retired and closed their family business after 30 years.

In Wilson’s free time, he likes hiking, horseback riding, listening to music, collecting sports cards, baseball and of course, bowling.