CARROLLTON, Ga. - The University of West Georgia Department of Athletics mourns the loss of former track and field coach Gary Wilson, who passed away on August 17, 2025. 

Originally coming to Carrollton in 1966, Wilson founded the men's track and field team a year after his arrival and served as the head coach through the 1969 season. Under his leadership, the program saw multiple conference champions and national success. The mile relay team finished the season ranked sixth in the country under Wilson's tutelage. 

Wilson then returned to the University of Tennessee and received his doctorate and finished his professional career as head of the physical education department at The Citadel. 

In 2020, UWG's Department of Athletics renamed its annual fall cross country meet to the Gary Wilson Invitational to honor the impact he made on the program and the university. 

The funeral for Coach Wilson will be held on Saturday, Sept. 6, at John Wesley Methodist Church in Charleston, South Carolina.