Rifle
- Title:
- Interim Head Coach
- Email:
- mphllp28@memphis.edu
Morgan Wilson enters her third season as head coach of Memphis Rifle in 2024-25, having been promoted to the role on May 23, 2022. She originally joined the Tigers as a graduate assistant in 2020-21 and served as interim head coach during the 2021-22 season.
During the 2024-25 campaign, the Tigers posted a 5-9 overall record, highlighted by four victories over top-20 opponents—including No. 13 Army, No. 15 Jacksonville State, and two wins over UT Martin when ranked No. 18 and No. 19. Memphis remained ranked in the CRCA poll throughout the season, peaking at No. 10.
Veteran standout Gabriella Zych led the team, earning her fifth career All-America honor with a second-team nod in smallbore. She also qualified as a smallbore alternate for the NCAA Rifle Championships. Zych, Katrina Demerle, and Kenlee Ewton were all recognized with All-GARC Honorable Mention honors, while Sophia Cruz earned Scholar-Athlete of the Year recognition from the conference for the second consecutive season.
Wilson built strong momentum in her first two years at the helm. In 2023-24, the Tigers delivered one of the best seasons in program history, going 7-6 and climbing to No. 8 in the CRCA rankings. Key victories included wins over top-10 teams such as No. 7 Ohio State, No. 7 Ole Miss, and No. T-9 Murray State. Sophomore Gabriella Zych qualified individually for the NCAA Championships in both smallbore and air rifle, finishing 10th and 21st, respectively, while also receiving the prestigious NCAA Elite 90 Award.
Zych’s breakout 2023-24 season included First-Team All-America honors in air rifle and Second-Team All-America in smallbore and aggregate. She was one of only three student-athletes in the GARC to earn First-Team honors in smallbore, air rifle, and aggregate. Freshman Kenlee Ewton also earned Honorable Mention All-GARC in air rifle.
In her first full season as head coach (2022-23), Wilson was named both CRCA Head Coach of the Year and GARC Coach of the Year. That season, Memphis reached No. 10 in the national rankings and posted wins over No. 9 Army, No. 14 Jacksonville State, No. 12 NC State, and No. 19 UT Martin. The team set new program records in air rifle and aggregate twice, and in smallbore once. Angeline Henry and Gabriella Zych both qualified for the NCAA Championships in air rifle, with Henry finishing fourth and Zych placing 11th.
Henry also earned CRCA Second-Team All-America honors in air rifle, while Zych was named an Honorable Mention All-American. Additionally, Henry received Second-Team All-GARC honors in air rifle and Honorable Mention in smallbore and aggregate. Zych earned Honorable Mention All-GARC in air rifle, and Sophia Cruz was named GARC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
As interim head coach in 2021-22, Wilson led the Tigers through a schedule filled entirely with top-20 opponents. The team ended the regular season on a high note, defeating No. 20 UT Martin in the NCAA Qualifier. That year, Kaylene Castillo (smallbore) and Angeline Henry (air rifle) qualified for the NCAA Championships, and Henry finished second in air rifle at the GARC Championships.
A standout collegiate shooter before entering coaching, Wilson had a historic career at West Virginia University. She won back-to-back NCAA smallbore titles in 2017 and 2018 and totaled eight All-America honors. She helped lead WVU to the 2017 NCAA Championship and runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2019, along with three GARC team titles.
Individually, Wilson won GARC smallbore titles in 2017 and 2019 and was runner-up in smallbore and air rifle in 2018. She was named the NCAA Championships Top Performer in 2017 and was the air rifle runner-up. Her collegiate career concluded at the 2019 GARC Championships, hosted by Memphis.
Wilson graduated from WVU with a degree in sport and exercise psychology and earned her master’s degree in sport and leisure management from Memphis in 2022. As a student-athlete, she was a four-time CRCA Scholastic All-American and a three-time Academic All-Big 12 At-Large First Team honoree.
Internationally, Wilson also excelled as a member of USA Shooting. She won gold in 50m rifle prone and silver in 3-position at the 2018 ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, where she also set a junior world record. She captured the 3-position title at the 2018 USA Shooting National Championships and the 2018 National Junior Olympics. Prior to WVU, she was a member of the U.S. National Junior Team.
With a decorated competitive background and a fast-rising coaching career, Wilson continues to elevate the Memphis Rifle program to national prominence.
