Drew Wilson has worked as Averett University's director of athletics communications since August 2008 and was promoted to assistant director of athletics for communications and administration in August 2024.
Wilson and his staff handle all media relations for the Department of Athletics and they are in charge of Averett's game day operations and statistics, Averett's athletics website AverettCougars.com, social media efforts and athletics publications. Wilson is also an active member in the College Sports Communicators (formerly known as CoSIDA) and the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID). In August 2023, he was named the region representative for the D3SIDA board and is serving a three-year term. He also serves as an all-state team voting coordinator for VaSID and has been an all-region voter for football and basketball, and in 2019 he joined CSC's Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest committee. He's also served as a judge for CSC's Creative and Digital Design Contest. Previously, he was named the chair of the USA South Conference sports information directors in August 2012 and served two two-year terms in that role. Wilson also has served on several committees at Averett.
While at Averett, Wilson has received multiple accolades. Wilson was one of the inaugural recipients of Averett's Values in Action Awards for "Curiosity, Imagination and Relevancy" in 2023-24, and he received the Averett's Values in Action Award for "Faith and Integrity" in 2024-25. His work has also been recognized at a national and regional level. In 2024, he had five stories recognized in the 2023-24 CSC/Fred Stabley Jr. Writing Contest with two stories earning first place in the district and three earning runner-up honors within the College Division. One of his stories that placed first in the district won first place nationally in the "Historical Feature" category and was named the College Division National Story of the Year runner-up. He followed that up in 2025 with another first-place finish nationally in the "Historical Feature" category while earning two first-place accolades and one runner-up selection in the district in the 2024-25 CSC/Fred Stabley Jr. Writing Contest. In 2022, one of his feature stories was selected as the runner-up in the district for the "historical feature" category of the CSC/Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest. In 2022, Wilson's story on Averett's SAAC's Black History Month gallery finished as the runner-up in the district for the Social Justice/Diversity & Inclusion category in the CSC/Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest.
Wilson has also received recognition for multimedia and design. In 2020, he placed second in the nation in the CSC Media Guide & Digital Design Contest in the category of "Infographic Game/Program Feature" for the College Division, and he placed second nationally again in 2021 in the same category. In 2023, he co-designed a graphic with former assistant Ashley Thornton that placed third nationally in the CSC Creative & Digital Design Contest in the "Spring Statistical Milestone Graphics (College Division)" category. In 2024, one of his graphics was ranked 14th among "Best of Division III" in the "Non-Game Day Graphics" category of the CSC contest. Wilson's video chronicling the Averett volleyball team's trip to Costa Rica was one of eight finalists nationally for the American Volleyball Coaches Association's "Let's Make a Video" contest in 2014. He also received an Excellence in Services to Students Award in December 2014 from Averett's chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, and in November 2017 he received the Honorary Membership award to the organization for his dedication to Averett and its students.
In 2017, Wilson completed the Danville/Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Southside XXII course. In 2025, he participated in the Visit SoSi "I Am Tourism" ambassador workshop through the Office of Economic Development & Tourism for Danville and Pittsylvania County.
The Danville native is a 2004 graduate of James Madison University. At JMU, Wilson worked at the nationally award-winning student newspaper, The Breeze, for four years where he was a sports editor for two years and the editor in chief his senior year.
Following graduation, Wilson joined the Danville Register & Bee newspaper's staff as a news copy editor and moved over to the sports department three months later. In 2005, he was named the Register & Bee's sports editor, a position he held for three years until joining Averett. During his time at the Register & Bee, Wilson was the Averett athletics beat writer for four years. He also covered auto racing, Division I football and men's basketball and high school sports, including the 2008 Division I men's basketball Final Four, multiple Atlantic Coast Conference football and men's basketball championships and multiple Daytona 500 races. As a journalist at JMU and at the Register & Bee, Wilson won more than 20 state or regional journalism awards for his work.
Outside of Averett, Wilson currently serves on the marketing committee of God's Storehouse, a non-profit food pantry serving Danville and the surrounding area. Additionally, he served a three-year term as a deacon at his church. He also was a participant in the Danville Adult Baseball League and previously served on the league's board and assists with the organization's website and social media until the league was halted in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Wilson lives in Danville with his wife, Heather, and their daughters, Caroline and Annie.
