Nothing but Net

Tory Wooley ’12, head women’s basketball coach, has a lot to be proud of — on and off the court.

Basketball is a game of passion. It’s not enough to be well-trained in the fundamentals of the sport. The best players — the legends — pour everything they are into their game. They play with strategy and endurance, wisdom and skill. They know the sport, and they know how to play it well.

The game of basketball and the race of the Christian life are not as dissimilar as they may seem. Even if you’re well-versed in the fundamentals of the faith, it takes true wisdom and passion to apply them to the daily discipline of following Christ. To walk with Christ is to live in tune with the Holy Spirit, to run with endurance, to not lose heart in the midst of suffering and trial.

Few people are as keenly aware of the parallels between basketball and the Christian life as Tory Wooley ’12, head women’s basketball coach. As a student here, Wooley played on the men’s basketball team for four years. He was an all-American athlete, helping lead the team to win the regional championship, and he was also honored with the Hathcock Award, the highest honor given to a graduating student. Wooley served as one of the first African-American campus life ministers, and in 2011-12, he was a member of the student transition team, chosen to help aid the student body with transitioning Atlanta Christian College to Point University and moving the main campus from East Point to West Point.

The mission and vision of Point University are deeply embedded in Wooley’s personal life mission. “This place changed my life,” says Wooley. “I absolutely love this place.”

After graduating, Wooley was appointed assistant coach of the women’s basketball program, and it wasn’t long before he was named head coach.

“It’s just been a special joy to work here at the university where I was once a student,” he says. “I got into coaching to change lives and to make a difference in young people, and I love it.”

Wooley has certainly made a difference in the women’s basketball program. In the 2022-23 season, Point women’s basketball made recurring headlines and history. The Skyhawks had a winning 23-9 record, going undefeated in December for their second consecutive 20-win season of the program. They then won their first Appalachian Athletic Conference championship in University history and appeared in the NAIA National Tournament. To round out a remarkable season, Wooley was named AAC Coach of the Year, making him the first African-American coach to win the award in the AAC in either men’s or women’s basketball.

Reflecting on his historic season, Wooley shifts all the praise to those around him. “It was pretty humbling. A lot of hard work went into that. It’s a total reflection of my assistant coach, my graduate assistant and the players, who put in a lot of hard work,” says Wooley. “I’m just so thankful for the journey.”

Wooley’s career at Point has made him well-loved throughout the University. “I have been a fan of Tory Wooley since he was an all-American basketball player at ACC,” says Jim Donovan ’74, professor of education and former faculty athletics representative. “Tory is an ‘all star’ in every sense of the word. I have seen more coaches than I can remember, and Tory is numbered among the most effective, both in personal influence and in technical expertise.”

Coaching is about more than basketball for Wooley. “I’m a transformational coach,” he says. “At Point, by being faith-based, we get to point students to the cross and to our four core values as a program, which are love God, love people, do your best, and choose joy.”

These values aren’t just theoretical to Wooley. He applies them practically with his team each season. “We want each player to grow spiritually, even though that looks different for all of them,” he explains. “We go out into the community to retirement homes and elementary schools to love others. We encourage them to work hard on the court and in the classroom. And finally, we want this to be a phenomenal experience for every one of our players, so we try to have fun.”

Halfway through the past season, Wooley and his coaches made the decision to set a different tone before each game. “We wanted to bring our team closer to one another, so before each game we started to have a time of prayer, he says. “We’d turn on quiet worship music and the coaches would leave so that the ladies could all pray together. We won that night, and after that, they wanted to keep doing it. Looking back at that moment, I think it’s one of the reasons we have success on the court. It’s not that we’re perfect, it’s that we’re able to put Christ first and pray for each other.”

Wooley’s faith is his primary motivator as a coach. “I try to be as relational as possible with the players, and I try to meet them where they’re at,” he says. “I care about them, and I want them to know that. I really believe that everyone is a ten at something, so I want to stretch them into being the best version of themselves.”

Wooley’s program has proven itself successful beyond basketball, too. Wooley manages to keep the long-term vision in view as he prepares his players for life after college. “I want them to do the practical things — grow, learn and develop — but I also want them to always dream big and to continue growing in their faith,” he says.

Those life lessons are the memories that stand out most to Wooley’s former players. “It’s funny,” says Schelbi McKenzie ’18. “I know I went to school for basketball, but he was more than a coach. He was a father figure while I was away from home. It’s amazing how we connected through basketball, but all my memories are from things off the court.”

Marta Gimenez ’23 echoed the same sentiment. As an international student, Gimenez was having a difficult time being away from home, and rather than dismissing her homesickness, Wooley made it a priority to check in on her. “I was missing home very badly, and he became like a dad to me,” she says. “He was always checking in to make sure I was good, and it just shocked me. It felt like home when I was missing home the most.”

Wooley makes sure to lead his players by example. He and his wife, Nicci (assistant professor of communication at Point), who have two sons, spend time investing spiritually in the team outside of basketball, too. “I think one of the main things I learned from him was definitely loving God and keeping that first outside of basketball,” says Catika Brown ’18. “The Wooleys would even invite me to church on Sundays, or they would take the whole team to church.”

Wooley knows that it will take time to see the impact of doing ministry among college students, but he doesn’t lose heart. “Those are the special moments that make this position so rewarding: when a former player comes back for a game, and they talk about all the things they remember and apply to their lives now. You’re planting seeds now, knowing that it’ll be years until you see the harvest, but it’s really nice when you do get to see them grow and apply those principles,” he says.”

Those real-life principles Wooley preaches mean more to his athletes than he would likely guess. “I think if I could tell him anything,” says McKenzie, tears welling in her eyes, “I would just thank him for being like my dad. He gave me great advice and wisdom on and off the court, and I really look up to him. He’s worth looking up to.”

Gimenez also grows emotional when recollecting the lessons learned from Wooley. “He always told us to never let anyone tell us we can’t do something,” she says. “Especially as women, he was always reminding us that we can do anything if we work hard. That’s something I’ll follow for the rest of my life. I’m going to miss him a lot. He’s like family to me.”

There are many good coaches in the world — men and women who do their jobs and go home at the end of the day, saving their energy and hearts for other things. There are very few coaches who willingly give all of themselves to their teams — not just to win basketball games, but to shape lives, to set a Christ-like example as a mentor, a friend, a leader, a father. Wooley is undeniably the latter.

Jaunelle White, vice president of intercollegiate athletics, summarizes it simply: “Tory genuinely cares about his student-athletes’ and staff’s well-being, beyond the court and office. His recent accolades are a testament to his hard work, dedication and willingness to walk in his purpose.”

Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Jesus Christ.” Wooley’s coaching and stewardship of his influence embodies these verses beautifully.

“The thing I love about God is this: if you let him into any area of your life, he will come in and meet you right where you’re at,” says Wooley. “I know our games will never be on ESPN and millions of people won’t watch, but it matters to these athletes. It’s a big deal to them, and it matters to God — not just the big things, but the small things, too.”