Wilkins Announces Cruz Silva as Assistant Coach
5/26/2026 3:14:00 PM | Men's Golf
TULSA, Okla. – The University of Tulsa men's golf head coach Brandon Wilkins has announced the hiring of Pedro Cruz Silva as assistant coach for the Golden Hurricane program. Cruz Silva joins a Tulsa men's golf program preparing to compete during the 2026-27 season.
"We are thrilled to welcome Pedro Cruz Silva to our Tulsa men's golf staff as our new assistant coach," remarked Head Coach Brandon Wilkins. "Pedro exemplifies passion, knowledge, and a genuine care for helping student-athletes grow both on and off the golf course. His experience at Mississippi State, combined with his energy and commitment to player development, makes him an incredible addition to our program. Pedro has a tremendous ability to connect with players, elevate performance, and positively impact the culture of a team. We are getting a true superstar to join our staff, and I know our players and program will benefit tremendously from his leadership and dedication."
"I'm very thankful for the opportunity to join Coach Brandon Wilkins at the University of Tulsa and be part of bringing back a program with so much tradition and history," Cruz Silva said. "I'm excited to get to work building a championship culture and helping lead this new era of Tulsa Men's Golf."
Cruz Silva joins Tulsa after spending the past two seasons as a graduate assistant at Mississippi State, where he transitioned into the coaching ranks following the conclusion of his playing career with the Bulldogs.
He brings championship experience both as a player and coach. During his time at Mississippi State, Cruz Silva competed in NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championships as a student-athlete before helping guide the Bulldogs back to the NCAA Championships as a graduate assistant. Mississippi State's NCAA Regional appearance this past season marked the program's eighth consecutive berth, and the Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Championship after posting a 26-under par 826 — the best NCAA Tournament score in program history.
A native of Portugal, Cruz Silva enjoyed an accomplished collegiate and international playing career. He captured Portugal's National Amateur Championship twice while competing at Mississippi State and represented his country at the European Amateur Championship on two occasions. In 2023, he also won Portugal's prestigious Kendall Cup, one of the nation's oldest amateur competitions.
During his junior season at Mississippi State, Cruz Silva posted a 72.73 scoring average and recorded two top five finishes. He carded a career-low round of 67 twice during the year and registered his best 54-hole score of 9-under par 207 at Mossy Oak Collegiate.
In 2023-24, Cruz Silva recorded a career-best 72.26 scoring average while posting a career-high 11 rounds at par or better. His top finish that season
came at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational, where he tied for sixth place.
Throughout his collegiate career, Cruz Silva competed in three NCAA Regionals, highlighted by an 11th-place individual finish at the 2023 NCAA Morgan Hill Regional, where Mississippi State captured the regional title. Across 26 career tournaments with the Bulldogs, he recorded three top 10 finishes.
Off the course, Cruz Silva excelled academically as a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection and a two-time GCAA All-America Scholar.
Visit TulsaHurricane.com for the latest news and information on the men's golf program. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching 'TulsaMensGolf' on X, Facebook and Instagram.
"We are thrilled to welcome Pedro Cruz Silva to our Tulsa men's golf staff as our new assistant coach," remarked Head Coach Brandon Wilkins. "Pedro exemplifies passion, knowledge, and a genuine care for helping student-athletes grow both on and off the golf course. His experience at Mississippi State, combined with his energy and commitment to player development, makes him an incredible addition to our program. Pedro has a tremendous ability to connect with players, elevate performance, and positively impact the culture of a team. We are getting a true superstar to join our staff, and I know our players and program will benefit tremendously from his leadership and dedication."
"I'm very thankful for the opportunity to join Coach Brandon Wilkins at the University of Tulsa and be part of bringing back a program with so much tradition and history," Cruz Silva said. "I'm excited to get to work building a championship culture and helping lead this new era of Tulsa Men's Golf."
Cruz Silva joins Tulsa after spending the past two seasons as a graduate assistant at Mississippi State, where he transitioned into the coaching ranks following the conclusion of his playing career with the Bulldogs.
He brings championship experience both as a player and coach. During his time at Mississippi State, Cruz Silva competed in NCAA Regionals and NCAA Championships as a student-athlete before helping guide the Bulldogs back to the NCAA Championships as a graduate assistant. Mississippi State's NCAA Regional appearance this past season marked the program's eighth consecutive berth, and the Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Championship after posting a 26-under par 826 — the best NCAA Tournament score in program history.
A native of Portugal, Cruz Silva enjoyed an accomplished collegiate and international playing career. He captured Portugal's National Amateur Championship twice while competing at Mississippi State and represented his country at the European Amateur Championship on two occasions. In 2023, he also won Portugal's prestigious Kendall Cup, one of the nation's oldest amateur competitions.
During his junior season at Mississippi State, Cruz Silva posted a 72.73 scoring average and recorded two top five finishes. He carded a career-low round of 67 twice during the year and registered his best 54-hole score of 9-under par 207 at Mossy Oak Collegiate.
In 2023-24, Cruz Silva recorded a career-best 72.26 scoring average while posting a career-high 11 rounds at par or better. His top finish that season
came at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational, where he tied for sixth place.
Throughout his collegiate career, Cruz Silva competed in three NCAA Regionals, highlighted by an 11th-place individual finish at the 2023 NCAA Morgan Hill Regional, where Mississippi State captured the regional title. Across 26 career tournaments with the Bulldogs, he recorded three top 10 finishes.
Off the course, Cruz Silva excelled academically as a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection and a two-time GCAA All-America Scholar.
Visit TulsaHurricane.com for the latest news and information on the men's golf program. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching 'TulsaMensGolf' on X, Facebook and Instagram.
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