Kevin Wilson has yet to coach a game as a head coach but Monday he made his debut on ‘Inside IU Football with Kevin Wilson.’ The weekly radio show is at the Holiday Inn in Bloomington and hosted by legendary broadcast Don Fischer, entering his 39th year as the teams play-by-play man.
Coach is a completely different breed than previous football coaches at IU. Just like he stresses in a new television commercial, the Hoosiers are going to play smart, hard and physical. Completely against the usual, and I like it.
Kevin Wilson on his first weekly radio show.
Trust is not only very important in life, but also on a football team. Wilson used a lot of great analogies and with trust it was like standing on a 2×4. Every player can comfortable stand on one when it’s flat on the ground. But put it on top of a stadium and everything changes–just like when the ball is kicked off.
How you lose, according to Coach Wilson, is on foolish plays and careless mistakes. There’s a reason you practice and he expects them to carry it over to games. Take away poor decisions, penalties, turnovers and missed assignments and you’ll win. It’s that simple.
Everyone has talked about the excellent offenses Wilson helped construct at Oklahoma but he stressed the turnover ratio was more important. You can’t score or score more points than opponent if you continue to give it away. It all goes back to minimizing foolish plays.
Nothing has changed at the quarterback position. Edward Wright-Baker and Dusty Kiel are equal on the depth chart released by the team today. He doesn’t want either one to look over their shoulder and says each already have a tremendous amount of pressure. Wilson said not to be surprised if both play, along with true-freshman Tre Roberson. I think it will be an ongoing procress.
As for the offensive line, he believes the group is a solid bunch. Led by captain Will Matte, the o’ line is bigger than recent years but they need to get more comfortable. According to Coach Wilson, they are thinking too much in game situations and need to be more decisive, following their instincts.
There are some notable injuries on Indiana roster and running back Darius Willis is the most obvious. The hard-nosed coach said injuries are not an excuse and in fact, those guys have to work harder than those actively involved. He likes rewarding those that play and complete everyday. Then after recovering from an injury, those players will have to work their tail off to get back at it and earn their spot back because it won’t just be handed out.
This is a new team and a young team. A lot of good things have been said about the possibilities but Coach Wilson was quick to share his opinion. He likes what he sees but will wait for results. In his words, “potential means you haven’t done anything.”
The most interesting news, at least to me, out of his first radio show affected how the Hoosiers lined up for home games. When playing in Bloomington at Memorial Stadium, IU will now be on the east sidelines, in front of the students (and opposite the alumni). This is a big change that not everyone will like or understand. His reasoning was that it was in front of the students, families and recruits. All are integral parts of the program. He even noted that when recruits are at the game, he doesn’t want them watching Joe Paterno of Penn State instead of the cream and crimson. The change also ensures more television “face-time” for each home game.
Wilson has Hoosier fans across the nation fired up for the first game, which kicks off Saturday against Ball State at Lucas Oil Stadium. It will great for both the team and fans to see what they are made up. But remember, it’s just the first game–for the players and staff, together as one.