Kevin Wilson looks to make his mark as Indiana head football coach

After extensive research, interviews and talking with resources, Indiana athletic director Fred Glass found his guy. Glass introduced former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson as the new Indiana football head coach Tuesday at a 4 p.m. press conference.

The press conference took place in Henke Hall of Champions at North End Zone Student-Athlete Development Center of Memorial Stadium.

“I am thrilled that Kevin Wilson will lead our football program,” Glass said. “I believe his leadership, vision, confidence, teaching, commitment, discipline and toughness herald a terrific new era for Indiana football.”

Wilson met with Glass Friday in Norman, Okla., just one day before the Sooners beat Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship. On Monday he flew to Indianapolis to meet with Glass and school officials, essentially agreeing to terms.

He will get a substantial pay raise from his $430,000 salary while at Oklahoma. Monday night, Glass and Wilson agreed to terms on a seven-year deal, worth $1.2 million per year. To put that in perspective, former IU head coach Bill Lynch was making $660,000, last in the Big Ten.

“Indiana needs to give continuity a try in its football program,” athletic director Fred Glass said.

A few kids at the announcement were sporting “Win with Wilson” t-shirts, his immediate motto like Tom Crean’s, “Crean & Crimson.”

Kevin Wilson coached at Miami (Ohio) from 1990 to 1998 under Randy Walker and former Indiana coach Terry Hoeppner. While there, he served as offensive line coach, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. Then when Walker got the call up to Northwestern, Wilson went with him as offensive coordinator.

At 49, Wilson has led the Oklahoma offensive since 2002. He won the annual Broyles Award in 2008, given to the top college assistant in college football after the Sooners scored an NCAA-record 716 points on the arm of Heisman quarterback Sam Bradford.

He led three of the most productive offenses in college football history in 2003, 2007 and 2008.

Wilson did meet with the players prior to his introduction.

“I had a quick meeting, just to try to set a positive attitude, some energy, some excitement, some enthusiasm, a brand of toughness, a brand of doing things the right way, a brand of being a man. It’s a man’s game. You have to work and act like a man.”

It’s too early to tell the players’ opinion on their new coach. Multiple players told me it’s too early to tell and they look forward to hearing his philosophy and learning his style in the future. The players were very confident and comfortable with Coach Lynch so it is understandable that the transition is tough.

Wilson replaces Bill Lynch who took over for the late Terry Hoeppner who died from brain cancer on June 19, 2010. Lynch went 19-30 in his four seasons as head coach, including a 3-21 conference record the last three years. Coach Lynch was fired November 28th following a big overtime win for the Old Oaken Bucket at Purdue.

Oklahoma offensive line coach James Patton may follow Wilson to IU. Patton was born and raised in Ohio, and played at Miami (Ohio). After his playing career, he served under Wilson as tight ends coach at Miami in 1998. He too went to Northwestern coaching tight ends and then the offensive line. The last five years, Patton has coached under Wilson at Oklahoma, in charge of the offensive line.

Patton is also one of Oklahoma’s lead recruiter’s. In fact, between he and Wilson they accounted for 6 of the current 14 commits to Oklahoma.

Indiana already has a strong offense led by Darius Willis, Tandon Doss, Damarlo Belcher and Ted Bolser. Behind the checkbook Glass is willing to open, it is imperative that Wilson hires top defensive minds. It is also crucial that he hires assistants that know the state and Midwest very well. Ties to high schools coaches and players in the states’ vicinity cannot be overlooked.

There’s also something special with keeping a familiar coach on staff for the current and committed players. After all, that’s one of the big reasons they chose to play for the cream and crimson.

Born in Maiden, North Carolina, Kevin Wilson walked-on the UNC football team as an offensive lineman. He also holds a master’s degree from UNC.

Some of Wilson’s prominent pupils include St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, Cincinnati Bengals tight end Jermaine Gresham, Indianapolis Colts tight end Brody Eldridge, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive lineman Davin Jospeh and Washington Redskins offensive lineman Jammal Brown.

He is married to Angela and has five children: daughters Elaina (14), Makenzie (12), and Marlee (10) and sons Trey (11) and Toby (7). As Tom Crean, the athletic department and recruits reiterate, family is important at Indiana University.

It has been confirmed that Indiana interviewed five candidates: Michigan State offensive coordinator Don Treadwell, Wisconsin defensive coordinator David Doeren, Iowa offensive coordinator Kevin O’Keefe, and Houston’s head coach Kevin Sumlin.

Click here to listen to Fred Glass and Kevin Wilson’s opening statement.

Click here to read the complete transcript.