I've slacked off on headlines posts, and I apologize for that. Today, with lots of coverage of Indiana's hiring of its new football coach, Oklahoma offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson, seemed like a good day to get back in the saddle.
A few things that I didn't mention following yesterday's press conference: first, I didn't catch this, but some have reported that Wilson made a reference to next season's opener against Ball State being at "the dome" or "Lucas Oil" (IU's transcript says Lucas Oil). This hasn't been reported and may have been a slip by Wilson, but that would be great. To be clear, this would be a Ball State home game, not an IU home game, so it wouldn't be a matter of IU giving up its homefield advantage as against Penn State. It strikes me as a win-win. I wouldn't expect a sellout, but my guess is that the crowd would exceed the 25,000 capacity of Ball State's stadium and would give IU an opportunity to play in Indy without giving anything up. We'll see if that news is developed further. The headlines are below:
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Kevin Wilson needs to get defensive at IU - Big Ten Blog - ESPN
Kevin Wilson is a great offensive mind. I first saw this in 2000 as a student reporter at Northwestern, where Wilson transformed the Wildcats' attack, trading in a going-nowhere, traditional scheme for the spread system. Under Wilson's leadership, Northwestern ranked third nationally in total offense, eighth in rushing and ninth in scoring en route to a co-Big Ten championship in 2000. -
Indiana scores with ex-NU coordinator Wilson - Chicago Breaking Sports
It was only a matter of time. A matter of time until an athletic director looked at Kevin Wilson's record of success and said: I need to hire that guy. -
Indiana introduces Kevin Wilson as its football coach | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star
"People usually look at four- or five-year contracts as being standard, but I wanted to give him more,'' Glass said. "I think it's about perception and reality.'' -
Kravitz: Indiana's new coach has a real opportunity | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star
Jim Caldwell didn't know Kevin Wilson very well, but he knew his work, saw the miracles he made with the Northwestern offense from 1999-2001. So back in 2000, when Caldwell was vying for the University of Virginia coaching job, he knew whom he wanted as his offensive coordinator. Caldwell wanted Wilson, who Tuesday was introduced as Indiana University's football coach. -
Wilson comes to IU ready to win | The News-Sentinel - Fort Wayne IN
Kevin Wilson arrives at Indiana’s Memorial Stadium as a suit-and-tie-wearing football savior, a family man, a pet lover, a scratch golfer. Oh, yes. A very good offensive coordinator. Will he make a very good head coach? That is the Hoosier gamble or the opportunity, depending on your perspective. -
IU ‘should give continuity a try' | The Journal Gazette | Fort Wayne, IN
"We went to seven (years) because I wanted Kevin to have the time to do things right," IU athletic director Fred Glass said. Glass said the Big Ten Network contract and a new deal with Learfield Communications helped with the salary. -
The Wilson press conference transcript | The Hoosier Scoop
I believe Andy, Hugh and I have combined to write about 100 inches of copy (roughly 3,000-4,000 words) on Kevin Wilson's hiring today and there are still a lot of topics we still haven't come close to discussing that were addressed in the press conference. -
Tackling 'how to' plan at IU (Evansville Courier & Press)
"I didn't come here on hope or on a whim," the 49-year-old Wilson said in a news conference at Memorial Stadium that was aired in whole by the Big Ten Network. "I know this is a great place, and I understand what it takes in the Big Ten." -
Berry Tramel: Kevin Wilson will be missed at OU | NewsOK.com
Fourteen coaches have held the title of OU offensive coordinator since 1966, when the position became in vogue. Twelve of the 14 have become major-college head coaches. Not bad for a bunch of guys whose names often are followed by, "the bum." Wilson, Chuck Long, Mark Mangino, Jim Donnan, Galen Hall. Sooner history is littered with offensive coordinators who won championships but drew the ire of fans short on memory and football acumen. -
Glass confident in new hire | Sports | Indiana Daily Student
With no head coaching pedigree and current connection to IU, Glass admitted that before the Neinas’ guidance, Wilson was not on his radar. "That’s the purpose of having a good guide," Glass said. "When you go out in the river, you need a fisher guide to tell you where the good fishing holes are." - Should IU be more Defensive than Offensive? " CrimsonCast