It’s starting to happen, but Indiana Hoosiers head coach Kevin Wilson is probably the next head coach at a sub-standard Power 5 program to leave for a better job in Division I.
Though he has only gone 20-41 (8-32) in five years leading the Hoosiers, this is Indiana we’re talking about. Indiana is a blue blood program strictly on the hardwood. The independent national powerhouse Notre Dame dominates this state to the north. Even in-state Big 10 rival Purdue has had a more illustrious football history than the hapless Hoosiers.
That being said, Wilson has made this Hoosiers program respectable, as Indiana made it to its first bowl game under his watch last season. They play in the brutal Big 10 East with elite teams like Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State, and an on-the-rebound Penn State program. If Indiana were to swap divisions with Purdue, the Hoosiers could contend in the West.
What Wilson is doing in Bloomington feels similar to the type of brief culture change we saw Penn State coach James Franklin do with Vanderbilt in the SEC a few years back: Take a traditional bottom feeder and make it moderately relevant against a brutal onslaught of games.
Wilson is 54 and may have one more big job before calling it a career. He’s on the rise as a head coach for the job he is doing with the Hoosiers. He also has significant experience coaching in the Big 12, as he was offensive coordinator for Stoops at Oklahoma from 2002 to 2011.
He may not run the Air Raid like Briles perfected in Waco, but the Bears will absolutely pound the rock should Wilson become their head coach. Wilson got great play out of his most recent quarterback in Nate Sudfeld, now of the Washington Redskins. With all the in-state talent available in Texas, he might be the best and most qualified guy to lead Baylor of this mess as their next head coach.
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