Indiana University Athletics
Wilson Humbled, Honored After Contract Extension
1/13/2016 3:58:00 PM | Football
By: Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Kevin Wilson earned a new contract this week running through 2021, but he insists the pay raise and contract extension aren't just a reflection of his work.
He said they're testaments to what his football team has accomplished as a whole.
"To me, it's a commitment to the total program," Wilson said Wednesday. "It's not a commitment to a length of contract or salary as much as a commitment to a lot of people across our program."
Wilson said he was "humbled and honored" to have been given a contract extension and the opportunity to guide the Hoosiers throughout at least the next six seasons. He said IU's New Era Pinstripe Bowl run and individual accomplishments, such as having three first-team All-Americans over the last two seasons, reflect the talent the program brings in and develops.
"We know we've got a lot of improvement," he said, "and I think this commitment is going to give us a chance to keep doing that."
Fred Glass has repeatedly compared building Indiana football to turning around a battleship. During his first season in 2011, Wilson admitted his team's talent level simply wasn't where it needed to be in order to compete in the Big Ten.
Over the years, Wilson has become increasingly pleased with his recruiting classes and the wins have followed. More and more high-profile recruits are selecting Indiana over other Power Five conference rivals.
With a new deal inked, Wilson can recruit more confidently and assure players he'll be in Bloomington long enough to coach them throughout their careers. That peace of mind is even more valuable with National Signing Day exactly three weeks away.
"Very pleased to be talking to recruits, and you're talking to juniors and you've got a contract that gets you through their careers," Wilson said. "Because it's kind of tough when a guy says, 'Hey, I love your offense. Am I going to play in it?'"
Though the new contract makes life easier for Wilson, it doesn't change the fact that the program still isn't where he wants it. He's still only beginning to chip away at transforming Indiana into a consistent, winning program in the Big Ten East.
"We've made some success, but we want more," Wilson said. "We see that. We recognize that. Our whole deal was to get improvement, and we have. Now we're going to take it from hopefully what's going to be a program that's gotten where it's recently competitive and start making it a recently more winning, consist program in that regard."
Shortly after Wilson's extension was announced—Wilson himself foreshadowed it with one of his typical #Boom Tweets normally reserved for recruiting victories and other team accomplishments—current and former players flooded his phone with texts or calls to offer congratulations.
Other players went straight to Twitter.
"We got Kev…" former standout kicker Mitch Ewald Tweeted. "For 6 more years! Huge win for #iufb."
And now that the Hoosiers have their guy, he's gone back to work.
After all, Wilson didn't earn his extension just to sit around Bloomington.
"I appreciate this commitment because I think it gives us a chance to maybe get this thing to where our school deserves our program to be," Wilson said. "And we're going to fight like heck to get it there."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Kevin Wilson earned a new contract this week running through 2021, but he insists the pay raise and contract extension aren't just a reflection of his work.
He said they're testaments to what his football team has accomplished as a whole.
"To me, it's a commitment to the total program," Wilson said Wednesday. "It's not a commitment to a length of contract or salary as much as a commitment to a lot of people across our program."
Wilson said he was "humbled and honored" to have been given a contract extension and the opportunity to guide the Hoosiers throughout at least the next six seasons. He said IU's New Era Pinstripe Bowl run and individual accomplishments, such as having three first-team All-Americans over the last two seasons, reflect the talent the program brings in and develops.
"We know we've got a lot of improvement," he said, "and I think this commitment is going to give us a chance to keep doing that."
Fred Glass has repeatedly compared building Indiana football to turning around a battleship. During his first season in 2011, Wilson admitted his team's talent level simply wasn't where it needed to be in order to compete in the Big Ten.
Over the years, Wilson has become increasingly pleased with his recruiting classes and the wins have followed. More and more high-profile recruits are selecting Indiana over other Power Five conference rivals.
With a new deal inked, Wilson can recruit more confidently and assure players he'll be in Bloomington long enough to coach them throughout their careers. That peace of mind is even more valuable with National Signing Day exactly three weeks away.
"Very pleased to be talking to recruits, and you're talking to juniors and you've got a contract that gets you through their careers," Wilson said. "Because it's kind of tough when a guy says, 'Hey, I love your offense. Am I going to play in it?'"
Though the new contract makes life easier for Wilson, it doesn't change the fact that the program still isn't where he wants it. He's still only beginning to chip away at transforming Indiana into a consistent, winning program in the Big Ten East.
"We've made some success, but we want more," Wilson said. "We see that. We recognize that. Our whole deal was to get improvement, and we have. Now we're going to take it from hopefully what's going to be a program that's gotten where it's recently competitive and start making it a recently more winning, consist program in that regard."
Shortly after Wilson's extension was announced—Wilson himself foreshadowed it with one of his typical #Boom Tweets normally reserved for recruiting victories and other team accomplishments—current and former players flooded his phone with texts or calls to offer congratulations.
Other players went straight to Twitter.
"We got Kev…" former standout kicker Mitch Ewald Tweeted. "For 6 more years! Huge win for #iufb."
And now that the Hoosiers have their guy, he's gone back to work.
After all, Wilson didn't earn his extension just to sit around Bloomington.
"I appreciate this commitment because I think it gives us a chance to maybe get this thing to where our school deserves our program to be," Wilson said. "And we're going to fight like heck to get it there."
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