Kevin Wilson is out as Indiana Hoosiers head coach.
Citing “philosophical differences,” IU director of athletics Fred Glass accepted Wilson’s resignation on Thursday. Glass also announced that defensive coordinator Tom Allen would be named permanent head coach effective immediately.
The move is apparently not related to the performance of the football team.
Indiana Head Coach Kevin Wilson Resigns; Tom Allen Named Head Coach
Wilson was in his sixth year as coach of the Indiana program. After four straight sub-.500 regular seasons, IU broke through in 2015, finishing 6-6 and receiving an invite to the Pinstripe Bowl. There, they would lose to Duke 44-41 in overtime.
The Hoosiers went 6-6 once again this year and are poised to go bowling in consecutive seasons for just the third time in program history.
According to reports, the decision to move away from Wilson is primarily related to treatment of players. ESPN cited a former player’s father who said that his son suffered a concussion during the 2015 preseason but was forced back into summer workouts. His symptoms worsened afterwards.
Another report detailed that five current players met with athletic department officials and lawyers from the university about player treatment under Wilson over the past two weeks.
The 55-year-old Wilson finishes his tenure at Indiana with a 26-47 record. He signed a six-year extension in January and had $11 million left on his current deal. Nevertheless, indications are that he left the program with a $542,000 settlement.
In Allen, the Hoosiers are getting a coach who engineered one of the best defensive year-over-year turnarounds in college football. His first year as defensive coordinator saw IU hold opposing offenses to 136.9 fewer yards in 2016 compared to last year. That marked the best improvement among FBS schools.
The New Castle, IN native was once head coach at Indianapolis high school powerhouse Ben Davis from 2004-06. Prior to joining Indiana’s staff, Allen served as defensive coordinator at South Florida. In his lone year at USF, the Bulls were in the top 25 nationally in tackles for loss, interceptions and and turnovers gained.
For his efforts in turning around the IU defense, Allen was nominated for the Frank Broyles Award last week. The honor is given to the nation’s top assistant coach. Wilson won the award as offensive coordinator at Oklahoma in 2008.
Indiana’s postseason destination remains undetermined but will likely be finalized on Sunday when all 40 bowl matchups are announced. Per the school’s website, the Music City Bowl, Foster Farms Bowl, Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl and Quick Lane Bowl are the most likely possibilities.
