Column: New hires quickly changing losing culture

In the month-plus since Bill Lynch was fired as IU football coach, Athletics Director Fred Glass and new coach Kevin Wilson have completely changed the Hoosiers’ football program.

A school that had previously been unwilling to spend significant money on football suddenly opened its wallet. A school that had settled for a group of unproven men who had never won at the highest level suddenly attracted coaches who have.

This program now looks dramatically different — dramatically better.

Starting in 2005, it looked like IU had come up with a philosophy for hiring head coaches: Find a decent guy from a non-BCS conference, pay him a salary lower than most Big Ten coaches and try to slowly build a “contender.”

First it was Terry Hoeppner, who coached at Miami University (OH) before joining the Hoosiers. I still believe Hoeppner would have been successful here, but that’s beside the point — he wasn’t a big hire.

Then there was Bill Lynch, who was close to Hoeppner and served as his assistant coach. Lynch had a wildly mediocre 37-53 record as the Ball State head coach, which made many believe his hire was an emotional one and nothing else.

Now it’s Wilson, who will be paid more than $1 million a year to turn the program around. He has won at the highest level, albeit not as a head coach. But he won’t have to do it alone, not after putting together a great staff.

(Note: Even though Brent Pease returned to Boise State, the staff is still in good shape. Wilson is one of the best offensive minds in the country, and if necessary, he can call the plays and serve as offensive coordinator.)

These coaches — Mike Ekeler, Corey Raymond and Mark Hagen, among others — are winners. It’s hard for me to recall a better IU staff than this one.

“I love the fact that he got a bunch of been-there, done-that guys,” Glass said last week. “I’m thrilled with the staff he (Wilson) put together, and I think they are, not surprisingly, built out of the same mold as coach Wilson
himself.”

It starts with Wilson, who seems to have everything Lynch lacked: fire, accountability, a plan. Many of the guys he hired have some sort of connection to him. Lynch’s staff was also made up of guys he felt comfortable with.

Unlike Lynch, however, Wilson found coaches who have been with winning programs at BCS schools.

Ekeler and Doug Mallory, who coached together at LSU, replace Brian George and Joe Palcic, who coached under Hoeppner at Miami. LSU went to BCS bowls. Miami did not.

Hagen, who worked with some great defensive linemen at Purdue, replaces George as defensive tackles coach. Hagen has been recognized as a top-25 recruiter in the nation. George has not.

Getting the picture?

I love what Wilson has done in such a short time. I know he’ll continue to work and make improvements.

What impact all of this will have on recruiting has yet to be determined. If Wilson can recruit players like he has recruited coaches, however, it won’t be long before the Hoosiers are back in bowl games on a consistent
basis.

The simple fact is this: These coaches aren’t used to losing, and they won’t accept losing. Even if the Hoosiers play 13 next year, it won’t be enough for Wilson and company — Big Ten titles and BCS bowls are the goal. Even if they never get there, it’s encouraging to know that’s the target.

Think Lynch ever thought he could win a conference crown at IU? I don’t.
“I’m not a glass half-full guy. I’m probably a glass three-quarters full guy,” Ekeler said last month. “I’ve never stayed home on Christmas, and I don’t plan on ever doing that.”


E-mail: jmalbers@indiana.edu