Along with a statement announcing the terms of Kevin Wilson's contract (seven years, $1.2 million a year), IU athletics director Fred Glass attached a list of the qualities he was looking for in a potential coach.
I thought these were particularly insightful, and they explain why Glass went after the guys he did.
1. Commitment to the tenets of The Spirit of Indiana: 24 Sports, One Team (especially as to compliance, academics, character and diversity/inclusiveness)
2. Proven winner
3. Proven recruiter (in a way that transfers to the Big Ten Conference and Indiana University)
4. Positive, inspirational leader who generates confidence in his players and others
a. Disciplined and mentally tough and able to instill that in his players and staff
b. Will earn and command the respect of his players, peers and the football community in general
(He already earned and commanded my respect in Tuesday's press conference. Wilson sounded like a guy ready to win, ready to get the most out of players, and ready to hold people accountable for their actions.)
5. Head coaching experience at the college level (or some other strong indicator of ability to be a successful head college football coach)
(He doesn't have head coaching experience, but I still think this hire is better than getting a head coach at a non-BCS school. Like Glass said in the press conference, Wilson knows what it takes to win in an elite conference.)
6. Has the vision (desire, plan and belief) to win at Indiana University
7. Committed to an effective style of play
(We don't know who Wilson's defensive coordinator will be, but finding an effective style of play on the defensive side of the ball will be critical. We all know Wilson can coach offense.)
8. Prefer Big Ten/Midwest grounding
(This is why Glass didn't look hard at a guy like Randy Shannon, who was fired from Miami (Fl.) after a 7-5 season. Shannon was interested in the IU job, but he doesn't have the Midwest ties.)
9. Other: well-organized, good evaluator (self and otherwise), good communicator (internally and externally), good strategist, flexible, demonstrates grace under pressure
