IU football coach Kevin Wilson finished filling out his defensive staff Wednesday when he added Mark Hagen to coach the defensive line and special teams, and Corey Raymond to coach the cornerbacks.
Hagen is an IU graduate who spent the last 11 years as an assistant coach at Purdue. Raymond, a former NFL player, spent the last two years coaching cornerbacks at Utah State. Prior to that, he did some work with LSU.
ANALYSIS: I really like what Wilson has done with the defensive side of the ball.
Mike Ekeler will be great with the linebackers and both Hagen and Raymond have a strong track record. Even though Doug Mallory's defense had a rough year at New Mexico, his record is also strong enough that I believe he was a good hire for Wilson.
The interesting connection between Raymond, Mallory and Ekeler is LSU. Considering that school's remarkable success over the years, I would say that's a pretty good place to draw from. Plus, many of these guys are connected in some form or fashion, which can only help them in working together at IU.
I have not had the opportunity to talk to Raymond, Mallory or Hagen yet. As soon as I do, I will post some of their comments in this space.
