What do other AAC coaches think of Kevin Wilson?

ARLINGTON, Texas — Kevin Wilson knows his way around the coaching ranks.
Through five previous Power Five stops, Wilson has instructed and aided in the development of the likes of Jason White, Sam Bradford, Nate Sudfeld, Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields, CJ Stroud and others.
He’s known as one of the catalysts of the modern spread offense and the form it comes in today.
But heading into his first season coaching in the AAC, what reputation does he hold within the conference’s other 13 head coaches? The Tulsa World asked each for their perception of the newly inducted Tulsa football coach during the AAC Media Days.
The recurring description: an innovator and a premier football mind.
Mike Houston (East Carolina): “Kevin (Wilson) is one of the brightest football minds you’ll find. Tulsa definitely struck gold. That’s a hell of a hire right there.”
Rhett Lashlee (SMU): “Kevin, he’s been moving the ball down other teams throats for a long time now. I just have so much respect for Kevin as a fellow offensive mind. We’re not all that close personally but in the few times I’ve interacted with him, he’s been great and fun to be around. I think he’ll do a phenomenal job at Tulsa.”
Brian Newberry (Navy): “He’s an old-school coach, and I think in a place like Tulsa, that’s much needed. He’ll make a (big) impact on that program right away.”
Mike Bloomgren (Rice): “Man, I love the football coach that (Wilson) is. I really do respect the world for him, and it’s well deserved on his part. Back in 2003, in his hometown of Maiden, North Carolina, he and I spoke at a coach’s clinic together. At the time, which I’m sure he still is today, but at the time, he was just so, so innovative in terms of what he was doing at a program like Northwestern, where success like that isn’t the easiest to come by.”
Eric Morris (North Texas): “I don’t know him personally, but my initial impressions have been great. He’s smart, innovative and just a creative football mind.”
Trent Dilfer (UAB): “Kevin recruited some of my players while I was at Lipscomb. He spent time with me, in my office. I had hired the running back analyst from Ohio State, who had worked at Kevin at Ohio State. I’ve always thought that he was one of the better football minds. I think he’s super creative. A lot of his stuff, and people hate to give credit to other coaches for stuff nowadays, but the stuff coaches run now, like a lot of the trends in college football, Kevin started.”
Tom Herman (Florida Atlantic): “From people I’ve talked to, I know that when you’re game prepping for a Kevin Wilson-coached team, you better be ready for a track meet. (Wilson’s) teams play at such a fast pace, it’s astonishing to watch. Not to mention, they’ll move the ball down the field like it’s nothing.”
Ryan Silverfield (Memphis): “Great offensive football mind. I’ve always admired the work he’s done and the impact he’s made on every program he’s been part of.”
Jeff Traylor (UTSA): “I was a Texas high school football coach for a very long time and Kevin’s been moving the football on people ever since then. He recruited some of my players and I heard nothing but great feedback from them when they’d take visits and what not. I’m excited for him that he’s getting another opportunity. I think he deserves it and I’m happy for him.”
Willie Fritz (Tulane): “You see all that he accomplished at Oklahoma, Ohio State and how he got the Indiana program on the rise. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and I’m confident he’ll show Tulsa what success looks like. I have a lot of respect for that school and that program. I think he’ll show it what success looks like for sure, as someone who has been well accustomed to that over the years.”
Alex Golesh (South Florida): “Kevin is definitely one of the pioneers of the modern spread offense. You look at what the big dogs of college football do, and what they run and a lot of that is because of his impact on the sport.”
Biff Poggi (Charlotte): “Kevin was actually at Ohio State when I was an associate head coach at Michigan. So, we’d come in contact with each other quite a bit. But I’ll tell you what, he’s a great guy. He really is a genuine guy. Everybody wants to know him personally because of the man he is. And at Indiana, he had that thing rolling. It was on the come up before (Indiana) made a big mistake firing him.”
Stan Drayton (Temple): “Haven’t known Kevin much prior to today. I’ve known of him, but again, not exclusively as a person. But after just a conversation today, I know this: that’s one hell of a football mind.”
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