Kevin Wilson Still Embraces The Challenges Of Building IU Football
For better or worse, Indiana carries the tag "basketball school" thanks to a storied history of championships over at Assembly Hall.
Kevin Wilson gets that. But he doesn't worry about it either.
When asked about leading the football team at a basketball school in the Big Ten's weekly teleconference, Wilson reiterated that he's still in the process of building the program he wants at Indiana.
And doing that right takes time.
"It's a difficult challenge, but we've embraced it," he said.
Wilson said turning Indiana into a consistent winner starts with player development and recruitment. Once the right talent is in--and he's been rather pleased about his recent recruiting classes--the on-field product typically gets better.
As far as support, Wilson said the athletic department has given him the tools and resources to make Indiana an attractive football school.
"There has been a great commitment here financially from our department and institution," Wilson said. "It's an awesome academic school and a great campus environment."
The overall success of the Big Ten has been a major selling point Wilson uses when out on the recruiting trail. He regularly calls the Big Ten East one of the toughest and most talented divisions to play in in all of college football.
He wants players who want to be a part of that.
And while Indiana basketball isn't going away from the spotlight any time soon, Wilson has always said there's room for both programs on this campus even when seasons overlap. He tends to bring his football recruits to basketball games while Tom Crean does the same with his own recruits at football games, meaning each could benefit from the other's success.
Perhaps one day, Indiana football will be on par with Indiana basketball in the public's eye.
"We're not there yet, but our team continues to improve, and we look forward to the challenges this week and all the weeks to come," Wilson said. "It's a tough deal, but that's most jobs. We're having a lot of fun at a great place building our program."