The coach will always be known for LEO - Love Each Other - a message that was needed in 2017.
After the 2010 season, Indiana athletic director Fred Glass made a seven-year commitment to head football coach Kevin Wilson.From a one-win initial season in 2011, Wilson improved the Hoosiers’ win total in each of his first three seasons. Getting Indiana to bowl eligibility was the big challenge, something Wilson finally achieved after the 2015 season when the Hoosiers qualified for the Pinstripe Bowl.
What Wilson didn’t know at the time is that it would be some of those very players who would bring his regime crashing to a halt.As the 2016 season played out, the sole focus of most fans was on making sure the Hoosiers took a step forward from their 6-7 campaign in 2015. Glass cited “philosophical differences” on the day of the announcement as the reason for the change, but something was up. Wilson’s replacement was lined up immediately, and the separation only required Indiana to pay Wilson $542,000 remaining on his $15.3 million contract.
“It’s hard to believe. This day has been an absolute whirlwind,” said Allen, who was informed the night before Wilson resigned that he would ascend to the top job. “It’s all centered around the fact that it’s not all about me. It’s centered around the fact that I’m going to do things that allow the guys around me to have success,” Allen explained during Indiana’s football media day in 2017.
The COVID-19 pandemic intervened in 2020, but Indiana was undeterred. The Hoosiers finished 6-2, their best winning percentage since 1967, and were 6-1 in Big Ten play. Included was a dramatic 36-35 overtime win over Penn State in the season opener, famous for quarterback Michael Penix Jr.'s stretch to reach the pylon on the game-winning touchdown. Indiana’s only regular season loss was a narrow 42-35 defeat at Ohio State.
With several key cogs back, Indiana entered the 2021 season ranked 17th in the preseason poll, but the success of 2019-20 couldn’t be sustained.
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