Ken_Wilson_(American_football)
Ken Wilson (American football)
American football player and coach (born 1964)
Ken Wilson (born February 17, 1964) is an American college football coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Nevada from 2022 to 2023. Before becoming the head coach, he coached as an assistant at Nevada for 19 seasons, from 1989 to 1998 and 2004 to 2012.
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Linebackers coach |
| Team | TCU |
| Conference | Big 12 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | (1964-02-17) February 17, 1964 (age 60) Virginia, Illinois, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1982–1985 | North Central |
| Baseball | |
| 1983–1986 | North Central |
| Position(s) | Tight end, linebacker (football) First baseman (baseball) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1986 | North Central (GA) |
| 1987–1988 | New Mexico (GA) |
| 1989–1990 | Nevada (OLB/DE) |
| 1991–1995 | Nevada (ILB) |
| 1996–1998 | Nevada (DC/ILB) |
| 2004–2006 | Nevada (AHC/LB) |
| 2007 | Nevada (DC/S) |
| 2008–2009 | Nevada (AHC/LB) |
| 2010–2011 | Nevada (AHC/DE) |
| 2012 | Nevada (AHC/LB) |
| 2013–2019 | Washington State (LB) |
| 2020 | Oregon (LB) |
| 2021 | Oregon (co-DC/ILB) |
| 2022–2023 | Nevada |
| 2024–present | TCU (LB) |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1999–2003 | Nevada (associate AD) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 4–20 |
Assistant at Nevada
Wilson began coaching at Nevada in 1989. He spent a total of 19 seasons as an assistant coach there in two stints, from 1989 to 1998 and 2004 to 2012. In between he worked as an associate athletic director for Nevada. At Nevada he coached throughout the defense, while serving as defensive coordinator for four seasons. From 1996 to 1998 Wilson was the youngest NCAA Division I defensive coordinator.
Washington State
From 2013 to 2019, Wilson worked as the linebackers coach under Mike Leach at Washington State University.[1][2]
Oregon
In 2020, Wilson joined the staff at the University of Oregon as linebackers coach. In 2021, he signed a new contract and was given the title of co-defensive coordinator while coaching the inside linebackers.[3][4]
Head coach at Nevada
After spending nine seasons away from Nevada, Wilson was confirmed to be returning to the university on December 10, 2021, as head coach.[5][6] Nevada fired Wilson following the 2023 season. Over two years Wilson posted a 4–20 record.[7]
Wilson and his wife, Heather, have a son, Tyler, who played football at Nevada, and a daughter, Baylie.[8]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada Wolf Pack (Mountain West Conference) (2022–present) | |||||||||
| 2022 | Nevada | 2–10 | 0–8 | 6th (West) | |||||
| 2023 | Nevada | 2–10 | 2–6 | T–10th | |||||
| Nevada: | 4–20 | 2–14 | |||||||
| Total: | 4–20 | ||||||||
- "Washington State Football: Ken Wilson From Nevada Named LB's Coach". All Coug'd Up. February 13, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
- "Inside linebackers coach Ken Wilson becomes fourth Washington State assistant in four years to leave Cougars for Oregon | The Spokesman-Review". www.spokesman.com. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
- Crepea, James (March 22, 2021). "Details released for Oregon inside linebackers coach Ken Wilson's new contract". oregonlive. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
- "Oregon Ducks LB Coach Ken Wilson to be named Co-DC, not Montana State HC". RSN. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
- "Sources: Nevada set to hire Ducks co-DC Wilson". ESPN.com. December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
- "Nevada tabs Oregon co-DC Ken Wilson as football coach, sources confirm". ABC News. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
- Rittenberg, Adam (2023-12-01). "Nevada fires Wilson after pair of 2-win seasons". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
- Murray, Chris (December 10, 2021). "Nine things to know about Nevada's new football coach, Ken Wilson". Nevada Sports Net. Retrieved December 10, 2021.