Kevin Wilson, Indiana Agree on New Contract: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction

The Indiana Hoosiers and head football coach Kevin Wilson agreed to a new six-year contract worth $15.3 million on Monday.

Indiana's official athletics website confirmed the fresh deal through a news release, indicating Wilson would earn $2.55 million in annual salary.   

Wilson has posted a 20-41 record in five seasons but got the Hoosiers to a bowl game this year. He has made the program more competitive since starting 1-11 during his maiden season in 2011.

Director of athletics Fred Glass spoke about the decision to keep Wilson for the long haul, per the news release:

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This contract reflects our commitment to Kevin, to continuity, and to Indiana University Football. Kevin has done a great job building our program into one that is competitive with the great teams of the Big Ten and the nation. We are confident that he will continue to lead us to sustained success on the field and in the classroom.

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Wilson also commented on the situation and applauded the united administrative front that has allowed him to continue building the program:

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Coupled with an already solid foundation, this ensures stability as we continue to build a winning program in the Big Ten East, one of the great divisions in college football. The administration has shown a total commitment to our program development, continuity, staffing, recruiting and facilities, and has invested heavily in the development of and experience for our students. We are excited for the opportunity and embrace the challenge ahead. My family and I love Indiana and we are all proud Hoosiers. Go IU!

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Tom Fornelli of CBSSports.com alluded to the difficulties Hoosier football has endured of late in Bloomington while assessing Wilson's extension:   

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All you need to know about the history of Indiana football is a coach who is 20-41 just got a 6-year extension and we’re all cool with it.

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) January 11, 2016"

The Big Ten is a difficult conference with established powers such as Ohio State, Michigan State and Michigan to contend with in the East Division alone. Thanks to an offense that ranked in the top 25 in scoring this year, though, Indiana put up a fight against some of the Big Ten's best.

Ohio State only managed to defeat the Hoosiers by a score of 34-27, which was Indiana's first loss of the season after a 4-0 start. Wilson's feisty bunch also lost by only eight points to Rose Bowl participant Iowa and by seven to the Wolverines.

Both Jordan Howard and Devine Redding ran for over 1,000 yards in 2015 for Indiana, while quarterback Nate Sudfeld threw for 3,573 yards and 27 touchdowns. In the Pinstripe Bowl, the Hoosiers scored plenty but couldn't get enough stops in a controversial 44-41 loss to Duke, dropping their record to 6-7.

The spread offense Wilson brought with him from Oklahoma has evidently started paying huge dividends. It proved effective this year even with the loss of star running back Tevin Coleman to the NFL.

If Wilson can recruit a bit more talent on the defensive side of the ball and continue helping the Hoosiers light up the scoreboard, a big step forward may be on the horizon.

So while the decision to extend Wilson's tenure may not seem logical based on his bottom-line results to date, there is considerable merit to keeping him in the fold.