New DC Chad Wilt Brings a New Tenacity and Terminology to the Defensive

Written by: @zachegreene

Spring ball is in the full swing of things in Bloomington and the program welcomes a new defensive coordinator in Chad Wilt, who comes from the University of Minnesota where he coached the linebackers. Wilt is bringing an eagerness to the program and the defensive side of the ball.

“It's our players, our defense. I have really believed that for a long, long time and if we all have that mindset, that we are working to make this defense and this team the best it can be, we are going to be able to do something pretty special.” Wilt said at a post practice press conference on Thursday. “And, again, those players are feeding back into those relationships the same way. With us as coaches, giving ourselves to those players, and as Coach Allen says all the time, capture the hearts and the minds of your players. As you said, us as coaches have to be able to do that together ourselves.”

Coming off a historically bad season, the IU Football program needs to recover and be less selfish. Hearing Wilt mention words like “our players, our defense our team,” makes one believe that the coaching staff is focusing on more of the team element.

The talent will be there, there is no question about that.

This year the program welcomes in one of the best-recruiting classes ever lead by Dasan McCullough who decided to stay in the program after the departure of his dad Deland McCullough to Notre Dame. Along with one of the best-recruiting classes ever the Hoosiers welcomed in Bradley Jennings Jr. a redshirt senior from the University of Miami.

“They haven't attempted to prove anything; they have just said 'let's just go to work. Be hungry and go to work.'“ Wilt said of the two new transfers at linebacker. “You look at Bradley Jennings Jr., you look at Jared Casey, and they have both come in with the right mindset and right approach to it. That has allowed them - when you are hungry - you can go to work and work on improving. Don't think you know it all and both those guys come in with that perspective. Then, the other thing those guys do, they bring in experience.“

Along with the arrival of Jennings Jr. the program welcomed Jared Casey a Redshirt Sophomore who comes from playing the past few seasons at Kentucky. He had this to say about Wilt. 

“I like Coach Wilt. He brings a lot of new terminologies that I have never learned, and I like being coached by different coaches because they all come from different [backgrounds]. They have been coached by different coaches that were coached by different coaches. I have learned a lot of new terminologies and learned a lot from him so far. I like Coach Wilt a lot.” New linebacker Jared Casey said.

Wilt brings experience and a new teaching style to the defense which he hopes will produce on the field this season after crumbling on the backend of 2021.

The program is building some confidence and swagger during camp that will guide them to the start of the season. Many will count the program out this year. A fresh start, new players, a defensive coordinator, and an offensive coordinator could just be what the program needs to flip the switch this season.