Former Duke FB Coach Red Wilson

[Tommac]

Here's a nice article in the Burlington Times-News about the return of former Elon and Duke football coach Red Wilson who has moved back to the Burlington area.
http://www.thetimesnews.com/article/20150623/SPORTS/150629717/15291/SPORTS

[TKG]

Red means Go!

[devildeac]

Red means Go!

Which, after a few years, changed into Red must Go:o

[Tommac]

Which, after a few years, changed into Red must Go:o

I don't remember Red Wilson being "run off" as the football coach. He put up two consecutive winning seasons during his last two years, which didn't happen again until Steve Spurrier and more recently the last two years under Cutcliff. So I don't remember a "Red Must Go" sentiment at that time. I recall that most fans were surprised when Red was moved to an administrative job in the university. He wasn't that old. It was probably that the higher ups wanted someone with a division one pedigree, rather than some small time coach from a little known NAIA school.

[killerleft]

I don't remember Red Wilson being "run off" as the football coach. He put up two consecutive winning seasons during his last two years, which didn't happen again until Steve Spurrier and more recently the last two years under Cutcliff. So I don't remember a "Red Must Go" sentiment at that time. I recall that most fans were surprised when Red was moved to an administrative job in the university. He wasn't that old. It was probably that the higher ups wanted someone with a division one pedigree, rather than some small time coach from a little known NAIA school.

Red, if the info I had at the time was accurate, was seen as an embarrassment by some of the higher-ups at Duke. Despite the fact that he had been highly successful at every level he competed, and seemed on the way to doing the same at Duke, it was his TV 'image' that did him in. He was just as successful at Duke after his stint as head coach as he had been before. Along with the lacrosse debacle, Red Wilson's demotion has been a low point in my Duke fandom. He was an earlier version of Coach Cut in a lot of ways, but his evident charm for some reason was too unsophisticated for an image-conscious leadership at Duke.

He is widely regarded as one of North Carolina's best-ever football coaches.

[dpslaw]

Red also hired a guy named Spurrier as offensive coordinator when no one else would give him a job.

[Reilly]

... his evident charm for some reason was too unsophisticated for an image-conscious leadership at Duke ...

Is that why he was let go, at least in part? I've seen that alluded to other places, but I was not a Duke student/fan/follower of the program at that time, so have no first-hand recollection. The president would have been Sanford (who was sharp w/ many talents, but gave off a homespun vibe), and the AD Butters, who comes across as sort of gruff (not as polished as, say, Kevin White), so it seems odd that that leadership would be the ones wanting such polish/sophistication. I guess it was Butters's decision? Maybe fresh off getting young, energetic K, he thought he could replicate it with Sloan and take the football program even higher than 6-5?

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Is that why he was let go, at least in part? I've seen that alluded to other places, but I was not a Duke student/fan/follower of the program at that time, so have no first-hand recollection. The president would have been Sanford (who was sharp w/ many talents, but gave off a homespun vibe), and the AD Butters, who comes across as sort of gruff (not as polished as, say, Kevin White), so it seems odd that that leadership would be the ones wanting such polish/sophistication. I guess it was Butters's decision? Maybe fresh off getting young, energetic K, he thought he could replicate it with Sloan and take the football program even higher than 6-5?

Never leave out the Board of Trustees.

[sagegrouse]

Never leave out the Board of Trustees.

I remember Tom Butters' mentioning some hidden factors in Wilson's dismissal, which I thought at the time referred to recruiting, but there may have been inside politics at work. Fact is, despite a pair of 6-5 seasons, Red's record (16-27-1, or 0.375) was no better than Mike McGee's (37-47-4, or 0.443).

[arnie]

Is that why he was let go, at least in part? I've seen that alluded to other places, but I was not a Duke student/fan/follower of the program at that time, so have no first-hand recollection. The president would have been Sanford (who was sharp w/ many talents, but gave off a homespun vibe), and the AD Butters, who comes across as sort of gruff (not as polished as, say, Kevin White), so it seems odd that that leadership would be the ones wanting such polish/sophistication. I guess it was Butters's decision? Maybe fresh off getting young, energetic K, he thought he could replicate it with Sloan and take the football program even higher than 6-5?

Steve Spurrier (as offensive coordinator) was likely the primary reason the Wilson teams were 'successful". I always thought (maybe incorrectly) that once Spurrier left, the AD/Administration figured Wilson couldn't produce similar results. Also recall a Steve Sloan intro in Charlotte where Sloan said he wanted to run a more conservative offense without Ben Bennett throwing so many down field passes. That didn't exactly go over very well, but at least Sloan had a really good recruiting year before he left.

[BigWayne]

Steve Spurrier (as offensive coordinator) was likely the primary reason the Wilson teams were 'successful". I always thought (maybe incorrectly) that once Spurrier left, the AD/Administration figured Wilson couldn't produce similar results. Also recall a Steve Sloan intro in Charlotte where Sloan said he wanted to run a more conservative offense without Ben Bennett throwing so many down field passes. That didn't exactly go over very well, but at least Sloan had a really good recruiting year before he left.

I believe Spurrier leaving was the main reason Red was let go.

There were also the verbal gaffes and the fact that he was more a man of the people than a man of academia.

In those pre-cable days, we would watch the Red Wilson show every Sunday in the commons room and you never knew what was going to come out of his mouth and leave you shaking your head. During one year, the attitude of the team was declared to have turned around 720 degrees, 360 degrees in about the third week of the season, and then another 360 near the end. Then there was the Ron Sally comment.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

I believe Spurrier leaving was the main reason Red was let go.

There were also the verbal gaffes and the fact that he was more a man of the people than a man of academia.

In those pre-cable days, we would watch the Red Wilson show every Sunday in the commons room and you never knew what was going to come out of his mouth and leave you shaking your head. During one year, the attitude of the team was declared to have turned around 720 degrees, 360 degrees in about the third week of the season, and then another 360 near the end. Then there was the Ron Sally comment.
Please refresh my memory about the Ron Sally comment.

[BlueTeuf]

My freshman year, Coach Wilson made the rounds to drum up interest in the football season and addressed the students at my dorm (Gilbert Addoms). At the end of his pep talk he allowed for a few questions, whereupon someone asked how we would deal with UNC's star, Amos Lawrence.

Coach Wilson: "Well Amos is the kind of back who can do anything with the ball but autograph it..."

I don't remember the rest of his answer, but this prelude was an unforgettable gem.

[BigWayne]

Please refresh my memory about the Ron Sally comment.

Ben Bennett was hurt or had a bad week or something and the host asked if Ron Sally would be advanced to the starting role. Red responded, that no, Ron would remain the blackup quarterback. This was obviously way before twitter, etc.

[DevilWearsPrada]

Here's a nice article in the Burlington Times-News about the return of former Elon and Duke football coach Red Wilson who has moved back to the Burlington area.
http://www.thetimesnews.com/article/20150623/SPORTS/150629717/15291/SPORTS


A very nice news article about Coach Wilson! Dr Earl Danieley hired Coach Wilson at Elon! Hopefully, Coach Wilson will be able to attend Elon Football games, since he has retired to Twin Lakes Community. It's only 5 minutes from Rhodes Stadium at Elon University.

[NYCtoATL]

My freshman year, Coach Wilson made the rounds to drum up interest in the football season and addressed the students at my dorm (Gilbert Addoms). At the end of his pep talk he allowed for a few questions, whereupon someone asked how we would deal with UNC's star, Amos Lawrence.

Coach Wilson: "Well Amos is the kind of back who can do anything with the ball but autograph it..."

I don't remember the rest of his answer, but this prelude was an unforgettable gem.

:) I think Lawrence went on to play with Joe Cool and win a Super Bowl with the 49ers.

I found this old mention of Wilson leaving Duke on All the News That's Fit to Print. http://www.nytimes.com/1982/11/23/sports/sports-people-duke-dropping-wilson.html

[wsb3]

I believe Spurrier leaving was the main reason Red was let go.


Been a long time but I do recall thinking that was the reason. That Spurrier was the reason for the success & with him gone it was time for Red to go. Hiring Sloan was puzzling to me. His record the prior 5 years at Ole Miss.

5-6
4-7
3-8
4-6-1
4-7
Then he went 13-31 at Duke and his Head Coaching days were over.

[DU82]

Been a long time but I do recall thinking that was the reason. That Spurrier was the reason for the success & with him gone it was time for Red to go. Hiring Sloan was puzzling to me. His record the prior 5 years at Ole Miss.

5-6
4-7
3-8
4-6-1
4-7
Then he went 13-31 at Duke and his Head Coaching days were over.

I remember that Red was fired the day after beating Carolina for the first time in forever (1982) and the plan was to promote Spurrier. He turned it down, out of loyalty to the man who hired him, ( he got his head coaching gig in the USFL) and Sloan was plan B, C or worse. Nice guy, but not a great hire.