RIP Red Wilson

[hallcity]

Former head football coach Red Wilson has died at age 95.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Former head football coach Red Wilson has died at age 95.

Rest In Peace Red. Red means go!

[Atldukie79]

Red Wilson was a good guy. Short tenure, unknown to most Dukies today. His 4 seasons showed progress, his last 2 were 6-5 seasons.
I recall that he was successful at Elon (for Jason Evans: Emphasis on the first syllable) prior to coming to Duke. RIP

[Acymetric]

Red Wilson was a good guy. Short tenure, unknown to most Dukies today. His 4 seasons showed progress, his last 2 were 6-5 seasons.
I recall that he was successful at Elon (for Jason Evans: Emphasis on the first syllable) prior to coming to Duke. RIP

In fact, he is the winningest football coach in Elon football history.

[killerleft]

Two 6-5 years at Duke in the early 80s and he was fired. Here's a story about a gathering honoring Red when he was 89, in 2015. As mentioned, he is the winningest Head Coach ever at Elon College, at a time when the team was still nicknamed the Fighting Christians. He was much valued at Elon, which is where the tribute took place:

https://www.thetimesnews.com/article...ORTS/150629717

[chrishoke]

One of the nicest people I have ever met and a heck of a football coach. His claim to fame at Duke - he was the man who hired Steve Spurrier as his offensive coordinator. His teams were well coached and fun to watch. But as I said, he was an even better man. RIP Red. And quit calling him Shirley.

[Bob Green]

Former head football coach Red Wilson has died at age 95.

I did not realize Red Wilson coached Fayetteville High School (name changed to Terry Sanford HS in 1968) for two seasons. Another example of you learn something everyday.

[budwom]

He will be the last football coach to be fired at Duke after a winning season, of that I'm about 235% confident...

[jv001]

Red Wilson like some have already mentioned, was a fine man. He was from Madison, NC, my neck of the woods. Prayers for the Wilson family.

RIP Red.

[75Crazie]

Red Wilson's firing was the very beginning of my long descent into total disgust with the state of college revenue sports. The firing pre-dated, I believe, the onset of the "image is everything" ad campaign, but it was a harbinger of that attitude. Red was obviously uncomfortable in front of the TV camera, and his weekly football shows could at times be rather painful to watch. But he was, at heart, a very good football coach who was satisfied with his job at Duke and did the university proud in the performance and integrity of his football program. He did not inherit a program that was as woeful as the one Cutcliffe encountered, but he did leave the program in much better shape than when he arrived and there are precious few Duke football coaches in the past 50+ years who can claim that. He was done a terrible disservice by the Duke administration, not only in the fact of his firing but especially in the timing of it, and I do believe that the primary reason he was fired is because he came across as a yokel and embarrassed those in the athletic department who were all into glitz.

Red, rest in peace and know that there are many Duke alums who were proud to have you as a coach of Duke football.

[TheDevilMadeMeDoIt]

Red Wilson's firing was the very beginning of my long descent into total disgust with the state of college revenue sports. The firing pre-dated, I believe, the onset of the "image is everything" ad campaign, but it was a harbinger of that attitude. Red was obviously uncomfortable in front of the TV camera, and his weekly football shows could at times be rather painful to watch. But he was, at heart, a very good football coach who was satisfied with his job at Duke and did the university proud in the performance and integrity of his football program. He did not inherit a program that was as woeful as the one Cutcliffe encountered, but he did leave the program in much better shape than when he arrived and there are precious few Duke football coaches in the past 50+ years who can claim that. He was done a terrible disservice by the Duke administration, not only in the fact of his firing but especially in the timing of it, and I do believe that the primary reason he was fired is because he came across as a yokel and embarrassed those in the athletic department who were all into glitz.

Red, rest in peace and know that there are many Duke alums who were proud to have you as a coach of Duke football.

Amen! And he was succeeded by one of our many really terrible coaches, Steve Sloan, who couldn’t even design an offense to showcase one of our best quarterbacks ever, Ben Bennett. Red as others have said was under appreciated because he was a good ole boy North Carolinian when the school aspired to be the Harvard of the South. Now we know Harvard aspires to be the Duke of the North!

[dm9e24]

We had 4 winning season between Red and Cut. Image obviously trumped winning.

[TywinBlue]

As a 1980 Duke graduate, Red Wilson was my football coach.

I got to know him well and he wrote a letter of recommendation for me for a job out of college.

A good man with a great smile.

Rest in Peace my friend.

[BlueTeuf]

Freshman year in Gilbert Addoms we gathered in the commons room for a study break*. Coach Wilson was our guest speaker.

In his remarks he described UNC's highly regarded running back, "Famous" Amos Lawrence, as "the kind of back who could do anything with the football - except autograph it!"

Again today I smile in memory of Coach's wry wit. And apologies to Mr. Lawrence, but that's the only thing I remember of Famous Amos.

BlueTeuf


*I may have taken a break - but probably not from studying

[jv001]

Freshman year in Gilbert Addoms we gathered in the commons room for a study break*. Coach Wilson was our guest speaker.

In his remarks he described UNC's highly regarded running back, "Famous" Amos Lawrence, as "the kind of back who could do anything with the football - except autograph it!"

Again today I smile in memory of Coach's wry wit. And apologies to Mr. Lawrence, but that's the only thing I remember of Famous Amos.

BlueTeuf


*I may have taken a break - but probably not from studying

I knew Red was a very intelligent man. I guess the same goes for most all the cheat athletes.

[75Crazie]

I am disappointed that there has been no homage to Red on the Front Page since his passing. I believe he merits one.

[budwom]

I am disappointed that there has been no homage to Red on the Front Page since his passing. I believe he merits one.

Recognizing Spurrier's talent alone merits the highest of praise for the man...Steve's phone wasn't exactly ringing off the hook when Red hired him...