OU football: Kevin Wilson should coach the bowl game

As I write this, we are about 100 minutes before the Indiana press conference announcing Kevin Wilson as the Hoosiers’ new football coach. I have not learned yet for sure whether Wilson will coordinate the Sooner offense through the Fiesta Bowl, though early speculation is that he would not.

So let me address the issue either way. Wilson should coach OU’s offense against Connecticut, just as every coach, assistant or head, who leaves his school for another job should coach through a bowl game.

Not because the previous school needs him or can’t get along without him. But because it’s the right thing to do.

NAME / NAMING / ANNOUNCE / ANNOUNCED / ANNOUNCEMENT: Fred Glass (left), athletic director of IU, watches during a question and answer period with Kevin Wilson, outgoing offensive coordinator of Oklahoma, the new college football head coach of Indiana University, press conference at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, Tuesday, December 07, 2010. Robert Scheer/The Star ORG XMIT: 180250

The culture of coaches bailing out on their teams before the season is complete runs counter to everything football coaches stress. Teamwork. Dedication. Finish.

And yet, coaches get another job in December and hit the road. Some are serial team-jumpers. Brian Kelly, for instance. Kelly coached Central Michigan to the 2006 Motor City Bowl, then left his team before that game so he could start his new gig as head coach at Cincinnati. Kelly coached the Bearcats to great heights, including a Sugar Bowl game last season against Florida, in which Cincy entered undefeated. It was the biggest game in Cincinnati history. Yet Kelly wasn’t there. He was already at work for Notre Dame.