Frank Wilson has been a head coach before. At 27, he was named the coach of New Orleans' rugged O. Perry Walker High School's football program and transformed it into one of Louisiana's great success stories. He instituted mandatory study halls and pre-school breakfasts. Players had to wear dress shirts and ties every day. They had to sit in the front row of the classroom. Wilson arranged for an academic counselor, who was paid through a grant funded by the NFL's Play It Smart program. In one year, the team's GPA jumped from 1.5 to 2.5. The team also gave powerhouse John Curtis Christian School its first district loss in 25 years. By his third season, Wilson had the school playing in the state title game.
While attending his daughter's basketball game last month, he was a celebrity to many of the folks in the community who knew not only that he coached at Ole Miss, but also how he invigorated O. Perry Walker.
The trip back to New Orleans proved quite a success. His daughter Sa'bree was the star of her basketball team's win. Two days later, Wilson's USM team defeated Troy in overtime. The next day Wilson told Mullen he was accepting his offer at MSU. With Mullen prepping the Florida Gators for Oklahoma in the BCS title game, Wilson sought to help bring some much-needed playmakers to the MSU program.
However, Wilson's stay in Starkville was short. Seventeen days after joining the staff, Wilson was on the move again. His former boss at Ole Miss, Ed Orgeron, sold new Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin on his theory that Wilson would be a great addition to its staff. Again, Wilson had a big decision.
Could he possibly relocate again, marking his fourth school in 14 months?
"I'd have to be insane not to take the opportunity to come to Tennessee and be a part of such a great staff and be in the company of the best minds in coaching and be around [new UT defensive coordinator] Monte Kiffin, who has been a mentor to so many guys."
Wilson says he isn't worried about how some negative recruiters might spin his past year aboard the coaching carousel, bouncing from job to job.
"If I'm faced with some question about my allegiance I will tell the recruits that I would hope you're deciding which school can prepare you to be the best you can be, and it's the same for me, as I'm trying to become the best coach I can be."
And for now, Wilson, like Nix and Joseph, knows that is all he can concern himself with.
