Ex-Colorado Buffaloes Defensive Coordinator Lands New Job In SEC

Wilson was an All-Big Eight linebacker with the Oklahoma Sooners and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the 12th round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He didn't make the Bears' final roster, however, and opted to begin his coaching career at Indiana State. Other notable stops along his coaching journey have come at Oklahoma, Mississippi State, Georgia and USC. In 2017, Wilson won a Super Bowl ring as the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive line coach.

Under Wilson's leadership, Colorado had an up-and-down season defensively in 2021. The Buffs held Texas A&M to 10 points and later shut out Arizona, but surrendered over 34 points in losses to Arizona State, USC, Oregon and UCLA. Linebackers Nate Landman and Carson Wells both landed in the NFL after that season as undrafted free-agent signees.

“That we’re physical — the most physical defense in the Pac-12,” Wilson said of his goals for Colorado's defense in 2021, per BuffZone. “Two, is that we’re very, very intelligent. We understand conceptually what should occur, every snap. If we can do that, it allows us to play really fast and makes us a really aggressive team. When you have the ability, turnovers start happening and positive things occur for you.”

Wilson will now coach alongside defensive line coach Deke Adams at Arkansas. Led by coach Sam Pittman, the Razorbacks went 7-6 (3-5 SEC) last season with notable wins over Auburn, Tennessee and Texas Tech.

Wilson is the second recent Colorado defensive coordinator to land in the SEC. After one season as coach Deion Sanders' defensive coordinator in 2023, Charles Kelly returned to his alma mater Auburn to become the Tigers' safeties coach/co-defensive coordinator. Kelly is now head coach of the Jacksonville State Tigers.

"Coach Prime" replaced Kelly with Robert Livingston , who recently signed a two-year contract extension worth an average of $1.55 million in base and supplemental salary, making him the highest-paid assistant coach in program history. Fueled by cornerback Travis Hunter, safety Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig, linebacker Nikhail Hill-Green and defensive end BJ Green II, Livingston's 2024 defense led the Big 12 in sacks (39) and was sixth in points allowed at 23.1 points per game.