Oklahoma brings back Kevin Wilson to Norman as offensive analyst

The Oklahoma Sooners are bringing back one of the most successful assistants in school history. The Sooners have already added some of the nation’s top offensive minds this offseason, bringing in former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. And on Sunday night, On3’s Georgia Stoia III reported that the Sooners are officially bringing back former Sooner offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson. He’ll be working with the staff as an offensive analyst, and he’ll also work with current OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.

Wilson piloted the Oklahoma offensive attack when their historic offense propelled them to an appearance in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game against Florida. OU lost to Florida and Tim Tebow in that one, 24-14.

It was one of the most explosive offenses in Oklahoma and college football history, with Sooner great Sam Bradford at the helm. The Sooner offense scored 716 points during the course of the 2008-2009 season, setting an NCAA record for the most points scored in a single season. The record was later broken by Florida State in 2013. The Sooners’ appearance in the national championship game with Wilson as the offensive coordinator is their most recent trip.

Wilson was the offensive coordinator for Sam Bradford, one of the greatest signal-callers in OU football history. Bradford became the fifth Oklahoma player to win the Heisman Trophy. His 53 touchdowns rushing and passing tied with Marcus Mariota for the most in Heisman history.

In 2008-2009, Bradford threw for 4,464 passing yards and 48 touchdowns, while tossing in just six interceptions. He led the nation in passing, guiding the Sooners to a 12-1 overall record (their only regular season loss was Texas), and they punched their tickets to the BCS National Championship Game.

Wilson will get the privilege of working with Arbuckle and former Washington State signal-caller John Mateer. The tandem was a dynamic pairing with the Cougars last season, producing one of the most explosive offensive attacks in all of college football. Mateer was a highly coveted prospect in the portal, and it should be interesting to see just how far he can take the Sooners in 2025.

Wilson recently spent time as the head coach for Tulsa from 2023-2024. After posting a 7-16 record in two seasons with the Golden Hurricane, he was relieved of his duties. He also served as the offensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2017-2022. Before that, Wilson was the head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers from 2011-2016.

He spent from 2002-2010 with the Oklahoma Sooners where he served as the co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach from 2002-2005. Then from 2006-2010, he was the offensive coordinator in Norman, while also working with the tight ends and fullbacks during that time frame.

During the span of his football coaching career, Wilson has had a number of other stops, including the Northwestern Wildcats, Miami Redhawks (Ohio), a brief stint in high school (1989), North Carolina A&T, Winston-Salem State (offensive line coach), and the North Carolina Tar Heels (graduate assistant).