Silver and Blue dreams do come true

The Nevada Wolf Pack has its football coach. 

His name is Ken Wilson and he spent 23 years with the Wolf Pack. 19 on the sidelines as a coach on Chris Ault’s staff and four at Legacy Hall working in administration serving as Assistant Athletics Director, Sports Services, under then-athletic director Chris Ault. He oversaw football, men's basketball, baseball, track and field, and tennis while coordinating grant-in-aid for all student-athletes in Nevada's 19-sport athletic program. 

Wilson returned to the Mackay Stadium sidelines in 2004 when Ault returned to the football program's helm.

“Everyone in their life has a dream. Mine came true today,” said Coach Wilson during his introductory press conference on Friday afternoon at Mackay Stadium. 

Coach Wilson is a Nevada man. During a 32-minute press conference, it felt like a reunion with family at a university that holds a long-rooted place in their hearts. 

Nevada Director of Athletics Doug Knuth said, “when we started this search four days ago, I knew right away that there were at least two things that we look for a new head coach. 

First, someone that would bring mental toughness and physical toughness and build a program that takes pride in that. 

Second, is a coach that understood northern Nevada and would invest in this university and invest in this community to help grow this football program."

Knuth continued. “I had to find someone who eats, breathes, and sleeps that tough mentality to lead a tough team. I had no doubt that when you look at Ken’s (Wilson) history and who he has coached, who they are and the success they have had on the field. Everyone that he has influenced has a spirit about them, this toughness, mental toughness, physical toughness. He will lead the kind of program we want to have.” 

“Frankly, a coach who wanted to be here. I wanted a coach that wants to help build this program,” Knuth continued. “I think we got the right guy, a guy who wants to be here.”

The accolades earned over the course of Wilson’s career are obvious, and his accomplishments are undeniable. He has coached 17 NFL players, won 12 conference championships, been to 18 bowl games, and coached 35 All-Conference selections. 

One aspect that became clear, Ken Wilson is here to lead the Wolf Pack football program into a bright future while honoring a storied past. He coached 26 Nevada football players to All-Conference selections including Dontay Moch (DE, 2009) WAC Defensive Player of the Year and LB DeShone Myles (1996) to Big West Defensive Player of the Year. 

Coach Wilson opened his remarks from the podium with, “take a moment, take a deep breath and look out at all of the faces of Wolf Pack history and future, and how happy I am to be standing here in front of my friends, players, and family. ”

“As soon as Doug (Knuth) called me, it didn’t take long for me to know that this is where I wanted to be.”

“This is not a one-man, one-person, one-staff effort. This is a community effort,” Coach Wilson continued from the podium. 

“We are going to continue to build and improve a culture of winning. That’s what this program is, and it expects,” Coach Wilson said. "In our program there are no little things, everything is a big thing. How you do anything is how you do everything.”

The outpouring of support from the Wolf Pack community was impressive. Including a message from Nevada 2009 Hall of Fame Inductee linebacker DeShone Myles. “Ken Wilson is one of the best coaches I’ve ever met. He’s an even better person. That’s part of the reason I asked him to do my Nevada Hall of Fame Induction. He has so much integrity and he is more than just a coach. He is a great man.” 

“You should want to be great at anything you do. Toughness, competition and physicality,” Coach Wilson said. 

Coach Wilson described the foundation upon which he will build his program. “We’re going to have a blueprint of players who compete. I guarantee you we will play hard. We will have a relentless effort in whatever we do."

The Wilson family's ties to Nevada run deep. Ken and his wife, Heather, have a son, Tyler, who was a long snapper for the Wolf Pack from 2012-14, a daughter-in-law, Makenzie, and a daughter, Baylie. “We all bleed a little blue. My family and I bleed true blue. This is my dream university. I’m so happy to be home.”