The rumors over the weekend have officially come to fruition. Indiana will have a pair of coordinators pulling their defensive strings in 2011.
In a press release issued Monday afternoon, new Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson announced that Doug Mallory and Mike Ekeler will join the Hoosier staff as co-defensive coordinators. Mallory will also coach the safeties, while Ekeler will coach the linebackers.
“I am excited to have Doug, Mike and their families join the IU football family,” Wilson said. “They are both great additions to our program, university and the Bloomington community. Both men bring unparalleled character, energy, experience, enthusiasm and winning attitudes. This is a great start to the foundation we are building here. It is a great day to be a Hoosier!”
“We are excited to come back to Bloomington to be a part of the Indiana football program and get the opportunity to work with Coach Wilson,” Mallory said. “The program is in great shape and is not far from being in a position to compete for the Big Ten title. We are anxious to get started and to get the program back to where it is competing for Big Ten championships.”
“I could not be more excited to come to Indiana,” Ekeler said. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with Coach Wilson at Oklahoma, and I think the world of him as a coach and a person. Coach Mallory is a great friend and coach. We are ready to build something really special.”
Mallory, the son of Bill Mallory, the winningest head coach in IU history, spent the past two seasons as New Mexico’s coordinator, and was co-coordinator at LSU in 2008. Ekeler has coached the Nebraska linebackers since 2008 with prior stints at Oklahoma and LSU.