University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Golden Eagle Football Announces Defensive Line Coach
2/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Feb. 15, 2006
Hattiesburg, Miss. - Southern Miss Head Football Coach Jeff Bower has announced the employment of Bill Wilt as the Golden Eagles' defensive line coach.
"I am pleased with the addition of Bill to our coaching staff," Bower said. "He is an outstanding coach who came highly recommended by numerous people and brings a lot to our program. He brings impressive credentials and years of successful coaching experience here to Southern Miss. I was very impressed when I talked with him, and I'm looking forward to him being a member of the Golden Eagle family."
Bower also announced that position assignments among the defensive coaching staff have been changed. Defensive Coordinator Jay Hopson, who coached the secondary, will coach the middle linebackers, Lytrel Pollard will move from linebackers to coach the defensive secondary, and Fred Tate, who coached the defensive tackles, will now move to outside linebackers.
Wilt comes to Southern Miss after serving on the coaching staff at Marshall from 1999-2004, the first three years as the defensive line coach and the final three as the defensive coordinator, along with his duties as defensive line coach. He also coached the special teams as well in 2001. During his tenure, the Thundering Herd won four Mid-American Conference Championships and made five bowl appearances, winning four of them.
Marshall led the MAC in defense in 2003 and 2004 and was the No. 2 defense in 2002. He coached four all-conference players and his defensive end, Johnathan Goodard, earned All-American honors in 2004. Wilt was tabbed as the best defensive coordinator in the nation by College Football News in 2005.
In 2003, Marshall was first in total defense, pass defense and held opponents to a league-low first downs and third-down conversions. In his first year as defensive coordinator in 2002, the Marshall defense finished in the top 40 in total defense and top 10 in pass defense. He had three players, Jamus Martin, Toriano Brown and Washington earn all-MAC second-team honors.
In 1999, the Herd defense ranked No. 7 in the nation in total defense and No. 11 against the run. Defensive tackle Giradie Mercer was a first-team All-MAC selection and finished third in the defensive player of the year voting. As the special teams coach in 2001, he had two players, Maurice Hines and Curtis Jones finish in the top 20 nationally in punt and kickoff returns, respectively. Defensive lineman Orlando Washington and Ralph Street earned second team All-MAC honors.
Prior to his six-year tenure at Marshall, Wilt spent 16 years at Western Illinois, serving as defensive coordinator from 1987-98. He coached the defensive line from 1983-85, then coached the defensive line for five years (1986-90) before becoming the linebacker coach for the next six years (1991-97) and coached the defensive line his final season (1998).
Western Illinois won the Gateway Conference in 1998 and was ranked No. 1 in the nation that season. The Leathernecks made five appearances in the NCAA I-AA Playoffs during Wilt's time at WIU.
Wilt graduated from Eureka College with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1977 and earned his master's degree in physical education from Northeast Missouri State in 1980. He was a four-year starter at Eureka, playing two years at linebacker and two years as an offensive lineman. He is married to the former Sharon Allen of Quincy, Ill., and the couple has two children, Aaron (24) and Erica (18).
