BOULDER — Chris Wilson has coached defensive linemen for 23 of the past 24 seasons. In the other, he was a defensive assistant for the Arizona Cardinals, fresh off a three-year stint as the defensive line coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, when he earned a Super Bowl ring. It’s safe to say the bulk of his “defensive assistant” duties came with the big boys up front.
But in 2022, Wilson will not be coaching linemen.
“I’m excited about having the opportunity to work with our outside linebackers,” Wilson told reporters last week.
Wilson joined Colorado’s staff as the defensive line coach ahead of the 2020 season and was promoted to defensive coordinator before the 2021 season. He thinks that the change from defensive line coach to outside linebackers coach will help him improve as a coordinator.
“As a coordinator, (the change) allows me the flexibility to work with everybody on defense,” Wilson said. “Not only am I with the front seven, I’m also with the back the back seven, which is really key when you’re trying to tie things together on a week-to-week basis, just the nuances of it. And I think as a coordinator, you have to be able to touch everybody in your defense.”
But Wilson isn’ totally abandoning the linemen. New line coach Vic So’oto will lead the group, but Wilson intends to remain fairly involved.
“One of the big criteria for (the job) was working with someone who, we saw things similar,” Wilson said. “Not only that, a guy who was hungry to learn.”
So’oto, a 34-year-old who first met Wilson a handful of years ago, fit that billing to a T.
“That’s what’s neat about a guy like (new cornerbacks coach) Rod Chance or Vic, they’re guys who come in, they have great ideas and thoughts, but they also want to come in here and learn how we do things. So, it’s a collaboration.”
The other reason Wilson wanted to make a change was to generate more attention for the linemen. It may sound counterintuitive to say that taking away a coach with decades of experience from the linemen will actually benefit them, but Wilson seems confident.
“I really believe that your fronts are the key on both sides of the ball,” Wilson said. “So having a guy was was that his full focus was going to be key for us.”
Defensive coordinators have to focus on much more than just their position group. By giving the linemen full-time instruction—and potentially adding a little more from Wilson here and there—Wilson believes that he’s found a way to improve the most important part of his squad.
And he’s sure that So’oto is the right leader for the job.
“I couldn’t have hired a better guy and I’m excited about what he brings to the table.”
