OU Defensive Ends Coach Leaving for Mississippi State

Originally Published: Jan 16, 2010 4:29 PM CDT

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

MISSISSIPPI STATE, Mississippi – The Mississippi State Bulldogs announced Saturday that they have hired Oklahoma defensive ends coach Chris Wilson as a co-defensive coordinator.

MSU also announced Saturday that Wilson will share defensive coordinator responsibilities with Manny Diaz, who joins the Bulldogs from Middle Tennessee State. Wilson will continue to coach defensive ends in addition to his coordinator duties, while Diaz will coach linebackers.

“Manny has proven to be a bright defensive mind and will bring an aggressive and exciting style of coaching to our defense,” Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen said in a statement. “Chris has taught some of the best defensive lines in the Big 12 at Colorado and Oklahoma, and brings a knowledge of the OU defensive system that is one of the best in the nation. We're excited to welcome both of them to our team and they'll both hit the ground running as we sprint to the finish of the recruiting season.”

Wilson led the OU defensive ends since 2005 after being a defensive line coach at Colorado. He has coached since 1994, with stints at Indiana State, Northern Illinois, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Illinois State and Army.

“This is a good opportunity for Chris and we appreciate everything he did for our program,” OU head coach Bob Stoops said in a statement. “I do not have a time table for hiring a new coach. There are a number of different avenues I can take and I will take all of them into consideration.”