Bobby Wilder had launched the most immediately successful program in modern college football history at Old Dominion in 2009, so when Tennessee Tech began to seek a replacement late last year for Dewayne Alexander, school leaders’ interest in Wilder was understandable.
But would that interest be reciprocated?
Wilder immersed himself in everything he could learn about the Golden Eagles, but he never bogged down on the program’s perpetual losing.
He kept coming back to the box scores.
Not stats; turnstiles.
“One thing that I found fascinating,” the energetic Wilder told FootballScoop, “the last three years, starting in 2021, they were 3-8, 4-7 and 4-7, but have led the league (Ohio Valley Conference) in home attendance. That shows community commitment and support for the program.
“I felt that was a strong indicator for what the potential was. Once I saw the budget and plan, those three factors really made this opportunity a home run.”
With an unprecedented 9-2 campaign in Old Dominion’s first-ever season as backdrop, Wilder was hired Dec. 3, 2023, to resuscitate Tennessee Tech football.
The Golden Eagles had one of the top defenses in all of Football Championship Subdivision play in 2023, but they have not won an outright conference title since 1972 – when Wilder was 8 years old.
But the vision to end that drought quickly permeated the coaching ranks upon Wilder’s hiring. He landed Brian Scott to run the Tech offense as they reunited from their time together at Old Dominion; he quickly snatched up Greg Jones from Gardner-Webb after Jones had been an integral component in that program’s remarkable success under Tre Lamb, who has been tabbed to run the ETSU program.
Not among the coaching hires but a figure who has emerged as perhaps just as vital: general manager Justin McMullen.
McMullen spent eight years at New Hampshire and helped that program amass 15 combined wins in 2022-23. Wilder, with Scott a key catalyst, tabbed McMullen in his top off-the-field role.
“The biggest thing for us, we had a good plan sitting down with our offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator and Coach Wilder of what we wanted to add to the roster,” McMullen told FootballScoop. “We shared a vision for what we wanted to add and the characteristics we needed to see, so that when we went into the (NCAA Transfer) Portal, we knew exactly what we were looking for. We were big on trying to find who fit us schematically, but also who fit us culturally.
“We were able to bring in a ton of players and flip the roster but also recognized there was great talent when we got here, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Some all-conference players. We were able to add 57 new players between the Portal and high school recruiting. We feel really good about what the Portal has allowed us to do. Like Coach Wilder said, it’s been a good source for us.”
Notably impatient for success, Wilder has urged turning around the Golden Eagles – who last shared a conference title in 2011 under Watson Brown – in short order.
His energy has become hallmark.
“Every day going to work is like the greatest day in the world, every day,” said McMullen. “The whole staff has energy and a mindset to win the day every day. Then it’s all about how can we do it and what do we do to continue getting better.
“We’re not really looking at what the past is but looking at what the future can be to hopefully help turn Tennessee Tech around.”
Wilder acknowledged similarities between what he launched at Old Dominion and what he encountered at Tech, which has lagged dramatically behind its peers in facilities and resources but has found deep commitment from athletics director Mark Wilson and school president Phil Oldham.
“The No. 1 thing was coming in and having a blueprint and a plan to present to the president and A.D. for the budget,” said Wilder, who won a whopping 38 games at the helm of Old Dominion in that program’s first four years of existence. “We now have, as far as the data I’ve gotten, we now have the highest-paid coaching staff in the league. Thanks to our leadership, we were able to recruit really good coaches.
“We have a strength coach (Chris Laskowski) just dedicated to football, we have a GM/DPP in Justin McMullen that handles all of our recruiting. The added positions, the salaries, being fully funded with scholarships and also we’re one of the few FCS programs in the country this year to have full cost of attendance, Alston (NCAA settlement) money and a collective.”
With a swiftness, the Golden Eagles will be tested this fall; they open at Derek Mason’s inaugural MTSU squad, visit Kirby Smart’s preseason top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs a week later and then host Eddie George’s Tennessee State outfit in their first home game.
“The very first thing that needs to happen right now, and we’ve been doing this for almost eight months, is instilling our aim high philosophy,” Wilder told FootballScoop. “That’s on the front of our helmet, logoed everywhere, on kids’ clothing. ‘Aim High.’ It’s about creating a mentality in everything we do as a team, everything we do individually; you do it the best you can do. I’m here for the long haul. I love it here, have a lot of family in the area and it’s where I want to be.
“No. 2, when people watch our football team, I want them to say that’s a fun team to watch. Well organized, detailed, exciting, play with passion. I feel really good about this team and this staff. And I feel like we can make some noise this year in FCS football.”
It is, well, a Wilder approach.