Indiana's first bowl appearance since 2007 means a shiny new contract for head coach Kevin Wilson.
After a season in which the Hoosiers won six games and reached the postseason for just the second time since 1993, the university rewarded Wilson with a new six-year contract that, according to details from the Indianapolis Star, nearly doubles his salary from $1.31 million to $2.55 million annually.
Wilson had two years remaining on his contract, the seven-year deal he got when he was hired by Indiana ahead of the 2011 season. His new six-year contract makes him one of the two longest-contracted coaches in the Big Ten, the other being Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.
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"This contract reflects our commitment to Kevin, to continuity and to Indiana University football," Indiana athletics director Fred Glass said in the announcement. "Kevin has done a great job building our program into one that is competitive with the great teams of the Big Ten and the nation. We are confident that he will continue to lead us to sustained success on the field and in the classroom."
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"Coupled with an already solid foundation, this ensures stability as we continue to build a winning program in the Big Ten East, one of the great divisions in college football," Wilson said in the announcement. "The administration has shown a total commitment to our program development, continuity, staffing, recruiting and facilities and has invested heavily in the development of and experience for our students. We are excited for the opportunity and embrace the challenge ahead. My family and I love Indiana, and we are all proud Hoosiers."
Indiana's six-win campaign in 2015 might not seem like much when compared to college football powers that win double-digit games on an annual basis, but it was one of just 22 seasons of at least six wins in program history. The Hoosiers have been playing football since 1899.
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The Hoosiers started the season 4-0 before losing six straight, though they continued to display a high level of competitiveness with some of the Big Ten's elite programs, having a chance to win in the final seconds against both Ohio State and Michigan this season. Two wins to close the regular season against Maryland and Purdue secured a bowl berth.
Indiana lost a mighty exciting Pinstripe Bowl to Duke on a missed field goal in overtime. Still, it was the first postseason trip for the Hoosiers since 2007's loss in the Insight Bowl and just the second since 1993's loss in the Independence Bowl.
In his fifth season in Bloomington, Wilson has a 20-41 overall and an 8-32 mark in Big Ten play.