Jenni Carlson: Bill Young, Joe WIckline a sign of how far OSU football has come

BY JENNI CARLSON Published: August 29, 2011

Bill Young and Joe Wickline are an unlikely duo.

Young is the grandfatherly type, always quick with a joke for his players and a smile for anyone passing his way.

Wickline is the drill-sergeant sort with a crew cut and an I-just-spent-an-entire-practice-yelling-at-my-guys voice.

But these two Oklahoma State assistants are more alike than they seem. They have become successful coaches. They have been sought-after men. Yet, they have shown they are committed to the Cowboys.

They are a sign of just how far the program has come. There was a time when assistants like Young and Wickline didn't stay put in Stillwater.


“It is a good deal, and we realize it,” said Young, the Cowboys' defensive coordinator. “We understand how fortunate we are to be here.”

We've long heard that kind of talk from OSU assistants. What else are they supposed to say about the school that's writing their paychecks? But Young and Wickline aren't just talking about how great their gigs are. They are showing it.

Wickline is considered among the best offensive line coaches in college football. He's developed the likes of Charlie Johnson, Russell Okung, not to mention the Cowboys' current crop of standouts. Several programs have made overtures and attempted to hire him away from OSU, including Texas a season ago.

He said no before the process even started.

“You think about the greener grass. You think about the bigger place,” said Wickline, whose other stops include his alma mater, Florida, Tennessee and Mississippi. “Stillwater and Oklahoma State, I guess everybody has their own opinions, but to me, it's good stuff. It's good for me and my family.

“I feel good about coming to work, so why am I going to mess with it?”

Young feels the same way.

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