Boasting 23 years of collegiate coaching experience, Chris Wilson joined the NFL coaching ranks after the Eagles appointed him as the team's defensive line coach in the 2016 offseason. Prior to joining the Eagles, Wilson held a brief stint with the University of Missouri after spending two years as the defensive line coach at Southern California (2014-15).
In 2017, Wilson worked with a group that featured four players with 5-plus sacks, marking the first time since 2002 that four individual Eagles defensive linemen recorded 5-plus sacks in a single season. DE Brandon Graham led the team with a career-high 9.5 sacks, followed by Pro Bowl DT Fletcher Cox (5.5), DE Chris Long (5.0) and rookie DE Derek Barnett (5.0). Barnett's 5.0 sacks were tied for fifth in the NFL among all rookies and Long tied for second in the league with four strip-sacks.
In his first season with the Eagles, Wilson oversaw the defensive line's transition back to a 4-3: a move that returned Brandon Graham to defensive end after he had played three years at OLB. Wilson's impact on Graham was evident, as the seven-year veteran was named second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press and earned Pro Bowl first-alternate honors after leading the NFL with 80 combined sacks, hurries and QB knockdowns (according to Stats LLC). Wilson also had the opportunity to coach All-Pro DT Fletcher Cox, whom he previously worked with at Mississippi State. Cox was selected to his second career Pro Bowl (2016-17) and his 6.5 sacks were tied for the fifth-most among all NFL defensive tackles in 2016.
Under Wilson's direction at USC, defensive end Leonard Williams earned first-team All America and All-Pac-12 honors in 2014 and later became the sixth-overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the New York Jets.
Before arriving at USC, Wilson spent the 2013 season coaching the defensive line at the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs, who played in the 2014 Gator Bowl, ranked second in the Southeastern Conference in team sacks that season with 33.0. Wilson spent the previous three seasons (2010-12) coaching the Mississippi State defensive line, and also served as both the co-defensive coordinator (2010) and defensive coordinator (2011-12) of the Bulldogs. In 2010, Mississippi State ranked 15th nationally in rushing defense and 17th in tackles for loss. The Bulldogs improved in seven defensive categories in 2011, including a 16th-place finish nationally in scoring defense (19.7).
Additionally, Wilson tutored Cox, who was named a 2011 All-American and was later selected by the Birds with the 12th-overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Prior to entering the SEC, Wilson spent five seasons coaching the defensive ends at the University of Oklahoma, his alma mater, from 2005-09. He also served as the Sooners' special teams coordinator for his final three seasons in Norman.
In 2009, Wilson mentored a defensive front that finished eighth nationally against the run, allowing just 92.9 yards per game, and tied for the seventh-most sacks in the country (38.0). The Sooner defense also finished the season ranked seventh in total defense (3,544 total yards) and points per game allowed (14.5).
In 2007, Wilson helped guide his alma mater's defense to a conference-leading 32 sacks. That year, Auston English ranked23rd nationally in sacks (9.0) despite missing three games and was named first-team All-Big 12.
Before that, Wilson was Colorado's defensive line coach for five years (2000-04). The Buffaloes won three Big 12 North titles during his time in Boulder.
From 1998-99, Wilson coached the defensive line at Illinois State University and helped guide the Redbirds to the NCAA Division I-AA semifinals and a Gateway Conference title in his second season in Normal.
Wilson began his coaching career in 1993 as a graduate assistant at Indiana State, before taking over responsibility for the team's linebackers in 1994. He handled the outside linebackers at Northern Illinois in 1995 before spending the next year as the defensive line coach at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Junior College in 1996. He returned to Indiana State in 1997 as the team's outside linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator.
During his college coaching tenure, Wilson also completed three NFL minority internships with the Dallas Cowboys (1995), Arizona Cardinals (1997) and Miami Dolphins (1998).
A four-year letterman at the University of Oklahoma from 1988-91, Wilson recorded 303 career tackles and was named a team captain twice during his collegiate tenure. He was a 12th-round NFL Draft selection by the Chicago Bears in 1992. Wilson earned his bachelor's degree in communications from Oklahoma in 1992.
A native of Richardson, TX, Wilson and his wife, Tina, have a son, Caleb, and a daughter, Colby. He attended Richardson (TX) High School, where he starred in football and track.
