Who would be Arizona Next DC.

[Sid]

GB strikes me as the kind of guy that is not scared he might run off his coach or scare off future potential HC candidates if he opens his mouth. I have 100% confidence if Greg saw areas of improvement he would speak to those and with conviction. Rich Rod is smart, he obviously received the message, it was crystal clear!

Back to the thread title. I would love coach "O" for the position of Defensive Coordinator and bring some of those big nasties from the SW & SE with him!

BTFD

[Harvey Specter]

There's a difference between discussing the defensive issues as part of a program wide review and "you need to fire this guy, you need to run this scheme" etc. The former is normal and expected talk. The latter is interfering with a coach and his running of the program.

Interference is warranted when things are in free-fall, and that is where our defense has been. I am highly suspect that RR named Addae to his defensive staff a week before planning to shitcan his DC. If so, I question it... and suggests he might plan to call the shots for whoever he hires. That would be a huge mistake, IMO.

As I said earlier, he made a change with canning Lockwood and it was suggested "that's not enough". Casteel and Kirelawich followed.

On one other note, the defense didn't completely suck the whole time. It was okay and got progressively worse the point where it sucks now. Seems like the more we had to rely on that 'bare cupboard' that Stoops left, the better we did. Hmmm....

[ChooChooCat]

My guess is RR takes the top defensive assistant at a school that runs the 3-3-5 currently.

http://www.goaztecs.com/sports/m-footbl ... 42352.html" target="_blank

[threenumberones]

So is it official that we are stuck with the 335?

[UALoco]

I think the next DC gets to decide the scheme. Why would RR limit his list of candidates to just those who can run 335 or force a DC to run something they are not familiar with?

I also don't think GB had anything to do with the change. I think he and RR were in agreement that change was in order but it was up to RR to decide how to go about it.

In regards to the next DC..they will need to be ambitious and very confident to come into this "family" and turn around one of the worst D's in the FBS. Need to be able to recruit and "coach 'em up." I can't wait to hear who we land. BearDown.

[azgreg]

So is it official that we are stuck with the 335?

Not that I've heard.

[azgreg]

I think the next DC gets to decide the scheme. Why would RR limit his list of candidates to just those who can run 335 or force a DC to run something they are not familiar with?

I also don't think GB had anything to do with the change. I think he and RR were in agreement that change was in order but it was up to RR to decide how to go about it.

In regards to the next DC..they will need to be ambitious and very confident to come into this "family" and turn around one of the worst D's in the FBS. Need to be able to recruit and "coach 'em up." I can't wait to hear who we land. BearDown.

I'm sure RR will have some input as well.

[OSUCat]

The only thing RR is really tied to is players with speed. He has always said he wants fast players on the field, so I don't know if he would personally be okay with a base 4-3 defense. IMO, with whats around (coaches/players) I doubt that the 3-3-5 will be kept. I expect either a 3-4 defense or a 4-2-5 defense to be the new base for 2016 season.

[RazorsEdgeAZ]

You really think Byrne is getting involved with the football program that deeply, telling RR what schemes he can and/or can't run? I would very highly doubt that.

No.
Year ago, he approved a big raise for Casteel. Defense in 2014 nearly as bad. Sure it was discussed, but hope he didn't dictate. He's never coached football at FBS level. Just like I hope Byrne doesn't take any serious advice and dictates action based on what he reads on fan base forums. We haven't run any athletic departments either.

Athletics is still making more money than ever before even with a bad defense.

At this point, don't see it matters. Unless he did and that reputation goes out into the coaching world that he dictates.

[ANGCatFan]

Good interview with Greg Byrne on 1290 this afternoon. My summary - he is hands off on the assistant hiring process ( and I inferred that also meant the firing process). Byrne figures if he can't trust a head coach to hire and manage the assistants he has hired the wrong head coach. He takes hiring the head coaches as one of his most important responsibilities and doesn't understand ADs who delegate the hiring.

[Harvey Specter]

The only thing RR is really tied to is players with speed. He has always said he wants fast players on the field, so I don't know if he would personally be okay with a base 4-3 defense. IMO, with whats around (coaches/players) I doubt that the 3-3-5 will be kept. I expect either a 3-4 defense or a 4-2-5 defense to be the new base for 2016 season.

I know that's the talk track, but the reality does not match the rhetoric.

This roster is sorely lacking in speed, on both sides of the ball, with very few exceptions.

[Chicat]

So is it official that we are stuck with the 335?

RR hasn't run anything else. He made Greg Robinson, a guy who runs a traditional 4-3, switch to running the 3-3-5, even though it was obvious he had zero idea how to do that.

[cordera89]

So is it official that we are stuck with the 335?

RR hasn't run anything else. He made Greg Robinson, a guy who runs a traditional 4-3, switch to running the 3-3-5, even though it was obvious he had zero idea how to do that.

Well I guess we all say that RR is about to screw up this moment of hired a DC.

[Puerco]

There's a difference between discussing the defensive issues as part of a program wide review and "you need to fire this guy, you need to run this scheme" etc. The former is normal and expected talk. The latter is interfering with a coach and his running of the program.

Interference is warranted when things are in free-fall, and that is where our defense has been. I am highly suspect that RR named Addae to his defensive staff a week before planning to shitcan his DC. If so, I question it... and suggests he might plan to call the shots for whoever he hires. That would be a huge mistake, IMO.

As I said earlier, he made a change with canning Lockwood and it was suggested "that's not enough". Casteel and Kirelawich followed.

On one other note, the defense didn't completely suck the whole time. It was okay and got progressively worse the point where it sucks now. Seems like the more we had to rely on that 'bare cupboard' that Stoops left, the better we did. Hmmm....

Sadly, Harvey, you missed the mark with the free fall comment. The defense isn't falling anywhere, because it's been really bad since RR got to Tucson. I posted the defensive efficiency numbers in another thread, but to summarize we've never been much better than 70th in the country. Don't pay attention to total defense, that's a meaningless statistic when your defense is paired with a fast paced offense.

[threenumberones]

So is it official that we are stuck with the 335?

RR hasn't run anything else. He made Greg Robinson, a guy who runs a traditional 4-3, switch to running the 3-3-5, even though it was obvious he had zero idea how to do that.

Yea. But the excuse in Michigan was that he didn't have his boy Casteel. And now that has run its course. I think it comes down to whether he learned from the Michigan debacle or if he walked away with the slant that he never really had a chance, which might be true but isn't the lesson learned.

So can RR evolve? I think he can, and firing his friend and 335 guru Jeff proves it. I'm sure that wasn't an easy decision to break up their little coaching family. The fact that you didn't hear anything about tension or issues between Casteel and RR prior to this makes me think he's all about performance. Time will tell.

[Puerco]

I can't imagine RR firing Casteel and then thinking he could bring in someone else to run it better. That's completely disrupt the narrative on his years at Michigan.

[cordera89]

Arizona daily star has name eight possible candidate for DC for Arizona.

VINCE AMEY

The connection: Currently serves as a football analyst for Arizona after three years with the strength and conditioning staff

The skinny: Rodriguez promoted from within in elevating Addae and could do the same with Amey, who’d be a candidate for the D-line job. Amey played defensive tackle at Arizona State and coached at Chaparral High in Phoenix, so he’d be an asset in recruiting there. He’s also familiar with the UA’s players, and vice versa.


CHUCK CECIL

The connection: Cecil starred at Arizona as a defensive back in the 1980s, earning Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year honors in ’87.

The skinny: Cecil is currently a senior defensive assistant with the St. Louis Rams after serving as their secondary coach from 2012-14. Cecil spent the previous 10 years with the Tennessee Titans, including two seasons as defensive coordinator. He is clearly qualified to be Arizona’s DC, and I’m told he’d be interested in returning to the UA in the right situation. Whether there’s mutual interest is the question.


PETER HANSEN

The connection: Hansen played football for the Wildcats from 1998-2001, mainly excelling on special teams, and was a member of the basketball team as well.

The skinny: Hansen is the inside linebackers coach at Stanford, where he tutored Tucson’s Blake Martinez the past two seasons. Hansen also spent three seasons as a defensive assistant with the San Francisco 49ers under Vic Fangio. Coaching Arizona’s linebackers and/or serving as defensive coordinator would represent a step up on the career ladder. Worth noting, though: Hansen is a native of Palo Alto.


RICKY HUNLEY

The connection: Hunley was an All-America linebacker at Arizona in the early 1980s and is considered one of the best players in program history.

The skinny: Hunley just finished his second season as the defensive line coach at Memphis. But Memphis just changed head coaches, and Hunley has not been retained. We’re told he’d be very interested in coaching the D-line at his alma mater. He obviously could coach linebackers as well, having played the position and having served as the Cincinnati Bengals’ LB coach from 2003-07


OSIA LEWIS

The connection: Lewis is from Tucson and graduated from Tucson High.
The skinny: Lewis has spent the past five years as the defensive line coach at San Diego State, which ranks fifth in the nation in total defense this season. Lewis has experience as a college defensive coordinator, having served as New Mexico’s DC from 2003-07 and UTEP’s from 2008-09. Lewis also played and coached at Oregon State. Like Hunley, we’re told Lewis is fond of the idea of coming home. Worth noting: According to USA Today’s database, Lewis made $164,228 in 2015, about $100,000 less than Kirelawich



JOE SALAVE’A

The connection: Salave’a was an all-conference defensive tackle, team MVP and team captain for Arizona from 1994-97 and was the school’s DL coach in 2011.

The skinny: Salave’a has spent the past four seasons as the defensive line coach for Washington State. His connections to Arizona run deep, as do his ties to his native American Samoa, a hotbed of football talent. Here’s the problem: Salave’a last month signed a two-year contract extension with WSU. It doesn’t seem likely that he’d leave after doing that, although stranger things have happened in the wacky world of coaching.


RON WEST

The connection: West coached at Clemson from 1999-2008, overlapping with Rodriguez’s two-year stint there as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.

The skinny: This one comes courtesy of our colleagues at Wildcat Authority. Rodriguez obviously knows West, who most recently served as North Carolina’s co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach (2013-14). He spent the 2012 season as the co-DC at Arizona State, which ranked in the top five nationally that year in tackles for losses, sacks and interceptions. He is credited with implementing the “Devil” linebacker position at ASU, so if Rodriguez wants to keep the 3-3-5, West could be a fit.

[Merkin]

From what's been posted here and elsewhere, Hunley is going to have to eat a lot of crow to be considered for a UA position.

[tgrumpy2]

From what's been posted here and elsewhere, Hunley is going to have to eat a lot of crow to be considered for a UA position.

Could someone refresh our memories as to what happened between Hunley and the UofA? I've been hearing the same things but was unaware of a problem.

[cordera89]

I rather have CLANCY PENDERGAST as our DC and JOE SALAVE’A as our Dline. I said no too Ron West if RR be stubborn to keep the 335. The rest it a gamble of a risk of can they get the job done.

[Merkin]

From what's been posted here and elsewhere, Hunley is going to have to eat a lot of crow to be considered for a UA position.

Could someone refresh our memories as to what happened between Hunley and the UofA? I've been hearing the same things but was unaware of a problem.

I believe it was when the UA was looking to hire a replacement for Mackovic. Stoops was the guy Livengood wanted, but due to various reasons (state law...) they had to interview multiple candidates. Hunley was just given a courtesy interview as a former Wildcat with no chance for the job. Don't remember what Hunley said but let's just say he wasn't very pleased about the situation.

I work at a state university and the same thing happens for pretty much every position. You want to hire someone, but due to state laws you need to have interview so many people. Just a waste of time for everyone and gets peoples hopes up for a position they have no chance of getting.

[azpenguin]

It was after Tomey. In the media Hunley was touted as one of the top candidates, along with Steve Axman (which, BTW, is one of the most fitting names ever for a NAU coach.) Mackovic wasn't even mentioned at all. Then one day I'm listening to AM sports radio and they interrupted the programming to report that Mackovic had been hired. It was completely out of the blue, which likely meant that Mack was the guy right off the bat and Livengood just had to throw the fanbase some bones. If I were Hunley I'd be ticked as well.

[Harvey Specter]

It was after Tomey. In the media Hunley was touted as one of the top candidates, along with Steve Axman (which, BTW, is one of the most fitting names ever for a NAU coach.) Mackovic wasn't even mentioned at all. Then one day I'm listening to AM sports radio and they interrupted the programming to report that Mackovic had been hired. It was completely out of the blue, which likely meant that Mack was the guy right off the bat and Livengood just had to throw the fanbase some bones. If I were Hunley I'd be ticked as well.

The media speculating incorrectly and having a coach named out of the blue sounds more like an AD handling a search properly than it does a candidate having a reason for being ticked. Don't we all applaud Byrne for being the Ninja? And most applauded the hiring of Mendenhall at Virginia as well... In part because it was a good hire, and also because it was done in such a shroud of secrecy.

I loved Hunely as a player, but he (still) has never gotten the experience necessary to be considered a viable HC candidate. To date, I still do not believe he has ever been a DC - with all of his experience as a defensive position coach.

Mackovic turned out to be an awful hire, but the qualifications between him and Hunley were so disparate I cannot believe he would even pretend to feel slighted, let alone burn bridges over it. If his feelings are hurt, I am sorry - but that's on him.

[Merkin]

Only time Hunley was a DC was in the UFL, whatever that is/was.

He's a lifelong position coach (like Cecil who actually was a DC) and I would certainly welcome him back as a position coach assuming the past is the past for him with that entire administration gone.

[Harvey Specter]

There's a difference between discussing the defensive issues as part of a program wide review and "you need to fire this guy, you need to run this scheme" etc. The former is normal and expected talk. The latter is interfering with a coach and his running of the program.

Interference is warranted when things are in free-fall, and that is where our defense has been. I am highly suspect that RR named Addae to his defensive staff a week before planning to shitcan his DC. If so, I question it... and suggests he might plan to call the shots for whoever he hires. That would be a huge mistake, IMO.

As I said earlier, he made a change with canning Lockwood and it was suggested "that's not enough". Casteel and Kirelawich followed.

On one other note, the defense didn't completely suck the whole time. It was okay and got progressively worse the point where it sucks now. Seems like the more we had to rely on that 'bare cupboard' that Stoops left, the better we did. Hmmm....

Sadly, Harvey, you missed the mark with the free fall comment. The defense isn't falling anywhere, because it's been really bad since RR got to Tucson. I posted the defensive efficiency numbers in another thread, but to summarize we've never been much better than 70th in the country. Don't pay attention to total defense, that's a meaningless statistic when your defense is paired with a fast paced offense.

I am sorry that my opinion made you sad.

As for the total D measure not being a fair measure, I disagree. On a relative basis, it is a valid metric; maybe not the only one, or even the most, but certainly one of them. And compared to where we have been the last 2 years, I would say a D ranking in the 70's looks pretty damn good.

The point is, most have the fan base has been very critical of Stoops (and forgiving of RR) because of Stoops awful recruiting and the 'bare cupboard' he left behind. Well that bare cupboard, with players not suited to the scheme, delivered better Total D performance than any since.

That points to the fact that D recruiting (with very few noted exceptions) has been garbage. Yes, I know we were victimized by an onslaught of injuries last year; I remain unconvinced that our performance would have been much different without them, considering it was only marginally worse than the prior season (when we had the best player in the country, and a number of players that exhausted eligibility).

[Harvey Specter]

I can't imagine RR firing Casteel and then thinking he could bring in someone else to run it better. That's completely disrupt the narrative on his years at Michigan.

The narrative on his years at Michigan was that it was an abject failure, without many asterisks; I am referring to the rest of the country (outside Tucson), with the exception of a few of RR's buddies in the media.

Point being, only UA fans (and a few others who read '3 & Out' as gospel truth) will even notice. Most don't know the nuances of the RR saga with his defensive woes at MichigN, and they do not care.

As for the first comment in your post above, I completely agree. I am hopeful that RR sees it that way as well - but will not be convinced until we learn who is filling the DC role and the scheme they will employ.

[azpenguin]

It was after Tomey. In the media Hunley was touted as one of the top candidates, along with Steve Axman (which, BTW, is one of the most fitting names ever for a NAU coach.) Mackovic wasn't even mentioned at all. Then one day I'm listening to AM sports radio and they interrupted the programming to report that Mackovic had been hired. It was completely out of the blue, which likely meant that Mack was the guy right off the bat and Livengood just had to throw the fanbase some bones. If I were Hunley I'd be ticked as well.

The media speculating incorrectly and having a coach named out of the blue sounds more like an AD handling a search properly than it does a candidate having a reason for being ticked. Don't we all applaud Byrne for being the Ninja? And most applauded the hiring of Mendenhall at Virginia as well... In part because it was a good hire, and also because it was done in such a shroud of secrecy.

I loved Hunely as a player, but he (still) has never gotten the experience necessary to be considered a viable HC candidate. To date, I still do not believe he has ever been a DC - with all of his experience as a defensive position coach.

Mackovic turned out to be an awful hire, but the qualifications between him and Hunley were so disparate I cannot believe he would even pretend to feel slighted, let alone burn bridges over it. If his feelings are hurt, I am sorry - but that's on him.

It wasn't so much that Mack was kept so well under wraps. It was that the school trotted Hunley and Axman's names out there and wasn't shy about telling the media that they were candidates and that they interviewed. Hunley thought he was going to get a fair shot at getting the job. Contrast that with the Ninja. He let absolutely NOTHING out. The only thing he let out was that strategic leak about having talked with Meyer. GB won't discuss coaching search candidates in the least. He threw no names out there like the school did with Hunley.

[ChooChooCat]

It was after Tomey. In the media Hunley was touted as one of the top candidates, along with Steve Axman (which, BTW, is one of the most fitting names ever for a NAU coach.) Mackovic wasn't even mentioned at all. Then one day I'm listening to AM sports radio and they interrupted the programming to report that Mackovic had been hired. It was completely out of the blue, which likely meant that Mack was the guy right off the bat and Livengood just had to throw the fanbase some bones. If I were Hunley I'd be ticked as well.

The media speculating incorrectly and having a coach named out of the blue sounds more like an AD handling a search properly than it does a candidate having a reason for being ticked.

I mean wasn't Mike Belotti the hot name for Arizona speculated by the media after Stoops was fired? The media will always speculate and more often than not they're incorrect. The fact the media gets it wrong probably means the search was handled better than not. Livengood sucked and all, but the fact that the media said Hunley and it ended up being somebody that no one was talking about means he did the coaching search the right way.

[ChooChooCat]

It was after Tomey. In the media Hunley was touted as one of the top candidates, along with Steve Axman (which, BTW, is one of the most fitting names ever for a NAU coach.) Mackovic wasn't even mentioned at all. Then one day I'm listening to AM sports radio and they interrupted the programming to report that Mackovic had been hired. It was completely out of the blue, which likely meant that Mack was the guy right off the bat and Livengood just had to throw the fanbase some bones. If I were Hunley I'd be ticked as well.

The media speculating incorrectly and having a coach named out of the blue sounds more like an AD handling a search properly than it does a candidate having a reason for being ticked. Don't we all applaud Byrne for being the Ninja? And most applauded the hiring of Mendenhall at Virginia as well... In part because it was a good hire, and also because it was done in such a shroud of secrecy.

I loved Hunely as a player, but he (still) has never gotten the experience necessary to be considered a viable HC candidate. To date, I still do not believe he has ever been a DC - with all of his experience as a defensive position coach.

Mackovic turned out to be an awful hire, but the qualifications between him and Hunley were so disparate I cannot believe he would even pretend to feel slighted, let alone burn bridges over it. If his feelings are hurt, I am sorry - but that's on him.

It wasn't so much that Mack was kept so well under wraps. It was that the school trotted Hunley and Axman's names out there and wasn't shy about telling the media that they were candidates and that they interviewed. Hunley thought he was going to get a fair shot at getting the job. Contrast that with the Ninja. He let absolutely NOTHING out. The only thing he let out was that strategic leak about having talked with Meyer. GB won't discuss coaching search candidates in the least. He threw no names out there like the school did with Hunley.

Just saw this post, so it was the school that leaked Hunley and Axman's names? We're sure on that? If so then yes that was poorly handled.

[UAEebs86]

Jobs posted:

[azcat49]

10 days from now(or from the posting) we should know one would guess

[Merkin]

UA was 113th in comparison, 0.459

[cordera89]

Is he interested in taken over a not elite defense and will he have full control and can he recruit in the west coast.

[cordera89]

Well I guess that USC is going after Clancy Pendergast as their Next DC.
http://www.ninersnation.com/2016/1/6/10 ... n-rapoport" target="_blank

[uacat540]

Jancek is rather interesting to me, dude seems like he can coach. Plus i wonder if that would bring in some really good D line recruits and kongbo which would be huge.

[ramcat]

I don't know if RR, or Byrne even have a shot at this guy but they should throw him a serious bone!! Resume is extremely impressive and has had success recruiting in addition to his very strong results on the field!

[chiefzona]

Is he interested in taken over a not elite defense and will he have full control and can he recruit in the west coast.

Not only no but hell no. No ties

[gumby]

Didn't realize Clancy Pendergast was a UA alum. Damn, bro!

[Spaceman Spiff]

Is he interested in taken over a not elite defense and will he have full control and can he recruit in the west coast.

Not only no but hell no. No ties

Ties to...? Are you serious?

[Merkin]

Is he interested in taken over a not elite defense and will he have full control and can he recruit in the west coast.

Not only no but hell no. No ties

Ties to...? Are you serious?

What were RichRod's ties to the UA?

Sean Miller's?

[Scummy Dick Douglas]

Is he interested in taken over a not elite defense and will he have full control and can he recruit in the west coast.

Not only no but hell no. No ties

I know you guys are probably going to hate this example, but one knock on Todd Graham and the staff he put together when he came to Tempe was a lack of west coast ties. They seem to have done alright in recruiting. That said, recruiting = relationships. So if UA fans are expecting recruiting to dramatically improve on that side of the ball right away because of this hire, they might be disappointed. It will take a couple years for the new D coaches to settle into recruiting the region (assuming no ties to the area).

[Chicat]

Maybe having no ties to the area could be a good thing. Start fresh with a bunch of top tier high schools and develop new relationships.

[TuiTouchdown]

I'm with Chief on this. If we're going to nail this hire, it better be someone who can recruit on a national level or have strong ties to Cal/Texas.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Is he interested in taken over a not elite defense and will he have full control and can he recruit in the west coast.

Not only no but hell no. No ties

Ties to...? Are you serious?

What were RichRod's ties to the UA?

Sean Miller's?

Exactly. There are people who can do the job and people who can't. Ties to the school are pretty unimportant and recruiting ties...well, it is better to have someone who is good at recruiting than readymade ties.

[gronk4heisman]

Is he interested in taken over a not elite defense and will he have full control and can he recruit in the west coast.

Not only no but hell no. No ties

Charlie Ragle had great Phoenix ties....How is that working out?

[Chicat]

I don't see why we wouldn't interview Jancek. If he can coach, he can coach. End of story.

[cordera89]

Is he interested in taken over a not elite defense and will he have full control and can he recruit in the west coast.

Not only no but hell no. No ties

Charlie Ragle had great Phoenix ties....How is that working out?

Charlie Ragle haven't even scatch the barrel of the state recruiting in Arizona. Graham has muster that already.

[Carcassdragger]

Kish!

[cordera89]

Clancy Pendergast is returning to USC as their DC. Scratch him off the list of possible candidate for Arizona DC.

http://reignoftroy.com/2016/01/06/clanc ... ordinator/" target="_blank

[Harvey Specter]

Maybe having no ties to the area could be a good thing. Start fresh with a bunch of top tier high schools and develop new relationships.

I agree wholeheartedly with that premise in general...

But I am not willing to wait 3-4 years to see this hire move the needle on the recruiting front, and that is how long it usually takes when you are starting from scratch - and that is if you do a good job. (Unless you are Nick Saban or Urban Meyer).

Our current staff has been at it that long and it really hasn't yielded jack shit. Or maybe they haven't been at it at all, and that is the problem.

Regardless, I am not re-setting the clock to zero with 5 years to turn things around. We are in year 5 of my clock, with a possible 1-2 year extension on my timetable depending on who is hired and how we progress on the recruiting trail.