Assistant coach Duane Akina gets down on all fours as he tries to fire up his defense during a practice on Aug. 29, 1998. Photo by Benjie Sanders / Arizona Daily Star

 Benjie Sanders / Arizona Daily Star

So far, the UA Sports Hall of Fame has not inducted assistant coaches unless they were part of an NCAA championship team. But Akina, who from 1987-2001 was one of the leading coaches in college football, was both the defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator of UA Desert Swarm-era teams. 

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