An all-time Arizona Wildcats great is coming home.
Former UA All-American safety Chuck Cecil is joining the staff as director of player development/defensive analyst, the school announced Friday.
After a seven-year NFL playing career, Cecil coached in the league for 15 seasons with the Titans (2001-10) and Rams (2012-16). He served as Tennesseeβs defensive coordinator in 2009 and β10.
βChuck will be an outstanding addition to our staff,β UA coach Rich Rodriguez said in a news release. βHis playing career both collegiately and professionally speaks for itself, and heβs been a very successful professional coach. Iβm excited to utilize his experience and connections as a former Wildcat to fill a variety of key roles within our program.β
Initial reaction among Arizona fans to Cecilβs hiring was overwhelmingly favorable. Itβs a positive jolt for a program coming off a 3-9 season that has endured personnel losses on and off the field during the offseason. Itβs also a break from form for Rodriguez, who hasnβt made a habit of dipping into the Wildcatsβ past to fill staff positions.
Arizona lost Matt Dudek, who had been its general manager and director of player personnel, to Michigan earlier this week. Rodriguez said Dudekβs duties would be handled internally while the open position would focus on player development and analysis.
Cecil is more than qualified. After coming to Arizona as a walk-on, he developed into an all-conference and All-American performer. He was named Pac-10 defensive player of the year in 1987 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
Cecil holds the UA career record with 21 interceptions, including one he famously returned 100 yards for a touchdown against rival Arizona State in 1986. He ranks second in UA annals with 38 passes defensed and seventh with 392 tackles.
The Green Bay Packers selected Cecil in the fourth round of the 1988 draft. He played seven seasons for the Packers, Cardinals and Houston Oilers. Cecil appeared in 95 games, including 62 starts, and accumulated 445 tackles. He also intercepted 16 passes.
Cecil played for Jeff Fisher in Houston in 1995, his final season, then worked under Fisher in Tennessee and St. Louis/Los Angeles. The Rams fired Fisher 13 games into last season.
Cooper not on roster
Wide receiver Devaughn Cooper has left the program.
Cooper would have been a redshirt freshman this season. He appeared in two games last year, catching one pass for 15 yards, before missing the rest of the season because of an injury.
Cooper, from Narbonne High School in Los Angeles, was considered a possible breakout player for the Wildcats. Arizona lost three of its top four pass-catchers from last season.
The UA adds two scholarship receivers this year: freshmen Brian Casteel and Drew Dixon.
All incoming freshmen and transfers are now listed on Arizonaβs online roster.
The Wildcats are set to report for training camp Sunday and begin practicing Monday.
