Who will be the next UA football coach? Here are some candidates

The Kevin Sumlin era at Arizona officially came to a crashing end after two-plus seasons at the helm, following the historical 70-7 loss to Arizona State in the Territorial Cup game.

Sumlin finished his tenure in Tucson with a 9-20 record, the lowest win total by an Arizona head coach since Ed Doherty won a total of four in 1957-58, when the Wildcats still played in the Border Conference.

Defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads will serve as the interim head coach as athletic director Dave Heeke begins the coaching search for Arizona. Who will that person be? Here is a list of names that could likely be candidates:

Joe Salave’a

Current job: Co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach at Oregon

Pros: If Arizona is looking to return to its glory days as a nationally-respected football program, then why not hand the keys of leadership to a Dick Tomey disciple and “Desert Swarm” member? Salave’a was a three-year starter and two-time All-Pac-10 selection under Tomey, and knows the ins and outs of succeeding on the West Coast. Salave’a also has a strong influence in Oregon’s recruiting and helped attract five-star defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, future first-round offensive tackle Penei Sewell and top-rated Class of 2020 linebacker Noah Sewell to Eugene.

Cons: Taking the Arizona job would be Salave’a’s first head coaching stint and although his recruiting efforts at Oregon are key to rebuilding a program, Arizona doesn’t have Phil Knight’s Nike pockets providing a flashy new uniform combination every week. And with the UA athletic department eliminating 36 positions and paying Sumlin’s $7.5 million buyout, Arizona doesn’t necessarily have a full budget for recruiting expenses.

Jay Norvell

Current job: Head coach at Nevada

Pros: Norvell has Power 5 coaching experience at Wisconsin, Iowa State, Nebraska, Texas, UCLA and ASU, and also coached tight ends and wide receivers in the NFL between 1998-2003. After starting 3-9 in his inaugural year as head coach at Nevada, Norvell led the Wolfpack to three winning seasons, including a 6-2 record this season. Norvell also played under Hayden Fry at Iowa and was teammates with former UA head coach Mike Stoops. Maybe Norvell could convince Stoops, who’s currently an analyst at Alabama, to return to Arizona and take over defensive coordinator responsibilities? It’s a far-fetched scenario, but it could be the splash Arizona is looking for.

Cons: Norvell’s background is offense, and Arizona’s last two coaching hires also had offensive upbringings. Sure, Norvell isn’t a retread and someone who’s been the face of a branded program like Sumlin (Texas A&M) and Rich Rodriguez (Michigan), but Arizona’s golden era of football developed an identity on defense.

Antonio Pierce

Current job: Co-defensive coordinator/recruiting coordinator at ASU

Pros: Pierce is a former Wildcat, an ex-junior-college product, embedded in the Southern California recruiting scene, not far removed from playing in the NFL, an intense motivator and a defensive coach. His short résumé as a college football coach checks off the boxes Arizona needs to re-energize a program that’s at rock bottom. Considering his ties to the NFL and Los Angeles, Pierce could assemble an all-star staff that would make Arizona an intriguing program for young prospects to play at. Pierce’s defense at ASU, also led by Marvin Lewis, has allowed the fewest points (20.0) per game in the Pac-12 this season.

Cons: While Pierce is an ex-Wildcat, would coaching Arizona be his final destination if he struck success or would it be a stepping stone to the NFL or a program willing to pay him more? He just turned 42 in October and has decades of coaching ahead of him.

Ken Niumatalolo

Current job: Head coach at Navy

Pros: Let’s try this again, shall we? Niumatalolo was prepared to become the next head coach at Arizona in 2018 before the UA quickly shifted its focus to arguably the zestiest name on the market, Sumlin, to pair with Heisman Trophy hopeful Khalil Tate. That two-year experiment evolved into one of the biggest what-ifs in program history. Arizona’s next head coach will inherit a roster that dwindled as the 2020 season progressed, leaving the Wildcats to play four walk-ons on defense in the 70-7 Territorial Cup massacre. If there’s any coach that understands the importance of getting more out of less, it’s Niumatalolo, who’s been at Navy since 2002 and has served as head coach since ’07 and produced 11 winning seasons.

Cons: While Niumatalolo has won at Navy, he also went 3-10 in 2018 and is 3-7 this season. Plus, what would be Niumatalolo’s recruiting approach now that he’s not at a service academy anymore?

Brent Brennan

Current job: Head coach at San Jose State

Pros: Brennan was a graduate assistant at Arizona in 2000 and coached under Tomey at San Jose State. Brennan also has Pac-12 coaching experience at Oregon State and playing experience at UCLA. Brennan’s name will most likely pop up for a handful of Power 5 coaching vacancies after leading San Jose State to a 6-0 record for the first time since 1939.

Cons: This hire looks good on paper, because it’s not a retread, he was mentored by Tomey and would be fresh off a historic season with a San Jose State program that hasn’t had a winning season in eight years. But Brennan also won a combined eight games in three seasons before 2020 and San Jose State’s impeccable year is during an unprecedented season as college football navigates through the COVID-19 pandemic. Rolling the dice on a coach that had one winning in the Mountain West is quite the gamble for Arizona and it could cost Heeke’s job.

Sonny Dykes

Current job: Head coach at SMU

Pros: If Arizona wants to potentially woo co-captain and quarterback Grant Gunnell into staying at the UA, hiring Dykes could be a route Arizona takes, although it’s ill-advised for Heeke to hire based on a player’s preference. But Dykes formerly served as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Stoops from 2007-09 and coached Willie Tuitama and Nick Foles, before accepting the head coach position at Louisiana Tech. Dykes’ spread-attack offense and record-setting resume at Arizona could give new life to a team that only scored 20 points in the final two games of the season. Since taking over at SMU, the Mustangs have had two winning seasons since starting the Dykes era 5-7.

Cons: The only time Dykes has had a winning season as a head coach in the Pac-12 was in 2015, when the California Golden Bears went 8-5 and won the Armed Forces Bowl. Besides that, 1-11, 5-7 and 5-7.

Bryan Harsin

Current job: Head coach at Boise State

Pros: Since becoming Boise State’s head coach in 2013, Harsin has never lost more than four games in a season and even in his worst season, the Broncos still won the Poinsettia Bowl. If a coach accomplished that at Arizona, there would be a statue of them right next to John Button Salmon’s.

Cons: The Pac-12 is a step up from the Mountain West and if Harsin can win in Boise, Idaho, why not Tucson? Harsin leaving Boise State for Arizona would show he’s focused on elevating his career, so would he be at the UA for the long haul or is it a pit stop?

Jim McElwain

Current job: Head coach at Central Michigan

Pros: Heeke could tap into his old stomping grounds and scoop the Chippewas’ head coach, who could be looking to return to the Power 5 as a head coach for the first time since his dismissal at Florida in 2017. McElwain is 55-35 overall and received Coach of the Year honors in every conference he’s coached in. His ties in the South and Midwest could also help Arizona in recruiting.

Cons: Sigh, another retread. McElwain was fired at Florida similarly to how Arizona dismissed Sumlin after two-plus-seasons. McElwain’s offenses at Florida never ranked higher than 111th in FBS.

Steve Sarkisian

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Current job: Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama

Pros: Sarkisian knows what it takes to win in the Pac-12 and he’s done it at Washington and USC. Sarkisian has only produced one losing season as a head coach and it was his first year at UW. Since his termination at USC in 2015, Sarkisian has been an offensive assistant in the NFL and most recently Alabama.

Cons: Sarkisian had multiple alcohol-related incidents at USC and Washington, including a profanity-filled speech at a USC football booster club event. The Los Angeles Daily News reported that Sarkisian was asked to leave a team meeting after players and assistant coaches smelled alcohol on his breath. While Sarkisian has had success everywhere he went, hiring a coach with a dark past wouldn’t be the best look.

Andy Avalos

Current job: Defensive coordinator at Oregon

Pros: Last season, Avalos was a semifinalist for the Broyles Award, an accolade given to the top coordinator in college football. He also knows a thing or two about winning. When Avalos was a linebackers coach and defensive coordinator at Boise State, the Broncos won three Mountain West titles. Avalos also won two regional titles at Division II’s Nebraska-Kearney.

Cons: Avalos is another young up-and-coming coordinator that could land another coaching position in a few years.

Seth Littrell

Current job: Head coach at North Texas

Pros: Littrell coached at Arizona during the peak and downfall of the Stoops regime from 2009-11 and was in Tucson for the entirety of the Foles era. In 2018, Littrell led the Mean Green to a Conference USA West title and a nine-win season that included an upset win over Arkansas.

Cons: Littrell could be a cheap hire for the Wildcats, but it also wouldn’t be a splash like some of the other hires considering what he’s done as a head coach. Since he was hired at North Texas, Littrell is 31-30 with three bowl losses.

Sean Lewis

Current job: Head coach at Kent State

Pros: The 34-year-old offensive-minded head coach is 10-7 over the last two seasons at Kent State after starting 2-10. But a younger coach who’s willing to relentlessly work around the clock and dedicate his time to the program could be the answer for Arizona.

Cons: All of his coaching stints haven’t been west of Omaha. Throwing a non-west-coast coach into the Pac-12 could be a disaster in the making.

Lance Leipold

Current job: Head coach at Buffalo

Pros: The Nick Saban of Division III football has been a trending name for other gigs in college football. Leipold knows a thing or two about winning and took Wisconsin-Whitewater to six Division III championships and finished with a 109-6 record, before accepting the Buffalo position. He’s 145-38 as a head coach. If you can win in Whitewater, Wisconsin, you can certainly win in Tucson.

Cons: While Leipold is 23-9 in the last three seasons at Buffalo, he’s another candidate that has no affiliation to the Pac-12 whatsoever.

Kenny Dillingham

Current job: Offensive coordinator at Florida State

Pros: Arizona was the worst red-zone team in the Pac-12 this season. When Dillingham was an offensive coordinator at Auburn, the Tigers were third in the SEC and scored on 90% of their red-zone possessions. In his final Iron Bowl, he coordinated an Auburn offense to score 48 points against fifth-ranked Alabama. Dillingham also attended Arizona State and started his coaching career at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale.

Cons: He’s a Sun Devil and a trendy coordinator possibly looking for other coaching opportunities. Arizona may just be a launching pad to return to the SEC or ACC.

Paul Rhoads

Current job: Interim head coach at Arizona

Pros: If Heeke doesn’t want to look far for the Wildcats’ next head coach then Rhoads could be a likely candidate. Rhoads experienced first-hand the downfall of Sumlin and could take the program into a different direction. Rhoads also has head coaching experience at Iowa State and has resided in Pac-12 country since 2018.

Cons: Rhoads got the most out of an Arizona defense that holes everywhere, specifically at linebacker and safety, after the Wildcats lost three-year starters Colin Schooler, Tony Fields and Scottie Young Jr. After a Territorial Cup game in which Arizona coughed up a record 70 points, how could the UA convince boosters and fans he’s the right man for the job? It’d be a tough sell to those who see Rhoads as a Sumlin coach.

Chuck Cecil

Current job: Defensive analyst at Arizona

Pros: The Hall of Famer Cecil is arguably the greatest Wildcat of all time and considers coaching and living in Tucson as a “fairytale.” After all, he does have the most celebrated play in UA history, the 106-yard pick-six against ASU. Cecil would be the first one to enter the Lowell-Stevens facility and the last one to leave, which is the attitude Arizona needs from its next head coach. Cecil also played for Larry Smith and Tomey at Arizona, the two most successful coaches in program history.

Cons: The only hands-on coaching experience Cecil has is the final four games of the 2019 season, when he took over for fired defensive coordinator Marcel Yates. Cecil has coached in the NFL as a defensive coordinator, but is he ready to take the jump as a head coach?

Tedy Bruschi

Current job: Retired

Pros: Hiring the 1995 Pac-10 Defensive Player, three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time All-Pro linebacker would sell tickets once the COVID-19 pandemic is over with. Oh, and did we mention he was the face of Arizona’s “Desert Swarm” defense under Tomey? Similarly to Cecil, Arizona wouldn’t have an issue keeping Bruschi in Tucson. The Old Pueblo is his second home and he would incorporate the family atmosphere the Wildcats had under Tomey.

Cons: Bruschi has never coached a game in his life — at any level. Bruschi’s knowledge for the game and leadership reputation is what the Wildcats could use considering the current state of the program, but is Bruschi willing to have a blemish on his UA career if it doesn’t pan out?