Arizona Wildcats football coach Rich Rodriguez sat down for a one-on-one interview with the Star late Friday morning, about 24 hours from the start of spring practice. Below are some quick-hit highlights from that conversation. We’ll have a full Q&A later today at Tucson.com.
* Rodriguez, who just returned from a Nike coaching event in Costa Rica, said he hopes to have two new assistants in place within the next two weeks. He won’t rush the process, however.
* With spring practice starting Saturday, Rodriguez will coach the wide receivers, with help from QB coach Rod Smith. Running backs coach Calvin Magee will add tight ends to his duties in a move that could become permanent. (There’s overlap between the two positions, and Magee played tight end in the NFL). Special teams will be a group effort for now.
* Rodriguez has been vetting candidates. He still isn’t sure how he wants to divvy up the assignments with the new hires – i.e., hiring a full-time special-teams coach or having that be part of another assistant’s responsibilities. Slightly complicating matters: Rodriguez said the addition of a 10th coach to FBS staffs likely won't happen until 2018.
* Rodriguez said the quarterback job will be an open competition between Brandon Dawkins and Khalil Tate in spring. Rodriguez said it will be good for Dawkins, who started for most of 2016, to be pushed.
* Rodriguez liked the way Dawkins competed last season, especially as a runner. As a passer, Rodriguez said, "there's another level he can get to."
* Arizona will take a cautious approach with running backs J.J. Taylor and Nick Wilson, who ended '16 injured. They will participate, but there’s no need to overwork them, Rodriguez said.
* The only player Rodriguez expects to be limited/out all spring is tight end Brion Anduze, who's still recovering from multiple 2016 knee surgeries.
* Rodriguez said Arizona could add "a couple more" players to the roster in the next month or so via graduate transfer, junior college or late qualifying.
* Rodriguez said he expects "marked improvement" from the defense in Year 2 under Marcel Yates.
