When he found out that Arizona was firing Rich Rodriguez, Jamarye Joiner was as shocked as everyone else.
โWow,โ the Cienega High quarterback and UA commit said to himself. โThis is actually happening.โ
Joiner felt a particularly personal connection to Rodriguez because he was โthe first coach that gave me an opportunity at the Division I level.โ
Now Joiner is unsure whether that opportunity will become a reality. That feeling of uncertainty permeates the current Arizona quarterback room as the Wildcats wait to find out who their next coach will be.
Most players โ including 2017 breakout star Khalil Tate โ are taking a wait-and-see approach. Tateโs mother indicated to the Star via text Tuesday that her son was committed to remaining at Arizona no matter who the new coach is. Lesli Tate said Wednesday that she had spoken out of turn. That does not mean Khalil Tate plans to leave.
Tate is back on campus and attended a team meeting Tuesday night. UA athletic director Dave Heeke, busy interviewing coaching candidates, did not participate in the meeting, which was led by interim coach/defensive coordinator Marcel Yates. Yates remains a candidate for the job and has been endorsed by several UA players, including Tate.
One of Tateโs backups this past season was Rhett Rodriguez, Richโs son. It was presumed that Rhett, a freshman from Catalina Foothills High School, wouldnโt return to Arizona after his fatherโs dismissal. However, Rhett remains enrolled in classes and is participating in team activities. He has yet to make a final decision regarding his future.
The same goes for Joiner, who has a lot to think about between now and national signing day Feb. 7.
Right around the Dec. 20-22 early signing period โ which Joiner elected to bypass, a move that looks prescient in retrospect โ he heard from Alabama assistant coach Tosh Lupoi. The Crimson Tide were interested in the dual-threat quarterback.
Joiner described Alabama, which won its fifth national championship under Nick Saban on Monday night, as his โdream school.โ Joiner is set to visit Tuscaloosa the weekend before signing day.
Alabama has yet to officially offer Joiner a scholarship. If Saban extended such an offer, it would be difficult for Joiner to say no โ even with the prospect of competing with Tua Tagovailoa, who came off the bench Monday to lead Alabama to a comeback win over Georgia in overtime. Tagovailoa will be a true sophomore next year.
Joiner also has official visits lined up with Arizona, Nebraska and Baylor. He has offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Nebraska and Central Florida.
Joinerโs official visit to his hometown school is this weekend. He has been in contact with Yates, who tried to reassure him.
โStay calm, stay patient,โ Yates told Joiner. โWeโll get this figured out.โ
Rich Rodriguez and quarterbacks coach Rod Smith were big reasons Joiner committed to Arizona in September 2016. Joiner could see himself thriving in Rodriguezโs version of the spread offense. Joiner developed an especially strong bond with Smith, who probably wonโt return.
โIf heโs not there,โ Joiner said, โit would make a big impact.โ
Like many UA fans, Joiner would like to see Arizona hire former Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin. In the meantime, Joiner is weighing his options.
โAs of now, Iโm committed,โ he said. โIโm just going to see where things go with the coaching staff and base my decision (on) where I feel most comfortable.โ
Coaching update
It appears at least one rumored candidate for the UA job can be eliminated โ and another might be out of the mix as well.
Former UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel has not interviewed for the position, according to a source close to the situation.
Football Scoop reported that Neuheisel was โvery much in play for the Arizona head job,โ but the Star learned Wednesday that it never reached that point.
What actually happened? A prominent UA alum reached out to Neuheisel to gauge his interest and pick his brain. Neuheisel gave his thoughts on what Arizona should do and expressed interest in the job, but it never progressed to a formal interview.
Neuheisel currently works as an analyst for CBS. He coached UCLA from 2008-11 but had only one winning season, going 21-28 overall. He compiled a 66-30 record at Colorado and Washington .
Meanwhile, Troyโs Neal Brown addressed his team Wednesday night after returning from the American Football Coaches Association Convention. The main topic was the upcoming offseason plan for the Trojans โ a sign that heโs likely out of the running for the UA job. An Alabama TV station reported Monday that Brown had interviewed for the position.
