Arizona announced multiple updates to its coaching staff and front-office staff on Tuesday.
The Wildcats officially announced the promotions of Lyle Moevao as the running backs coach, defensive assistant Ronnie Palmer as the defensive ends coach and Courtney Detlefsen, who's been at Arizona since 2024, is now the assistant director of football operations.
Arizona's new hires are assistant wide receivers coach Mike Williams, coordinator of college scouting Andrew Morgan, director of scouting Josh Patterson and coordinator of internal operations Lauren Benjamin, who's taking over for Detlefsen.
Moevao, who was hired in December, succeeds Sacramento State head coach Alonzo Carter, who's guiding the Hornets in their first season as a MAC team.
Moevao has been in an analyst and assistant role since Brennan's first season in 2024. He was Arizona's quarterbacks coach until offensive coordinator Seth Doege was hired just after the ’24 season. Moevao moved to assistant running backs coach this season and "has been an integral part of coaching that position, along with Zo, over the last year," Arizona head coach Brent Brennan said in December.
Arizona offensive assistant coach Lyle Moevao watches his players during an Arizona football fall camp session on the Dick Tomey Practice Fields in Tucson on Aug. 12, 2024.
"It's been a great fit, the guys love him," Brennan said of Moevao. "The transition has been seamless. It's really important. The response from the players when I told them was outstanding. We're really excited about that. ... With the way college football staffs are built now, with everyone having an assistant position coach, depending on who that guy is, sometimes they take more of a load than others.
"Lyle was involved in every aspect of process for those running backs and those players will tell you that."
Moevao will lead a group led by returners Kedrick Reescano and Quincy Craig, along with redshirt freshmen Wesley Yarbrough and Cornelius Warren III. Arizona added former Marshall running back Antwan Roberts in the transfer portal.
Palmer, who's entering his second season with the Wildcats, will have an expanded role alongside defensive line coach Joe Salave'a. The former UA linebacker will coach Arizona's defensive ends and edge rushers. Palmer, who led the Wildcats to the Las Vegas Bowl in 2008, coached Arizona's defensive line last season.
Ronnie Palmer, who was a standout linebacker for the Arizona Wildcats under Mike Stoops, is on Brent Brennan's staff as an assistant defensive line coach.
Both Detlefsen and Benjamin are UA alumni and graduated from the Eller College of Management. Benjamin is returning to Arizona after a season working for the San Francisco 49ers.
Morgan has been on the staff since the spring. The 21-year-old is an Arizona graduate and was a recruiting assistant under former head coach Jedd Fisch and Brennan, before becoming the assistant director of football recruiting at Idaho. The Vandals recently signed the second-best recruiting class in the Big Sky — the highest-rated class in program history, according to 247Sports.com.
Patterson joins Arizona's staff after having a director of scouting role at Oregon State, his alma mater, for five-plus seasons. He oversaw defensive recruiting operations and led defensive scouts and evaluations for high school, junior college and transfer portal players.
Williams was previously a wide receivers assistant coach at Nebraska, where he played for three seasons. The Lake City, Florida, native played a season at East Mississippi Community College, the school featured in the two seasons of "Last Chance U," a docuseries on Netflix. Williams started his coaching career at Luther College in 2021, before coaching three seasons at Nebraska.
Williams will assist Arizona wide receivers coach and former UA star Bobby Wade, who is entering his third season with the Wildcats.
Arizona begins spring practices on March 24, and the annual spring showcase will be on Saturday, April 25, at Casino Del Sol Stadium.
