Ricky Barnes hits off the tee on the second hole during the first round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament, July 6, 2023, at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill.Β
βΒ Ricky Barnes was a first-team golf All-American at Arizona in 2003 and the 2002 U.S. Amateur champion. He has since played in 353 PGA Tour events. At 44, he is aiming for the PGA Champions Tour after his 50th birthday. Until then, Barnes may have found a new gig. He was the analyst on the Golf Channel's broadcast of a Par 3 tournament last week. He nailed it. He seems like a natural. I wouldn't be surprised to see Golf Channel or a network hire him full time.
βΒ Jake Casteel was a star linebacker on Dennis Bene's 2013 state football championship team at Salpointe Catholic. Casteel, son of former UA defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel, last week was hired to be the head coach at Division II Glenville State in West Virginia, the school that Rich Rodriguez coached for seven years before moving to Division I coaching. Casteel played for four years at NAU before coaching for, among others, Boise State, Cal Poly and Jacksonville State. At 30, he was a defensive analyst on RichRod's West Virginia team this season. Jake's father is a linebackers coach at West Virginia.
Arizona general manager Gaizka Crowley got his start in the scouting business for the company that eventually became XOS Digital.
βΒ Arizona football general manager Gaizka Crowley, who has left Tucson to take a similar position at Arkansas, was paid $175,000 at Arizona. The UA might have to double that amount to stay competitive in the GM business. Texas Tech GM James Blanchard has a three-year, $1.58 million contract. Former UA football ops director Matt Doherty has a two-year $750,000 deal for Jedd Fisch at Washington. If you ever wonder how spending in college sports got so out of control, this is a good example. Alabama pays its football GM, Courtney Morgan, $850,000 per year. Where does it stop?
Mica Mountain's head coach Jay Campos gets a hug from Korben Greene (32) after the Thunderboltsβs 21-0 win over Sahuaro and a first place finish in 4A Kino, Oct. 31, 2025, in Tucson.
βΒ Mica Mountain state championship football coach Jay Campos has climbed the ladder among the 10 leading high school football coaches in Tucson history, based on career victories. Here is the updated list: Vern Friedli, Amphi, 288 wins; Jeff Scurran, Sabino/Catalina Foothills/Santa Rita/CDO, 251; Dennis Bene, Salpointe, 184; Todd Mayfield, Tucson/Palo Verde, 173; Pat Nugent, Flowing Wells/CDO/Cienega/Mica Mountain, 172; Richard Sanchez, Sunnyside/Tucson/Santa Rita, 161; Nemer Hassey, Sahuaro/Cienega, 151; Campos, Sahuaro/Mica Mountain, 145; Matt Johnson, Rincon/Catalina Foothills, Ironwood Ridge, Mountain View, 145; Wayne Jones, Mountain View, 134.
βΒ Former Salpointe Catholic all-star football player Bruno Fina will finally get a chance to play against Arizona State. Fina, Duke's starting left tackle who has 38 career starts in a six-year career with UCLA and the Blue Devils, will meet the Sun Devils in the Sun Bowl on New Year's Eve. Fina's father, John Fina, was a second-team All-Pac-10 lineman at Arizona who went 3-1 against ASU in his Arizona career, 1988-91, before becoming a first-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills and playing 11 NFL seasons.
