Former UA assistant Babers likely on everybody's list
Dino Babers was a 37-year-old “beginner” as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of Arizona’s 12-1 team of 1998. He was a rising star.
But when Dick Tomey was asked to resign in 2000, Babers’ career detoured. He coached at Texas A&M, Pitt and UCLA before being re-discovered under Art Briles at Baylor.
Now Babers, 54, is on everyone’s must-hire list. On Saturday, CBS analyst Rick Neuheisel predicted Babers will be the next head coach of the Miami Hurricanes.
Babers went 12-2 as head coach at Eastern Illinois in 2013. He then was hired by Bowling Green. This year he is 7-2, with victories over Purdue and Maryland. More impressive, Bowling Green is averaging 593 yards and 46 points a game.
Before arriving at Arizona in 1994, Babers first coached under Tomey at Hawaii in 1984. As the Rich Rodriguez saga develops, don’t be surprised if you hear Babers’ name connected to Arizona and every other Power 5 conference opening.
