Kevin Sumlin's first Arizona Wildcats coaching staff features six new faces, with more to come

New Arizona Wildcats coach Kevin Sumlin has yet to announce his staff. He told the Star on Friday that it would be revealed “pretty soon.” HR and contract paperwork is believed to be the holdup.

But most of the staff is in place and on the job.

Six new assistant coaches are listed in the UA faculty directory: Joe Gilbert, Noel Mazzone, Clarence McKinney, John Rushing, Jeremy Springer and Iona Uiagalelei. WildcatAuthority.com first reported that those staffers were on campus.

The Star previously reported that Uiagalelei would join the staff and coach the defensive line. He has been the defensive coordinator at Mt. San Antonio College, a respected JC in Southern California, for several years.

The Star also reported that Springer would come aboard as special-teams coach. He previously worked under Sumlin at Texas A&M.

Mazzone and McKinney also were part of Sumlin’s staff in College Station. Mazzone is expected to be the offensive coordinator and could coach quarterbacks depending on who else joins the staff. McKinney likely will coach running backs.

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Gilbert has spent the past six years with the Indianapolis Colts, serving as offensive line coach and assistant offensive line coach. He has ample college experience, including 2008 under Sumlin at Houston.

Rushing goes way back with Marcel Yates, who’s being retained as defensive coordinator. Rushing coached Yates at Boise State and worked with him at Montana State. Rushing mainly has coached defensive backs, spent several seasons coaching in the NFL and worked last year at Oregon State.

Rushing is expected to share secondary duties with Demetrice Martin, whom the Star previously reported will join Sumlin’s staff. Martin’s name does not yet appear in the directory, however.

The six confirmed newcomers plus Yates would constitute seven-tenths of the staff. Football Scoop and others have reported that receivers coach that Theron Aych will be kept as receivers coach. That would leave two open spots.

If Martin fills one of them, the other new assistant would coach linebackers.