Arizona Wildcats officially hire John Richardson as next cornerbacks coach

The Arizona Wildcats officially announced the hiring of John Richardson as their next cornerbacks coach, the program announced Wednesday morning.

Richardson replaces veteran DB coach DeWayne Walker, who left the program last month. Richardson is the final addition to Arizona's defensive secondary staff that includes safeties coach Chuck Cecil and senior defensive analyst Duane Akina, a longtime assistant under former UA head coach Dick Tomey during the "Desert Swarm" era. 

"We are proud to welcome two incredible teachers and mentors to our coaching staff, and we are excited for them to make an immediate impact in our program and specifically with our defense," head coach Jedd Fisch said in a news release.

"Coach Akina is an icon in Tucson, and to have him back here joining our staff is a huge win for Arizona Football. For years, I have heard about Coach Akina, to work with him is truly a blessing.

"As for Coach Richardson, we had a very specific intention when hiring our next corners coach. We wanted someone very familiar with our scheme. We wanted someone very familiar with recruiting California, a native of Southern California, and a proven winner. Coach Richardson fit the bill on all four accounts."

Richardson, a Compton, California, native, last coached for Washington State in 2021, when he was the cornerbacks coach and recruiting coordinator for the Cougars under Nick Rolovich. Current Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura played for the Cougars at that time.

Rolovich was fired for refusing to comply with the state of Washington’s COVID vaccine mandate. Richardson was among the assistant coaches who also were dismissed for that reason.

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During his two abbreviated seasons at Washington State, Richardson mentored cornerback Jaylen Watson, who was an All-Pac-12 honorable-mention selection. Watson has been a regular contributor as a rookie for the Super Bowl-bound Kansas City Chiefs.

Before his time at WSU, Richardson was the cornerbacks coach for Wyoming under Craig Bohl, whom Richardson followed to Laramie after multiple seasons at FCS power North Dakota State. In 2019, Wyoming finished sixth in FBS in red-zone defense and 11th in scoring defense. Richardson helped the Cowboys win the Arizona Bowl in Tucson during the 2019 season.

During Richardson’s time at NDSU, the Bison led the nation in scoring defense for three straight seasons, surrendering an average of 11.8 points per game in that span. North Dakota State won three straight FCS national titles with Richardson on staff. Richardson’s pupils included Marcus Williams, a consensus first-team All-American.

Richardson also played cornerback at North Dakota State and was a two-year starter for the Bison in 2007 and ‘08 after starring at Mt. San Antonio College in California.

Richardson takes over an Arizona cornerback unit that returns veterans Treydan Stukes and Isaiah Rutherford, along with rising second-year players Ephesians Prysock and Tacario Davis.

Arizona is slated to begin spring ball on March 13.