Quick hitters from the Arizona Wildcats’ media availability after their 14th practice of spring Wednesday morning:
* Players and staff members picked teams for Arizona’s open scrimmage Friday night. Matt Dudek (Arizona's general manager/director of player personnel) and Billy Kirelawich (director of football operations) will coach Team Blue; Chris Singletary (director of recruiting) and Dusty Rutledge (director of high school relations/camps and clinics) will coach Team White.
* UA coach Rich Rodriguez on putting those staff members in charge: "I made four of the off-field guys the de facto head coaches, so I’ll be able to criticize them roundly after every poor decision."
* Rodriguez on drafting teams for the scrimmage: "When you play more of a true game and have something at stake, the competitive juices start to flow.”
* The coaches will manage the veteran players' snaps during the scrimmage, so don’t expect tailbacks J.J. Taylor and Nick Wilson, for example, to get a ton of carries. Players will switch teams if need be.
* Rodriguez on senior guard Jacob Alsadek: "Jacob is not a big rah-rah guy, but he’s a natural leader just by the way he works."
* Rodriguez has been impressed with the way linebacker Tony Fields II, an early enrollee, has adapted to college football. "He’ll contribute as a true freshman, it looks like," Rodriguez said.
* Rodriguez wants to make sure the staff has a plan heading into prime recruiting season. Ending spring ball Friday gives the coaches extra time to prepare.
* Head coaches can't go on the road to recruit in spring, so Rodriguez will meet with every player on the current team during that time.
* Rodriguez said he and the coaching staff will be involved in summer camps in California and Texas (in addition to Tucson).
* Former Arizona receiver/tight end Terrence Miller isn't officially on the staff yet. He needs to do some academic work this summer. If all goes well, he’ll be the Wildcats’ offensive graduate assistant this fall.
* Rodriguez, who's president of the American Football Coaches Association, said he's hopeful the proposal to add a 10th full-time assistant coach will pass but isn't sure it'll go into effect in 2017. The NCAA Division I Council will vote on that proposal and others during its April 12-14 meeting.
* Rodriguez plans to have morning and evening practices in training camp to mitigate the heat, and morning practices during the season. He said the players prefer the morning schedule, which Rodriguez implemented last year.
