They all thought Kevin Sumlin would be an upgrade. They weren’t alone.
Three recruiting analysts who spoke to the Star this week agreed that, at the time of his hiring, Sumlin appeared to be an ideal choice to lead the Arizona Wildcats. He had won at Houston. He had brought in big-time players at Texas A&M who became first-round NFL draft picks.
He had deep ties in the state. He even had won battles for five-star players from the Phoenix area.
“I thought Sumlin was going to be solid,” said Greg Biggins, the national recruiting analyst for 247Sports.com. “Who knew?”
The Sumlin era didn’t live up to expectations. He was fired after three seasons with a 9-20 record and middling results in recruiting.
A coaching search is underway, and it overlaps with the early signing period, which begins Wednesday.
The Star spoke to Biggins and two others — Adam Gorney, national recruiting analyst for Rivals.com; and Blair Angulo, who covers the west region for 247Sports.com — about potential coaching candidates and the state of UA recruiting.
Their comments have been lightly edited for context and clarity.
On San Jose State coach Brent Brennan
Biggins: “I don’t know what kind of buzz he’d create. But I think you can sell him. He was a really good receivers coach at Oregon State. He got a lot of guys in the door. He has unmatched integrity, unmatched character. He has turned around San Jose State. He has strong Pac-12 ties. His former players still swear by him.”
Gorney: “He’s definitely a recognizable name in Southern California. He has turned San Jose State into a respectable program again, which is very difficult. He’s an aggressive guy. He played in the Pac-12. Do most high school players know who Brent Brennan is right now? Probably not. But once he gets into living rooms or has Zoom meetings, he has an infectious personality.”
Angulo: “His identification of talent is on another level. He’s always one of the first offers for a prospect. When you’re recruiting at the places he’s had to recruit at, you start to develop a sense of players being out of your reach. You don’t waste time. He would have a really good grasp of the type of recruits he can get, the type who are overlooked. He might be able to unearth some jewels. He’s been able to do it everywhere he’s been.”
Oregon coach Joe Salave’a watches from the sidelines during an NCAA college football game against Stanford Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Eugene, Ore.
On Oregon co-defensive coordinator Joe Salave’a
Biggins: “He’s a good recruiter. I think he’s a pretty solid coach. The Polynesian community loves him. He’ll work his butt off. My only concern with Big Joe — he’s a great guy, he’s a grinder — is that he has no head-coach or (play-calling) experience. It’s Andy Avalos’ defense. That’s always a risk when you’re hiring a head coach. When you’re Arizona, you’ve gotta make sure you hit this one.”
Gorney: “A lot of people know him. He’s very well connected in the Polynesian community and around the West. He’s gotten a ton of guys. I think he’d be a tremendous recruiter. I do think it’s a risk to move someone with no head-coaching experience into a Pac-12 job.”
Angulo: “He’s got that uncle mentality. He relates to recruits really well, especially in Polynesian circles. That would be the foundation for him as a recruiter. That’s where he would make the biggest dent, instantly, given his track record, his relationships. Arizona would become a destination for maybe not the top-tier Polynesian players but ... he would be able to land some of these really good players that end up going pro.”
On Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo
Biggins: “I liked him (for Arizona) the first time around. He’s a great football coach. But can you can recruit players to run that (option) system? If he came to Arizona, he’s probably not running that system. ... Military academies are probably the toughest places to recruit. I don’t know who the Navy recruiters are out here (on the West Coast). Recruiting-wise, he’d have to hire a really good staff.”
Gorney: “He obviously has had success. But it’s also a question of, is he going to bring that offense to the Pac-12? If he does, you’re talking about a different recruiting landscape. No one who plays 7-on-7 is going to want to be in that offense. Or is he going to be willing to change? I’m not sure what the vision is. It’s not an indictment on him. But every receiver in the Pac-12 wants the ball thrown his way.”
Angulo: “Why would he even take the call? The way that whole thing unraveled, it was a slap in the face. ... He’s another one that, like Joe, is really well respected in the Polynesian community. Kinda like Brennan, he isn’t recruiting against Power 5 schools, so his evaluations have to be on a different level. That is a benefit for a candidate that’s trying to fill the position at Arizona. ... When you talk about coaches that go in the home and meet with parents, I think he’s at the top of that list. He’s that type of human being.”
Nevada Wolf Pack head coach Jay Norvell has been an assistant at Iowa, Northern Iowa, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Nebraska, UCLA, Oklahoma, Texas and Arizona State.
On Nevada coach Jay Norvell
Biggins: “I think he’d be OK. I’d call that a ‘B’ hire. He’s been around. He’s been at some good places. He’s always been a pretty good recruiter.”
Gorney: “I think that would be a very good pick. Nevada is a very good team. Norvell can recruit. He can take players of average ability and make them better. You’ve seen that out of his quarterbacks and wide receivers.”
Angulo: “He has been around the block and understands not only the conference but the region. They’re super active. They have an energetic staff. I’m concerned about how active they would be in-state, but they do have a few players from Arizona on their commit list. ... You could view him as Herm Edwards Jr. in a way. He’s got that same aura, that same vibe, personality-wise — kind of a no BS, no excuses, let’s just get the job done. From a culture standpoint, that’s the type of change Arizona needs.”
On Boise State coach Bryan Harsin
Biggins: “They don’t ever get Alabama talent, but they’re always so much better than you anticipated. They’re getting guys drafted that you saw in high school that you never saw as draftable guys. They scheme well, and they maximize potential. ... I think Boise State’s a better job than half the Pac-12.”
Gorney: “I would guess that Harsin would be resistant to jump at Arizona now because he wants to see if Mario Cristobal leaves Oregon for Auburn. Oregon is a better job. ... It’s almost easier to recruit at Boise (than Arizona). You can do really well and win conference championships. If kids aren’t dead set on playing in the Pac-12, Boise is a great option. Coaching in the Pac-12 is intriguing, but that job might be a better position (than Arizona).”
Angulo: “Recruiting-wise, they didn’t fall off at all after Chris Petersen left. It’s tough to get players to play in Idaho. That’s similar to Tucson. Even with that roadblock, they’ve been able to do it. He would be tailor made for (the UA) job. It would be an easy transition for him. I feel like he’d be that ideal candidate. ... Is it a better job? Probably not. Is it going to pay better? Probably yes. But how winnable is the Pac-12 South right now? You could make the argument Arizona is the worst off right now. How long are you going to be given to turn it around?”
On the next coach’s recruiting strategy
Biggins: “Try to keep the best kids in state. They always want to leave, but you’ve got to try. ... Arizona always seems to recruit well in Texas. If you don’t have a great base in your own state, and the best guys there aren’t going to stick around, figure out a way to go national. In California, not everybody is gonna go to USC, UCLA, Washington or Cal. Get the next-best guys. ... Arizona has kind of always been a tough place to recruit to. Washington State and Oregon State are the only tougher places in the Pac-12. You’ve got to be really good at evaluating, developing.”
Gorney: “I don’t want to say you forget in-state recruiting, because you can’t. But they’re in a situation where no matter what you do or who you are, they will still struggle to get any semblance of success. ... You have to look at California. Look for the Jermar Jeffersons of the world. You need more J.J. Taylors — guys where there are questions about size but the ability is there. You have to recruit Southern California for the hidden gems the local schools are missing on.”
Angulo: “They have to attack the state of Arizona. There’s no excuse for why they only have one commit in this 2021 group. They need to lock down a handful of prospects. They’re not expected to win the five-star players or four-star QBs, but there are a lot of really quality players. ... Priority No. 2 is to line up a staff with really energetic recruiters. Surround yourself with an energetic staff that is hungry.”
