The Arizona football program will hire three new coordinators after going 4-8 in head coach Brent Brennan’s first season.
The Wildcats won’t retain offensive coordinator Dino Babers, who was on a one-year deal, and will reassign defensive coordinator Duane Akina to coach the UA defensive secondary. Linebackers coach and special teams coordinator Danny Gonzales will also remain on the staff, but in a role that will be announced in the future.
Before meeting with media on Thursday, Brennan said in a news release: “This season did not come close to meeting the standards that we have as a program and no one is more disappointed than me.
“As the head coach, it is my responsibility to evaluate all areas of the program and I felt these changes will positively impact the long-term success of the program. I want to thank Dino for his hard work dedication to the University of Arizona, our program and our student-athletes.”
Arizona offensive coordinator Dino Babers answers questions during a preseason media luncheon at Arizona Stadium on July 30.
Brennan said, “It was always a one-year deal with (Babers),” who joined Arizona’s staff after multiple head coaching stints at Eastern Illinois, Bowling Green and Syracuse. Babers was previously an offensive assistant under former head coach Dick Tomey for six seasons from 1995-2000.
“Where we are right now allows us take the next step,” added Brennan. “That part of it is exciting. It’s my job to exhaust all options and all possibilities and do whatever we have to do to give us the best chance to play football at Arizona.”
Arizona’s offense dropped from 18th nationally in total offense in 2023 to 115th this season. After producing 53 touchdowns last season, the Wildcats only scored 29 this season and had the second-worst red zone offense in FBS.
Following Arizona’s 24-point loss to Kansas State in Manhattan, Babers relinquished play-calling duties to tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Matt Adkins. Arizona won its first game against 10th-ranked Utah with Adkins as offensive play-caller but the Wildcats won only one game for the remainder of the season. Arizona had the second-lowest scoring offense in the Big 12 — averaging 21.8 points per game — and rushing offense. Arizona had five games this season with fewer than 100 net rushing yards.
“This is a result-oriented business,” Brennan said. “We didn’t score enough points. In the simplest offensive football terms, we needed to be more productive that way. It was challenging for (quarterback Noah Fifita) because we had issues running the football and we had issues protecting him. If you can protect him, then he can deliver the ball and we’ve seen how awesome he is at that.
“If you can run the ball, that also takes a little bit of pressure off the protection in the pass game, so we’ve got a lot to fix.”
Fifita had a 23:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio last season; this year, he finished with 18:12. A season after Fifita became the only Wildcat in school history to have a completion rate (73.6%) higher than 70%, he dropped to 60.5% in the new system. Fifita had the most throwaways (37) in college football this season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita, jogs off the field after a loss to BYU Oct. 12, 2024, in Provo, Utah.
A “big part” of hiring Arizona’s next offensive coordinator, which will be an external applicant, will be tied to the development of Fifita. The Arizona quarterback “has every intention of returning but I think who we hire here is going to have an impact on that,” Brennan said.
“He has to be excited about the person we bring in to be the play-caller ... because there’s no position more important in all of sports than the quarterback position,” Brennan said. “The development there, the consistency there, that is going to translate into us winning football games next fall. And that’s what Noah wants, too. Noah wants to play great football. I’m hellbent on finding the best person to help move this offense forward with Noah Fifita as the guy playing quarterback.”
Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (11) talks with his head coach Brent Brennan before a game against New Mexico, Aug. 31, 2024, in Tucson.
Brennan said his ideal offensive coordinator is also someone with “a track record of calling plays and can coordinate the run and pass game,” he said.
Arizona’s defense was plagued with injuries this season and played without three defensive captains in linebacker Jacob Manu, safety Gunner Maldonado and nickel back Treydan Stukes — who all suffered season-ending leg injuries — in the second half of the season. Due to the accumulated injuries, the Wildcats relied on several inexperienced players and shifted their 4-2-5 base defense to a dime package.
The Wildcats had the third-worst scoring defense in the Big 12 and surrendered 31.8 points per game. Arizona also had the second-worst rushing defense in the conference and allowed 175.3 rushing yards per game. The Wildcats lost eight games by a combined 191 points this season.
Arizona defensive coordinator Duane Akina answers questions during a preseason media luncheon in Tucson on July 30, 2024.
After the season, Brennan and Akina met and decided “he’s going to back to producing NFL defensive backs,” said the Arizona head coach. Akina has coached three Jim Thorpe Award winners between his time at Texas and Arizona.
“No one is better at teaching and coaching the secondary than he is, and I think that’s going to be incredibly valuable for us,” Brennan said.
Akina’s role won’t heavily impact the roles of cornerbacks coach Chip Viney and nickel backs coach Brett Arce.
“I’m really excited about how that’s going to work with those three, because I think you have a great mix of experience with Duane, then the youth and energy of Chip and Coach Arce,” said Brennan.
Arizona’s special teams units hit some bumps this season.
Kicker Tyler Loop set a school record with a 62-yard field goal, but the Wildcats had blunders throughout the season, including missed PATs and chip-shot field goals due to a shaky hold, Kansas State returning a punt 73 yards for a touchdown, a failed onside kick to begin the Colorado game, Texas Tech converting a 2-point conversion on a “swinging gate” play and West Virginia scoring a touchdown with a fake field goal.
Arizona will hire a full-time special teams coordinator instead of a coach with dual titles like Gonzales, who is also linebackers coach.
“I’m looking for someone that is narrowly focused on that,” Brennan said. “This is where we’re heading. I’m excited about the future, excited about what we’re going to do and the people we’re going to talk to in this process.”
The decision to move on from Akina and Gonzales as coordinators goes back to football being “a result-oriented business,” Brennan said.
Arizona linebackers coach Danny Gonzales, far right, shown during spring football practice in March 2024.
“There’s a fine line in seeing the value in what they bring because they’re both outstanding coaches and I think we all know that,” Brennan said. “But what we were doing was obviously not working. ... As we look at the possibilities that are out there, it doesn’t mean we won’t take into consideration Danny’s track record as a defensive play-caller. In the mean time, it’s my job to explore these options and see what is out there that gives us the chance to be where we want to be.”
Gonzales was a defensive coordinator at San Diego State and Arizona State for two seasons under former ASU head coach Herm Edwards. Brennan hinted at the possibility of hiring Gonzales as the next defensive coordinator, “but in the short term, I have to look at everything I can,” he said. Whether it’s Gonzales or someone else, the next defensive coordinator will be Arizona’s sixth one since 2019.
Brennan declined to comment on Arizona dismissing other position coaches “because we’re still figuring out who’s coming in.”
“There could be some other things that happen down the road or maybe not. ... Whoever we bring in for (the offensive coordinator job) will want to talk about the guys that are here, possibly interview them,” Brennan said. “Sure, he may have a guy or two that he wants to be a part of this and thinks he can be successful — and that’s something I have to listen to. I have to entertain that and see if it works.”
Some of Arizona’s coordinator candidates are coaching in conference championship games this weekend. Notable offensive coordinators leading their respective teams this week include Boise State’s Dirk Koetter, who has Power 4 and NFL experience, and “go-go” offensive play-caller Brennan Marion (UNLV), whose name has surfaced for multiple Power 4 jobs.
Arizona head coach Brent Brennan during a game against Texas Tech onOct. 5, 2024, in Tucson.
Between the time between games this weekend and the transfer portal opening on Monday, Brennan hopes to hire new coordinators soon, but isn’t clamoring to have a final decision by Monday.
“I think the most important thing is that we hire the best person we can for the job,” Brennan said. “I don’t want to accelerate that. ... The most important thing is that I am diligent about this process to find the best person we can bring in for Arizona football.
“I’m trying to do it on an accelerated timeline but I also understand the portal will be open for a good stretch. We can get done whatever we need to get done.”
Extra points
- Brennan said he talks to Arizona athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois “about three times a day” regarding the UA’s new coordinators. Said Brennan: “She’s been great. You want to work in alignment with your athletic director. ... It’s an ongoing discussion.”
- Brennan said positions of need in the transfer portal are offensive line, wide receivers and defensive line.
