Arizona Wildcats announce Duane Akina as defensive coordinator

One of the most renowned defensive assistant coaches in Arizona football history is back in the coordinator chair on head coach Brent Brennan's staff.

Duane Akina was officially announced as the Wildcats' defensive coordinator on Wednesday.

Akina is the sixth defensive coordinator at Arizona since 2019, a list that includes Marcel Yates, Chuck Cecil (interim), Paul Rhoads, Don Brown and Johnny Nansen, who's now a linebackers coach and co-DC at Texas. 

The 67-year-old and fiery Akina assisted Nansen, in elevating an Arizona defense that rose from 124th nationally in total defense to No. 48 in the last two seasons. Akina helped implement the double-eagle flex defense against run-heavy teams, which was deployed during Arizona's 38-point win at Washington State. 

Akina was initially hired by Arizona as a senior analyst in '23, but was elevated to an on-field coaching role with the Wildcats's defensive secondary, while defensive line coach Ricky Hunley recovered from leg surgery.

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Arizona's secondary of Tacario Davis, Treydan Stukes, Dalton Johnson, Gunner Maldonado and Ephesians Prysock improved over the course of the 13-game season with Akina's help. Davis led the Pac-12 in pass breakups (15), Johnson was second in the conference in forced fumbles (3), and Maldonado was second in the league in fumble recoveries (3); his 87-yard return for a touchdown propelled Arizona to beat Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl.

Akina has also held roles as a defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at the UA during the celebrated "Desert Swarm" era under Dick Tomey from 1987-2000; Brennan was a graduate assistant at Arizona for one season in 2000. After Tomey's firing in 2000, Akina was promoted from defensive backs coach to defensive coordinator under new head coach John Mackovic, but left for Texas shortly after.  

Akina briefly coached Arizona's defensive backs in 2011 under Mike Stoops, but returned to Texas to coach defensive backs after Jerry Gray became the Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator. Akina mentored three Jim Thorpe Award winners between his time at Arizona and Texas: Darryll Lewis (Arizona), Michael Huff (Texas) and Aaron Ross (Texas). At Texas, Akina coached the Longhorns from 2001-13 and helped UT win a national championship at the Rose Bowl against USC in 2006.

Prior to his second stint at Arizona, Akina coached defensive backs at Stanford under David Shaw from 2014-22. Akina now appears headed back to Tucson to work for a fifth head coach at Arizona between Tomey, Mackovic, Stoops, Jedd Fisch and now Brennan.