Bobby Wade is back at his old stomping grounds.
The former Arizona receiver and all-time receiving yards leader in program history is expected to join Brent Brennan’s staff at the UA as a wide receivers coach, a source told the Star Saturday morning. Brandon Marcello of 247Sports.com was the first to report Arizona’s hiring of Wade.
Brennan was a graduate assistant under former Arizona head coach Dick Tomey during Wade’s sophomore season at Arizona in 2000.
2001: UA’s Bobby Wade runs upfield while ASU’s R.J. Oliver goes flying behind him in the first quarter at Sun Devil Stadium. Arizona beat ASU 34-31 in John Mackovic’s first season.
In Wade’s four-year career with the Wildcats, the Phoenix native and former Desert Vista High School standout recorded 230 catches for 3,351 yards and 23 touchdowns. Besides Arizona’s record-holder for career receiving yards, Wade also owns the single-season receptions record (93). He’s third in single-season receiving yards (1,389) behind Dennis Northcutt and current Wildcat Tetairoa McMillan (1,402), who passed Wade during Arizona’s win over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl. Wade was inducted into the Arizona Stadium Ring of Honor in 2015.
Young fans greet Arizona’s Bobby Wade as he walks onto the field before the UA home opener against NAU on Aug. 31, 2002.
After Tomey was fired in 2000, Wade starred at Arizona under head coach John Mackovic, albeit the Wildcats went 9-14 in Wade’s final two seasons.
Wade was drafted in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, where he was primarily used as a punt returner. Wade also held stints with the Titans, Vikings, Chiefs and Redskins. Wade finished his NFL career with 244 receptions for 2,858 yards and nine touchdowns; as a returner, he had 1,854 yards and one touchdown.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Bobby Wade is pursued by St. Louis Rams cornerback Ron Bartell on a 9-yard catch during the first half of an NFL preseason football game in 2007.
After his playing career, Wade entered the coaching realm in Phoenix and coached at Cesar Chavez High School before becoming a senior offensive analyst with the Arizona State Sun Devils from 2021-23.
Wade joins longtime Arizona assistant Duane Akina, who gave a “decent commitment” to Brennan, as members of Arizona’s on-field coaching staff. Akina’s role on Arizona’s defensive staff is being sorted out.
When asked about a timeline of Arizona finalizing its entire staff, Brennan told the Star on Friday, “So much of my focus has been on the team, on the players.”
“I have spent hours with the players. Literally, yesterday was probably about 15 hours of face-to-face time; groups of four, group of 20, one-on-one, two guys and me, two guys and other people who are here from the previous staff. That’s what’s so different,” Brennan said. “In terms of building the coaching staff, calls are happening at midnight or 6 a.m. when I’m working from the hotel. That part of it has been way different, because before this, you didn’t have a 30-day window, when a coach left, to transfer.
Brennan added there’s an “extreme emergency on the administrative side to replace the head coach because they have to stop the bleeding, because the players don’t know who’s coming in.”
“It’s a way different dynamic now,” Brennan said. “So much of my focus is keeping this great group of kids and these really good players here. We’re working hard on that.
“The staff stuff is starting to take shape.”
Brent Brennan was officially announced as the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats on Tuesday. Brennan flew to Tucson and walked into Arizona Stadium with the Pride of Arizona playing "Bear Down, Arizona" and mascots Wilbur and Wilma greeting the new UA coach. (Video by Justin Spears / Arizona Daily Star)
