Arizona Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez said last week that his program needed to go in a “new direction” on defense. It will be a complete 180, at least in terms of coaching.
Safeties coach Matt Caponi, who had been with the UA since 2012, left the program for West Virginia on Tuesday, meaning the Wildcats will have an entirely different defensive coaching staff next season.
Rodriguez fired cornerbacks coach David Lockwood in December, replacing him with Jahmile Addae, who had been on staff as an analyst. Earlier this month, Rodriguez parted ways with defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Jeff Casteel and defensive line coach Bill Kirelawich. Now Rodriguez has three openings to fill.
Rodriguez, who has been interviewing candidates at the American Football Coaches Association Convention in San Antonio, was not available for comment. The convention ends Wednesday, when spring-semester classes begin at the UA. The football team — which includes seven midyear enrollees — is expected to meet Wednesday night. The players could learn the identity of the new defensive coaches within the next few days.
Arizona regressed defensively each of the past two seasons, bottoming out during an injury-filled 2015. Caponi has coached the Wildcats’ safeties since 2013 after coming to the UA as a graduate assistant the previous year.
Caponi will work under Tony Gibson, his predecessor as Arizona’s safeties coach. Caponi’s departure was not considered a surprise within the program; Rodriguez had known it was a possibility for a few weeks. Caponi is from Pittsburgh, which is about 75 miles from Morgantown, home of WVU.
“I’d like to take this moment to bid farewell to the University (of) Arizona as I embark on a new chapter in my coaching career at West Virginia University,” Caponi posted on his Twitter feed. “To Coach Rod, the Wildcats and the city of Tucson, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to represent your university and work with some of the most talented athletes in college football. … Bear Down Always.”
Caponi had been active in recruiting; he recently made an offer to Lackawanna (Pa.) College linebacker Emmanuel Beal, who originally had been recruited by Kirelawich.
Football staff members such as analyst Vince Amey and director of on-campus recruiting and player personnel Matt Dudek can participate in full recruiting activities on a temporary basis until the openings are filled. Amey, a former defensive tackle at Arizona State, could be a candidate to coach the defensive line.
Wednesday marks the last day of the NCAA’s monthlong recruiting “dead period.”
Scout.com reported Tuesday that Casteel could join the staff at UTEP. Casteel coached defensive ends at UTEP in 2000 before joining Rodriguez’s staff at West Virginia the following year.
UTEP reportedly is set to part ways with both of its coordinators. A UTEP official would not confirm the hiring of Casteel, but did say the school will hold a news conference to announce staff changes Thursday. The Miners’ staff includes Spencer Leftwich, who coached tight ends at the UA in 2012.
