Hansen's Sunday Notebook: Stoops' ex-coordinator 'going home'
- Updated
Star sports columnist Greg Hansen offers his opinion on recent sports news.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Career comes full-circle for ex-UA assistant Canales
Early Thursday afternoon, Mike Canales walked into the football coaching offices at Utah State, and his 33-year journey through every conceivable rank of college football — through Tucson and Tampa, good and bad — had come full circle.
He was back home.
It’s one of the most fulfilling stories I’ve come across in the fickle world of college football coaching.
Canales was 42 when he was hired as Arizona’s offensive coordinator in January 2004. He was a hot ticket: former coach of North Carolina State quarterback Philip Rivers, soon wooed away to coach with the New York Jets.
Hiring the former Utah State quarterback, who cut his coaching teeth at the BYU-LaVell Edwards-Norm Chow passing factory, was considered a coup of note for new Arizona coach Mike Stoops.
In retrospect, coming to Tucson might have been the worst decision of Canales’ career.
At 42, rather than pursue an opportunity to be the offensive coordinator of the Florida Gators, Canales chose to move close to his roots, his family and children, in Utah and California. He chose to pick up the debris from the failed John Mackovic regime.
It blew up, almost predictably.
By the time Arizona recruited Pac-12-quality offensive players, including quarterback Willie Tuitama and record-setting receiver Mike Thomas, the Wildcats had gone 6-16, and Canales was the designated scapegoat.
In the second game of the 2006 season, LSU mashed Arizona 45-3, and Tuitama was concussed. He wouldn’t be the same all season. Stoops put the UA’s offensive failures on Canales and, two days after a loss to ASU, fired him.
Stoops hired Sonny Dykes, who came off as a conquering hero using the cast Canales had assembled through three trying seasons.
Canales became the offensive coordinator at South Florida, which rose to No. 2 in the nation in 2007. But he eventually lost his job when head coach Jim Leavitt was fired, accused of mistreating players.
Then Canales went to North Texas, where two head coaches, Todd Dodge and Dan McCarney, were fired for losing too much and for some off-field troubles.
At 54, Canales was out of a job. His days as an emerging star on the college football landscape were so far removed that his best job opportunities were as a receivers coach at Weber State and as an offensive analyst at Indiana. Every lead he followed fell through.
It could all be traced back to leaving the NFL for Mike Stoops’ first Arizona staff.
Finally, last week, Canales got a call from his alma mater. Utah State coach Matt Wells asked if Canales would consider being the Aggies’ assistant head coach?
Would he? In 48 hours, Canales was on a plane, en route to Logan, Utah, his career resuscitated where it began in 1980.
When I spoke to Canales on Wednesday, he was ecstatic.
“I’m going home,” he said. “After all I’ve gone through, those are the three happiest words in the world.”
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Sabino's versatile Dixon courted by UA
Sabino High quarterback Drew Dixon had a good week. He was offered scholarships by Hawaii and San Jose State, both as a quarterback. He was then offered a scholarship by Arizona’s Rich Rodriguez, as an athlete, a position to be determined. The 6-foot-4-inch, 200-pound Dixon threw for 1,146 yards and rushed for 446 as a Sabercat junior. He also returned punts and caught seven passes. Sabino coach Jay Campos said “we will play Drew only on offense next year, but use him all over the field — at quarterback, slot receiver, wide receiver, punt returner.” The Sabercats have some leeway because junior-to-be Alex Bell is one of the top young quarterbacks in Tucson prep football.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
UA's Tonnesen clears personal best, wins competition
UA senior decathlete Pau Tonnesen, who finished second in the NCAA a year ago with a school-record 8,247 point total, won the Mountain Pacific States Federation pole vault Friday in Seattle. He cleared 18 feet 1¾ inches, his personal best. Tonnesen, who will compete for Spain in the 2016 Rio Olympics, will enter the outdoor track and field season as the school’s top all-around athlete.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Ex-Cat Womack now a successful businessman
From the Whatever-Happened-To file: Wayne Womack scored 721 points for Arizona’s basketball team from 1989-91, probably the top sixth man in the Pac-10 during his junior and senior years. He was a versatile 6-7 forward who logged 2,194 minutes and backed up the “Tucson Skyline,” future NBA players Brian Williams, Sean Rooks and Ed Stokes. Womack, from Los Angeles, didn’t become an NBA player but he has become a successful businessman. He is the RDC Operations Manager of Sysco Guest Supply in the greater New York City area. Sysco distributes soaps, shampoos and other incidentals to many of the nation’s top hotel chains. Womack’s oldest son was just accepted to attend Yale.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Former Tucson High, Pima standouts to battle in Golden
Former All-ACCAC Pima College basketball players Shakir Smith and Murphy Gershman will play against one another in the RMAC playoffs Tuesday in Golden, Colorado. Smith is averaging 20.6 points per game for Adams State. Gershman, who averages just 10 minutes per game for the Colorado School of Mines, has not started a game in this, his junior year. Both are Tucson High grads.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Holthaus, Pima women inching closer to DII junior college finals
ACCAC women’s basketball coach of the year Todd Holthaus needs two more victories, playoff games Tuesday and Saturday night at Pima College, to advance to the NJCAA Division II finals in Kansas. At 192-98 in his PCC career, Holthaus coached the Aztecs to the 2011 NJCAA championship game and was fifth a year earlier.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Desert Christian legend Malis gets first college hit
After a legendary baseball career at Desert Christian High School, leading coach Grant Hopkins’ team to three successive state titles, and batting as high as .659 in a season, first baseman Zach Malis got his first hit as a college player last week. He hit a game-tying single in the bottom of the eighth, helping Grand Canyon beat Central Michigan 5-4. Malis is sharing time at first base for the Antelopes so far.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Tucsonans Larkin, Charles selected to Pac-12's All-Century Wrestling team
Former Sunnyside High wrestler Eric Larkin and ex-Santa Rita High wrestler Shawn Charles were selected to the Pac-12’s All-Century Wrestling team last week. Both were All-Americans at Arizona State, and Charles later became ASU’s head coach. Larkin now is a supervisor for Arion, a health-care operation in Phoenix.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Former Sahuarita coach Rodriguez returns to Tucson
David Rodriguez, who rebuilt Sahuarita High’s football program into a state championship contender, moved to Oceanside (Calif.) High School last year and coached the Pirates to nine victories and the San Diego section championship. Rodriguez returned to Tucson last week to spend time with the UA staff during spring drills. He was joined be ex-UA offensive lineman Pulu Poumele, a starting guard during Arizona’s Desert Swarm days.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
D-backs coming to Tucson
The Arizona Diamondbacks will make a visit to Tucson during spring training. But it’s not what you might think. It’s a “field trip”’ for school-age kids to teach hitting and pitching mechanics, and it costs $8 to attend. That borders on being insulting. The D-backs last fall cut their final Tucson connection, firing Tucson ambassador Mike Feder and failing to pursue even one exhibition game in Tucson. The “field trip” is March 7 at Hi Corbett Field at 10:30 a.m.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
UA men's golf to host final event of season
Arizona’s men’s golf team will stage its final home golf event Sunday through Tuesday at Tucson National. The UA’s lineup includes George Cunningham, who has missed the year’s first three tournaments because he’s either been slumping or ill. Cunningham was a second-team All-Pac-12 player as a freshman with a 71.6 stroke average. If he’s not good, the Wildcats look every bit their No. 128 national ranking.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Tucson Invitational becoming a local sports institution
Tucson businessman Jim Tiggas will launch the 15th Tucson Invitational Games on Friday at Lincoln Park. Division II, III and NAIA softball and baseball teams will pay 215 softball games and 307 baseball games at Kino Sports Complex and Lincoln Park through April 2. It has become an event of such merit — 118 college teams will stay in Tucson, using about 10,000 hotel room nights — that Tucson mayor Jonathan Rothschild will throw out the first pitch Friday, and the DMAFB 162nd Wing Honor Guard will present the colors.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Former Wildcat Gordon finding his footing in NBA
Former Arizona basketball player Aaron Gordon did more than become an international dunking star at the NBA All-Star weekend. He has moved into the Orlando Magic’s starting lineup and has averaged a double-double (10.8 points and 10 rebounds) over his first 10 starts. He has improved his offensive game notably since his Arizona days when he shot 42 percent from the foul line and made just 16 three-point baskets. At Orlando this season, Gordon is shooting 67 percent from the foul line and has made 27 three-pointers, which is about three feet longer than the college line.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Foothills grad Gianninoto continues NASCAR career
Former Catalina Foothills football standout John Gianninoto, who became a football captain at UNLV, continues his NASCAR career. He left Jeff Gordon’s pit crew over the offseason and is now the head jack man for Chase Elliott’s racing operation. Elliott won the Xfinity title at Daytona last week and won the pole for the Daytona 500.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
Cats, Sun Devils won't offer much this spring
Arizona State football coach Todd Graham won’t have a spring game this year, but for different reasons than Arizona. Sun Devil Stadium is virtually unplayable in Part II of a three-part, $250 million renovation.
The Sun Devils open drills Friday, which is the day Arizona holds its open-to-the-public practice. Arizona isn’t staging a traditional spring game because its defense is under construction the way Sun Devil Stadium is.
The problem with treating spring practice like it’s no big deal, as Arizona has done, is that the public gets a message that there’s nothing to see here. Move on. The UA football program will enter a five-month black hole, away from public consciousness, leading up to August training camp.
- Greg Hansen Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
My two cents: USC would be blind not to consider Byrne as AD
CBS football analyst Rick Neuheisel last week told a radio interviewer that Greg Byrne would be a good fit as the next USC athletic director.
That’s not news. USC’s search firm would be blind unless it reviewed Byrne and asked if he is interested in succeeding Pat Haden.
If offered the job, Byrne would be crazy not to go to USC, with one caveat: Would he willingly sign up for a Los Angeles lifestyle, living on the freeways and mostly being incognito in the community, playing sixth fiddle behind the Dodgers, Angels, Lakers, Clippers and the Rams’ new NFL enterprise?
At USC, the athletic director doesn’t have to worry about keeping up with the Joneses financially.
The Deseret News this week reported that Utah’s athletic department enjoys $16.3 million in subsidies from its students this year. Byrne, who has spoken about establishing a $200-per year assessment for future UA students, gets virtually no subsidy from the school’s general fund.
The Utes and Wildcats both have annual budgets close to $70 million a year. Once the Utes complete the enormous scoreboard currently being built at their football stadium, they will be up to Pac-12 code in all facility aspects. They recently got a $2.3 million donation to re-do their woeful track facility.
By comparison, Arizona’s track facility, Drachman Stadium, is a relic from the 1980s and there are no known plans to bring it into the 21st century.
Even if USC’s AD situation comes and goes without Byrne’s involvement — three Trojans with extensive athletic administrative experience are available — the clock is ticking. Being the AD at Arizona is one of the most difficult jobs among Power 5 conferences.
Byrne’s we’ll-get-it-done approach belies the challenge he faces every day.
Career comes full-circle for ex-UA assistant Canales
Early Thursday afternoon, Mike Canales walked into the football coaching offices at Utah State, and his 33-year journey through every conceivable rank of college football — through Tucson and Tampa, good and bad — had come full circle.
He was back home.
It’s one of the most fulfilling stories I’ve come across in the fickle world of college football coaching.
Canales was 42 when he was hired as Arizona’s offensive coordinator in January 2004. He was a hot ticket: former coach of North Carolina State quarterback Philip Rivers, soon wooed away to coach with the New York Jets.
Hiring the former Utah State quarterback, who cut his coaching teeth at the BYU-LaVell Edwards-Norm Chow passing factory, was considered a coup of note for new Arizona coach Mike Stoops.
In retrospect, coming to Tucson might have been the worst decision of Canales’ career.
At 42, rather than pursue an opportunity to be the offensive coordinator of the Florida Gators, Canales chose to move close to his roots, his family and children, in Utah and California. He chose to pick up the debris from the failed John Mackovic regime.
It blew up, almost predictably.
By the time Arizona recruited Pac-12-quality offensive players, including quarterback Willie Tuitama and record-setting receiver Mike Thomas, the Wildcats had gone 6-16, and Canales was the designated scapegoat.
In the second game of the 2006 season, LSU mashed Arizona 45-3, and Tuitama was concussed. He wouldn’t be the same all season. Stoops put the UA’s offensive failures on Canales and, two days after a loss to ASU, fired him.
Stoops hired Sonny Dykes, who came off as a conquering hero using the cast Canales had assembled through three trying seasons.
Canales became the offensive coordinator at South Florida, which rose to No. 2 in the nation in 2007. But he eventually lost his job when head coach Jim Leavitt was fired, accused of mistreating players.
Then Canales went to North Texas, where two head coaches, Todd Dodge and Dan McCarney, were fired for losing too much and for some off-field troubles.
At 54, Canales was out of a job. His days as an emerging star on the college football landscape were so far removed that his best job opportunities were as a receivers coach at Weber State and as an offensive analyst at Indiana. Every lead he followed fell through.
It could all be traced back to leaving the NFL for Mike Stoops’ first Arizona staff.
Finally, last week, Canales got a call from his alma mater. Utah State coach Matt Wells asked if Canales would consider being the Aggies’ assistant head coach?
Would he? In 48 hours, Canales was on a plane, en route to Logan, Utah, his career resuscitated where it began in 1980.
When I spoke to Canales on Wednesday, he was ecstatic.
“I’m going home,” he said. “After all I’ve gone through, those are the three happiest words in the world.”
Sabino's versatile Dixon courted by UA
Sabino High quarterback Drew Dixon had a good week. He was offered scholarships by Hawaii and San Jose State, both as a quarterback. He was then offered a scholarship by Arizona’s Rich Rodriguez, as an athlete, a position to be determined. The 6-foot-4-inch, 200-pound Dixon threw for 1,146 yards and rushed for 446 as a Sabercat junior. He also returned punts and caught seven passes. Sabino coach Jay Campos said “we will play Drew only on offense next year, but use him all over the field — at quarterback, slot receiver, wide receiver, punt returner.” The Sabercats have some leeway because junior-to-be Alex Bell is one of the top young quarterbacks in Tucson prep football.
UA's Tonnesen clears personal best, wins competition
UA senior decathlete Pau Tonnesen, who finished second in the NCAA a year ago with a school-record 8,247 point total, won the Mountain Pacific States Federation pole vault Friday in Seattle. He cleared 18 feet 1¾ inches, his personal best. Tonnesen, who will compete for Spain in the 2016 Rio Olympics, will enter the outdoor track and field season as the school’s top all-around athlete.
Ex-Cat Womack now a successful businessman
From the Whatever-Happened-To file: Wayne Womack scored 721 points for Arizona’s basketball team from 1989-91, probably the top sixth man in the Pac-10 during his junior and senior years. He was a versatile 6-7 forward who logged 2,194 minutes and backed up the “Tucson Skyline,” future NBA players Brian Williams, Sean Rooks and Ed Stokes. Womack, from Los Angeles, didn’t become an NBA player but he has become a successful businessman. He is the RDC Operations Manager of Sysco Guest Supply in the greater New York City area. Sysco distributes soaps, shampoos and other incidentals to many of the nation’s top hotel chains. Womack’s oldest son was just accepted to attend Yale.
Former Tucson High, Pima standouts to battle in Golden
Former All-ACCAC Pima College basketball players Shakir Smith and Murphy Gershman will play against one another in the RMAC playoffs Tuesday in Golden, Colorado. Smith is averaging 20.6 points per game for Adams State. Gershman, who averages just 10 minutes per game for the Colorado School of Mines, has not started a game in this, his junior year. Both are Tucson High grads.
Holthaus, Pima women inching closer to DII junior college finals
ACCAC women’s basketball coach of the year Todd Holthaus needs two more victories, playoff games Tuesday and Saturday night at Pima College, to advance to the NJCAA Division II finals in Kansas. At 192-98 in his PCC career, Holthaus coached the Aztecs to the 2011 NJCAA championship game and was fifth a year earlier.
Desert Christian legend Malis gets first college hit
After a legendary baseball career at Desert Christian High School, leading coach Grant Hopkins’ team to three successive state titles, and batting as high as .659 in a season, first baseman Zach Malis got his first hit as a college player last week. He hit a game-tying single in the bottom of the eighth, helping Grand Canyon beat Central Michigan 5-4. Malis is sharing time at first base for the Antelopes so far.
Tucsonans Larkin, Charles selected to Pac-12's All-Century Wrestling team
Former Sunnyside High wrestler Eric Larkin and ex-Santa Rita High wrestler Shawn Charles were selected to the Pac-12’s All-Century Wrestling team last week. Both were All-Americans at Arizona State, and Charles later became ASU’s head coach. Larkin now is a supervisor for Arion, a health-care operation in Phoenix.
Former Sahuarita coach Rodriguez returns to Tucson
David Rodriguez, who rebuilt Sahuarita High’s football program into a state championship contender, moved to Oceanside (Calif.) High School last year and coached the Pirates to nine victories and the San Diego section championship. Rodriguez returned to Tucson last week to spend time with the UA staff during spring drills. He was joined be ex-UA offensive lineman Pulu Poumele, a starting guard during Arizona’s Desert Swarm days.
D-backs coming to Tucson
The Arizona Diamondbacks will make a visit to Tucson during spring training. But it’s not what you might think. It’s a “field trip”’ for school-age kids to teach hitting and pitching mechanics, and it costs $8 to attend. That borders on being insulting. The D-backs last fall cut their final Tucson connection, firing Tucson ambassador Mike Feder and failing to pursue even one exhibition game in Tucson. The “field trip” is March 7 at Hi Corbett Field at 10:30 a.m.
UA men's golf to host final event of season
Arizona’s men’s golf team will stage its final home golf event Sunday through Tuesday at Tucson National. The UA’s lineup includes George Cunningham, who has missed the year’s first three tournaments because he’s either been slumping or ill. Cunningham was a second-team All-Pac-12 player as a freshman with a 71.6 stroke average. If he’s not good, the Wildcats look every bit their No. 128 national ranking.
Tucson Invitational becoming a local sports institution
Tucson businessman Jim Tiggas will launch the 15th Tucson Invitational Games on Friday at Lincoln Park. Division II, III and NAIA softball and baseball teams will pay 215 softball games and 307 baseball games at Kino Sports Complex and Lincoln Park through April 2. It has become an event of such merit — 118 college teams will stay in Tucson, using about 10,000 hotel room nights — that Tucson mayor Jonathan Rothschild will throw out the first pitch Friday, and the DMAFB 162nd Wing Honor Guard will present the colors.
Former Wildcat Gordon finding his footing in NBA
Former Arizona basketball player Aaron Gordon did more than become an international dunking star at the NBA All-Star weekend. He has moved into the Orlando Magic’s starting lineup and has averaged a double-double (10.8 points and 10 rebounds) over his first 10 starts. He has improved his offensive game notably since his Arizona days when he shot 42 percent from the foul line and made just 16 three-point baskets. At Orlando this season, Gordon is shooting 67 percent from the foul line and has made 27 three-pointers, which is about three feet longer than the college line.
Foothills grad Gianninoto continues NASCAR career
Former Catalina Foothills football standout John Gianninoto, who became a football captain at UNLV, continues his NASCAR career. He left Jeff Gordon’s pit crew over the offseason and is now the head jack man for Chase Elliott’s racing operation. Elliott won the Xfinity title at Daytona last week and won the pole for the Daytona 500.
Cats, Sun Devils won't offer much this spring
Arizona State football coach Todd Graham won’t have a spring game this year, but for different reasons than Arizona. Sun Devil Stadium is virtually unplayable in Part II of a three-part, $250 million renovation.
The Sun Devils open drills Friday, which is the day Arizona holds its open-to-the-public practice. Arizona isn’t staging a traditional spring game because its defense is under construction the way Sun Devil Stadium is.
The problem with treating spring practice like it’s no big deal, as Arizona has done, is that the public gets a message that there’s nothing to see here. Move on. The UA football program will enter a five-month black hole, away from public consciousness, leading up to August training camp.
My two cents: USC would be blind not to consider Byrne as AD
CBS football analyst Rick Neuheisel last week told a radio interviewer that Greg Byrne would be a good fit as the next USC athletic director.
That’s not news. USC’s search firm would be blind unless it reviewed Byrne and asked if he is interested in succeeding Pat Haden.
If offered the job, Byrne would be crazy not to go to USC, with one caveat: Would he willingly sign up for a Los Angeles lifestyle, living on the freeways and mostly being incognito in the community, playing sixth fiddle behind the Dodgers, Angels, Lakers, Clippers and the Rams’ new NFL enterprise?
At USC, the athletic director doesn’t have to worry about keeping up with the Joneses financially.
The Deseret News this week reported that Utah’s athletic department enjoys $16.3 million in subsidies from its students this year. Byrne, who has spoken about establishing a $200-per year assessment for future UA students, gets virtually no subsidy from the school’s general fund.
The Utes and Wildcats both have annual budgets close to $70 million a year. Once the Utes complete the enormous scoreboard currently being built at their football stadium, they will be up to Pac-12 code in all facility aspects. They recently got a $2.3 million donation to re-do their woeful track facility.
By comparison, Arizona’s track facility, Drachman Stadium, is a relic from the 1980s and there are no known plans to bring it into the 21st century.
Even if USC’s AD situation comes and goes without Byrne’s involvement — three Trojans with extensive athletic administrative experience are available — the clock is ticking. Being the AD at Arizona is one of the most difficult jobs among Power 5 conferences.
Byrne’s we’ll-get-it-done approach belies the challenge he faces every day.
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