BrantΒ Boyer, a linebacker and key part of Arizonaβs Desert Swarm defenses of the 1990s, has been a survivor in the NFL, if nothing else. He has been the New York Jetsβ special teams coordinator the last nine years, surviving the firing of head coachesΒ ToddΒ BowlesΒ andΒ AdamΒ Gase. Last week, the Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh. Here we go again. Boyer, who arrived at Arizona from Snow College (Utah) in 1992, was a sixth-round draft pick in 1994 but managed to play 10 NFL seasons as a special teams standout, which qualified him for the Ring of Honor at Arizona Stadium. ...
New York Jets assistant coach Brant Boyer, pictured in May 2023, is a former Arizona Wildcat now in his 25th year as either a player or coach in the NFL.
β’Β In a lengthy article at Ringer.com last week, former Arizona assistant basketball coach Book Richardson revealed that he recently sat in his car, pondering suicide βshaking, unable to drive.ββ In 2019, Richardson told me he had a gun barrel in his mouth several times, considering suicide, after he had been sentenced to 90 days in prison for accepting money for a potential Arizona recruit. Richardson has been barred by the NCAA from coaching college basketball for 10 years, and now works two jobs: at a prep basketball academy near Indianapolis, and for the AAU New York Gauchos. ...
Motiejus Krivas shows his wingspan during a UA men's basketball program's preseason photo session on Sept. 26 in Tucson.
β’Β In two preseason Top 100 NBA draft rankings released last week, Arizona sophomore center Mo Krivas was ranked No. 17 overall by both ESPN and the Athletic. What do those news outlets know that we donβt know? Krivas averaged just 12 minutes and 5.8 points for the Wildcats as a freshman. UA sophomore guard K.J. Lewis was ranked No. 31 and 34 by the two Top 100 polls. Ex-Wildcat center Oumar Ballo, now at Illinois, did not make the Top 100 in either poll.. ...
This entry is part of longtime Star columnist Greg Hansen's weekly notebook. Looking for more? Find updates and Greg's archive at Tucson.com/Hansen.
β’Β My former Daily Star colleague Pat Finley, now the Chicago Bears beat writer for the Chicago Sun-Times, came across an interesting statistic while researching data on the sluggish start of former No. 1 overall draft pick Bryce Young of Carolina. Young has the fewest wins (two) with 18 NFL starts in history. At No. 4 overall is Arizona icon Fred W. Enke, who quarterbacked just three victories in his first 18 NFL starts, 1948-49, for the Detroit Lions. Enke, who was born 100 years ago this December, ended with a 24-34 NFL record. ...
Bryanna CotΓ©, a Tucson native and alumna of Canyon del Oro High School, poses with the U.S. Womenβs Open trophy after securing her first-career major championship victory as part of the Professional Womenβs Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour on June 20, 2023, at ABC Gates Bowl in Gates, N.Y.
β’Β Tucsonβs Bryanna Cote, who is possibly the top female bowler in the world (or close), won the 2024 PANAM Bowling Champion of Champions event last week in Lima, Peru. She earned a gold medal in the womenβs all-events and a silver medal in womenβs singles. The Canyon del Oro High grad was the 2021 PWBA bowler of the year. ...
Jacksonville State head coach Rich Rodriguez is unhappy with an intentional grounding penalty call during a JSU game against South Carolina on Nov. 4, 2023, in Columbia, South Carolina.
β’Β I made the mistake of watching part of Jacksonville Stateβs 54-13 victory over New Mexico State on ESPN2 Wednesday. It was thoroughly unpleasant. Rich Rodriguez, coach of Jax State, has not changed much from his in-your-face, tantrum-throwing days at Arizona. Even though his 3-3 club won with ease, RichRod spent the night yelling at his players, stomping his feet in anger and, in general, being the same kind of toxic personality that cost him his job at Arizona. RichRod is 61. Will he ever change?
Arizona alum, NBA vet T.J. McConnell: 'My motor is my superpower' | Greg Hansen's NotebookGreg Hansen's Notebook:Β T.J. McConnell will earn $44 million, guaranteed, over the next four NBA seasons. That will give him a career total of $81 million. Not bad for an undrafted free agent deemed too slow, too short and not a good enough shooter to make it in the NBA.
Greg Hansen's Notebook:Β Marana High School record-setter Dezmen Roebuck has a ways to go before reaching 5,000 receiving yards, but with how the top-ranked Tigers are playing, and potentially seven more games on the docket, he may just get there.
From Greg Hansen's Notebook: Once again this season, Pima Collegeβs menβs soccer team is in the hunt to win a NJCAA national championship. Coach Dave Cosgroveβs Aztecs started the season 12-1, and ranked No. 4 in NJCAA Division II.
Greg Hansen's Notebook: When Arizona Wildcat baseball great Terry Francona decided to βunretireββ last week and become manager of the 2025 Cincinnati Reds, it put in play some of the most historic managerial records in MLB history.
From Greg Hansen's Notebook: The Road to a 9-3 record (or better) for Arizona football seemed do-able in this Big 12. Didnβt it? It's hard to fathom, especially after the Wildcats were blown out Saturday at BYU.
