Michael Lev: Needing new DC nothing new for UA despite Jedd Fisch’s quest for continuity

It isn’t surprising that defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen left Arizona for a similar job at Texas.

You know what would have been? If he hadn’t.

UT is a higher-profile program than UA. The Longhorns have deeper pockets. Such is the way in college football — even with the Wildcats coming off a 10-3 season.

Texas is a “have.” Arizona isn’t a “have-not.” But the UA is a “not-have-quite-as-much.”

The price of success is steep. The more you win, the more other programs will want your coaches — and, in today’s era of the transfer portal and NIL, your players as well.

It’s been the chorus since November as the Wildcats soared to a season-ending six-game winning streak, topped a month later by a gutty win in the Alamo Bowl: Can Jedd Fisch keep the band together?

The ever-optimistic coach has spoken wistfully about the staff continuity enjoyed by Steve Spurrier at Florida, where Fisch went to college and got his break into coaching. Different times, alas.

A modern-day version — a true exception in this transient, transactional business — can be found in Arizona’s rival to the north. And no, we’re not talking about ASU.

Kyle Whittingham has been Utah’s full-time head coach since 2005. He’s had the same defensive coordinator, Morgan Scalley, since 2016 — at which point Scalley was a decade into his time as a member of the Utes’ staff.

Whittingham has had the same offensive coordinator, Andy Ludwig, since 2019. He will have been in Salt Lake City for the entirety of quarterback Cameron Rising’s career as a Ute. Trust me: That’s a long freaking time.

Fisch wants what Utah has. One could argue he’s almost there.

Attendance has spiked over the past three seasons as Arizona football has risen from the ashes. The Wildcats defeated the Utes, soundly, ending a six-game series losing streak. And, at least on one side of the ball, Fisch has kept the band together.

As of Sunday, the UA hasn’t had a single change to its offensive staff since Fisch became the head coach and hired the following men: Brennan Carroll, Jimmie Dougherty, Scottie Graham and Jordan Paopao. The only change to their duties has been Paopao taking on more special-teams responsibilities. Otherwise, status quo.

Which is remarkable.

To put that feat in some context, let’s look at the other side of the ball. The only current defensive coach who’s been with Fisch from the start — and has the same job — is safeties coach Chuck Cecil. Ricky Hunley remains on staff, but he shifted from an on-field to an off-field role this past season while recovering from knee surgery.

Defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi followed Nansen from UCLA, arriving in December 2021. Cornerbacks coach John Richardson joined the staff in February ’23, succeeding DeWayne Walker. Duane Akina also came back last winter.

Whoever succeeds Nansen will be Fisch’s third defensive coordinator as the head coach enters his fourth season at the UA. That’s not how Fisch planned it.

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

He surely didn’t expect Don Brown to be his Forever DC when he hired him in 2021; Brown was 65 years old at the time. But Fisch couldn’t have foreseen the UMass job coming open — the one job Brown, a Massachusetts native and former Minutemen head coach, couldn’t turn down.

For Nansen, moving on was also, well, personal. He has worked for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian twice before, at Washington and USC. Nansen also goes way back with his new co-coordinator, Pete Kwiatkowski.

We’d be naïve to think there isn’t a financial component in play here, too. Nansen will make more money. He’ll have more security. And he’ll work at a place that has more resources.

His comments in Texas’ news release announcing his hiring tell you everything you need to know.

“When Coach Sark called it was an easy decision. It’s a dream come true to work at a place like Texas — with all its rich history and tradition,” Nansen said.

“The caliber of players and the commitment that The University of Texas has for football is second to none. Texas is a place where you can compete for national championships, work with the best of the best and be a part of a place and a state that loves its football, which is so exciting.”

Fisch is striving to make Arizona all of those things. He believes it’s possible here. It remains to be seen if it is.

Lute Olson built the UA into a basketball superpower. Football is a different beast — and it’s becoming more challenging by the minute with NIL escalating and the transfer rules loosening.

Continuity is vital. But it’s also idealistic. Maybe nothing more than a pipe dream.

Fisch is about to hire a third defensive coordinator in four years through no fault of his own. But that’s not even the wildest number when it comes to Wildcat DCs.

The next man up will be Arizona’s sixth defensive coordinator since the start of the 2019 season.

Marcel Yates was fired that October. Cecil served as the interim DC for the rest of that season. Paul Rhoads — Remember him? You’re forgiven if you don’t — was the coordinator for the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. Then came Brown. Then Nansen.

Arizona’s defense was among the most improved units in all of college football this season. One of the reasons cited: Continuity. Two whole seasons’ worth. That sounds kind of ridiculous. But the following is a fact: Nansen was the longest-tenured UA defensive coordinator since Yates.

Losing assistant coaches, for whatever reason, isn’t a problem that’s unique to Arizona.

The coordinators at national finalist Michigan, Sherrone Moore and Jesse Minter, have been in their current roles for one and two seasons, respectively. Jim Harbaugh has been the Wolverines’ head coach since 2015. The only on-field assistant who’s been with him the entire time is his son, Jay. Seven of the nine weren’t at Michigan or weren’t full-time employees there before 2021.

Nick Saban has been at Alabama for 17 seasons. He’s had nine offensive coordinators and six defensive coordinators (including Kevin Steele twice) while winning six national championships.

The difference between those programs — Michigan, Alabama, Texas, etc. — and Arizona is that they basically have bottomless budgets when it comes to football. That isn’t the case here, and it never will be.

For someone like Fisch, that turns the concept of continuity into a conundrum.