A look at Arizona Wildcats head coach Jedd Fisch’s staff

Since Jedd Fisch was named the Arizona Wildcats’ new head football coach, he’s been at work filling his staff on both sides of the football.

Like Fisch said back on Dec. 23, a program is only as good as the coaching staff you pair it with.

“It’s going to be a coaching staff that has all sorts of diversity to it,” Fisch said during his introductory press conference. “We’re going to build a tremendous staff, I feel very confident in that.

“I feel very confident that one of the greatest assets of moving and being on the different teams that I’ve been on and being involved in being in both college and pro football is the amount of coaches that I’ve come in contact with.”

As we begin to navigate the new year, Fisch’s staff is taking form.

With that being said, here’s a look at the coaches who have been hired or linked to the Wildcats.

Arizona Wildcats coaching staff

Offensive coordinator/offensive line coach — Brennan Carroll

The Wildcats made the hire of Carroll official on the first day of 2021.

The 41-year-old Carroll has been on the Seahawks’ staff as the team’s run game coordinator since 2015 after spending 13 years coaching in college football. The oldest son of Pete had four seasons coaching at Miami, holding roles as a position coach while serving as the national recruiting coordinator. He was with Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch at Miami from 2011-12.

Quarterbacks coach — Jimmie Dougherty

Dougherty was officially hired Monday and will serve as the team’s quarterbacks coach.

Dougherty was a member of the UCLA coaching staff since 2017. He was also on Michigan’s coaching staff as an analyst in 2016.

Running backs coach — Scottie Graham

Current Arizona State senior associate athletics director and former NFL running back Scottie Graham will take over as the Wildcats’ running backs coach, the team announced Monday.

Wide receivers coach — Kevin Cummings

The former Oregon State wide receiver was named as the Wildcats’ wide receivers coach Monday. Cummings has coached wide receivers for the past four seasons with San Jose State.

Tight ends coach — Jordan Paopao

Paopao was named Arizona’s tight ends coach Monday. Paopao coached tight ends at Washington for nine seasons before taking his talents to UNLV in the same capacity.

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Defensive coordinator — Don Brown

Fisch posted a cryptic tweet Tuesday listing the total yards allowed per game that Michigan (2016-19) and Boston College (2014-15) finished with from 2014-19.

Brown, as defensive coordinator, led those units and in 2016 spent time on Michigan’s staff that also included Fisch.

On Thursday, Brown was officially inked as the team’s new defensive coordinator.

Brown spent most of his time coaching out east, serving as head coach at UMass (2004-08), Northeastern (2000-03) and Plymouth State (1993-95).

👀 pic.twitter.com/CLbbygQJsV

— Jedd Fisch (@CoachJeddFisch) January 6, 2021

Defensive backs— DeWayne Walker

A former New Mexico State head coach (2009-2012), Walker has extensive experience coaching defensive backs with college stops all over the West Coast, including stints at Cal (1996-97) and USC (2001). He has also coached DBs for the New England Patriots (1998-2000), New York Giants (2002-03), Washington (2004-05), Jacksonville Jaguars (2013-16) and most recently the Cleveland Browns (2017-19).

Per Football Scoop, he will specialize in coaching corners and nickels.

Defensive backs coach — Chuck Cecil

On New Year’s Eve, the Wildcats made the Cecil hire official.

Cecil starred at Arizona and was a fourth-round NFL Draft selection in 1988.

Following his pro career, Cecil spent 2001-2016 in the NFL coaching defensive backs — he also had a stint as the Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator from 2009-10. Cecil was a senior defensive analyst for the Wildcats under coach Kevin Sumlin from 2018-20 and also served in 2019 as an interim defensive coordinator.

Defensive line coach — Ricky Hunley

The Wildcats made the Hunley hire official on New Year’s Eve.

Hunley was the No. 7 overall pick in 1984 out of Arizona and after his playing career coached linebackers or defensive lines at the college and NFL levels from 1992-2015.

Strength and conditioning coach — Tyler Owens

The Wildcats made Tyler Owens the programs’ newest strength and conditioning coach on Tuesday.

Before taking the Arizona job, Owens was an assistant strength coach at Alabama. He started as a walk-on linebacker at Alabama in 2011 before joining the coaching side following his senior year in 2015.

Coordinator of football alumni & high school relations — Brandon Sanders

A third Arizona alum joined Jedd Fisch’s staff on Thursday, Jan. 21, with former ‘Desert Swarm’ era safety Brandon Sanders becoming the program’s coordinator of football alumni & high school relations.

Sanders previously served as a defensive backs coach with the Tucson Sugar Skulls of the Indoor Football League in 2020 and was the head football coach at Tucson’s Pueblo High School for six seasons before that.

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