Usually, the coaching carousel tends to be over by the middle of January. Nick Saban’s retirement has set off a chain reaction after Alabama elected to hire Kalen DeBoer. Washington has now hired Jedd Fisch from Arizona, opening another power five job. Arizona is in a tough situation with athletics after a reported $240 million shortage and rumors that the school may cut sports to help save money. Arizona is not going to be in a position to hire a big-name coach, even though the program is set up for success if they are able to retain the current roster.
Ryan Grubb (Former Washington Offensive Coordinator) – I thought Washington would keep Ryan Grubb as their head coach for roster retention, but they decided to go a different path. Arizona has one of the best offenses in the country, and Grubb would be an excellent hire for the Wildcats. He is rumored to be following DeBoer to Alabama to be the offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide. Grubb has spent the last five seasons as an offensive coordinator and is ready to make the jump to a head coach in the near future. Arizona would be a great fit for him with the skill players on the roster and familiarity after coaching against them the past two seasons.
Brennan Carroll (Arizona Offensive Coordinator) – Pete Carroll’s son has been rising through the ranks of college football. Brennan Carroll began his coaching career coaching for his father at USC before making stops at Miami and the Seattle Seahawks. Carroll has only been a coordinator for three seasons and is relatively inexperienced. Here’s where my proposal comes in: promote Brennan and bring Pete in as an advisory role. Pete is one of the best coaches in football history, winning a college football national championship and a Super Bowl. His name will carry weight to help Brennan get his footing under and can help attract a strong coaching staff. Brennan would also give the Wildcats a chance to retain the current roster with familiarity.
Barry Odom (UNLV Head Coach) – If Arizona is going to look for a candidate who is currently a head coach, Barry Odom should be at the top of the list. Odom helped UNLV to one of their best seasons in program history, winning nine games in his first season. Odom accomplished something almost no one has been able to do at UNLV, and it was just to make a bowl game. UNLV is historically one of the worst football teams in FBS history. Odom also spent four seasons at Missouri coaching in the SEC, so he knows the expectations when coaching against some of the best programs in the country. Odom may not take the Arizona job, but another successful season at UNLV, and someone will snatch him up.
Tyson Helton (Western Kentucky Head Coach) – Tyson Helton has no real ties to Arizona or the West Coast, but I’m putting his name on here because of the fit with the current roster. Western Kentucky continues to have one of the best passing attacks in the country with inferior players. Helton could work wonders with Noah Fifita as his quarterback. He owns a 40-26 record across five seasons, making a bowl game in each year. Western Kentucky has averaged at least 30 points per game in each of the last three years and also had one of the best passing attacks in that time span. Helton’s name will likely not come up, but it should.
Kliff Kingsbury (USC Quarterback Coach) – How about a guy who coached in the state of Arizona and would be recognizable to recruits? Kliff Kingsbury has experience coaching at the collegiate level and the NFL. Kingsbury failed at both stops, but someone is going to hire him to run a program again because of his high-powered offense. Kingsbury helped develop Patrick Mahomes, and that will be enough for some administrators to want to hire him. He was 35-40 with just two winning seasons and three bowl appearances in six years. Kingsbury is not the right choice, but do not be surprised if his name is floated in the coaching search. His familiarity with the Big 12 and experience coaching in the state of Arizona could bring him into the fold.
Andy Ludwig (Utah Offensive Coordinator) – Another off the beaten path candidate is Andy Ludwig. Utah had a rough season offensively, but they also thought Cam Rising and Brant Kuithe were going to play at some point this season. Ludwig had to make the best of a tough situation with former walk-on Bryson Barnes taking snaps. Utah’s scoring offense finished in the top 15 in 2021 and 2022. Ludwig has spent more than two decades as an offensive coordinator at Wisconsin, Vanderbilt, Cal, Oregon, and Fresno State. He has coached with some great minds and surely picked up some things along the way to help run a program. Ludwig is 59 years old with plenty of time to still run a program.
Seth Littrell (Oklahoma Offensive Coordinator) – Seth Littrell spent the past season working on Oklahoma’s staff after being fired from North Texas. Littrell spent seven seasons at the helm for North Texas, making a bowl game in all but one season. Littrell is not a huge name by any means and really does not move the needle much for Arizona fans. He would be a cheap hire and give them a coach with experience running a program and also familiarity with the territory as Arizona moves into the Big 12 next season.
