5 candidates to replace Kevin Sumlin at Arizona
With a second straight below .500 season looking certain, Kevin Sumlin has to be feeling some heat. Who could replace him at Arizona?
Kevin Sumlin was a marquee hire for Arizona nearly two years ago, coming from Texas A&M, and a 5-7 record in his first season didn’t diminish that glow too much. A 4-1 start this season was a sign things were on the right track.
A 41-31 loss to Stanford on Oct. 26, to cap a three-game stretch where Arizona allowed 132 points in consecutive setbacks, led to Sumlin firing defensive coordinator Marcel Yates and linebackers coach John Rushing. Saturday’s home game against Oregon State looked like an opportunity to get back on track. But it was not to be.
On homecoming in Tucson, the Wildcats allowed 572 yards of offense and a season-high 56 points to the visiting Beavers in what would become 56-38 loss. Oregon State had 385 yards and 35 points at halftime. Entering Saturday’s game, Arizona was 118th in the country in scoring defense and 119th in total defense.
One issue during Sumlin’s two seasons at Arizona is the stunted development of quarterback Khalil Tate. After a 2017 season where he looked like a Heisman Trophy contender, with over 1,400 rushing yards, Tate’s impact with his legs was greatly diminished last year (74 carries for 224 yards and two touchdowns). He’s had an uptick this year (315 rushing yards on 76 attempts through nine games), but that part of his game has still basically gone away. Injuries have been a factor, but offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone also has reportedly tried to turn Tate into a pocket passer. That is a gross misuse of his talent, which ultimately falls on Sumlin.
Sumlin would of course be owed a significant buyout if he were fired without cause $10 million to be exact. That amount would be mitigated/offset by what he would get at another job. That would be on top of the $6.28 million Arizona is paying out to former head coach Rich Rodriguez, who did not have a mitigation (offset) clause in his contract.
With games against Oregon, Utah and rival Arizona State left on the schedule, Arizona could very well lose seven straight games and finish the season 4-8. A win over the rival Sun Devils on Black Friday would be a good note to end the season on, while only matching 2018’s 5-7 mark without a huge upset of either Oregon or Utah to earn bowl eligibility with that win over ASU.
If a decision to swallow a big buyout pill and fire Sumlin comes, here are five candidates to be the next football coach at Arizona.
5. Joe Salave’a, Oregon Defensive Line Coach
Salave’a, a former Arizona player who also played in the NFL, would be an easy candidate for Sumlin to target as a permanent replacement for Yates as the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator. He’s in his third season as associate head coach and defensive line coach at Oregon, after serving in the same role at Washington State from 2012-2016.
As Tucson.com noted, Salave’a is the highest-paid defensive line coach in college football ($650,000 base salary, plus up to $130,000 in incentives). So a possible return to Arizona as defensive coordinator might not be enough to get him to move jobs, even with a better title. But an offer to fill an opening at head coach back at his alma mater? That would be hard to turn down.