5 candidates to replace Kevin Sumlin at Arizona

2. Alex Grinch, Oklahoma Defensive Coordinator

Grinch is in his first year as defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Oklahoma, and he has fostered some instant notable improvement. The Sooners, even after a bad effort against Kansas State in their last game, sits 30th in the country in total defense, tied for 42nd in scoring defense, 42nd in rush defense and 38th in pass defense. In 2018, they were 114th, 101st, 59th and 130th in the country in those respective categories.

Grinch spent the 2018 season as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Ohio State, and before that he was defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Washington State for three seasons (2015-2017). He also led great improvement as the coordinator at Washington State, taking a unit that was 127th in the country in pass defense the year before he arrived to ninth in the country against the pass in his last season there.

Grinch should get some level of head coaching interest in this year’s cycle. As Arizona looks for someone who can lead quick improvement of their defense, there may not be a better target out there if they let Sumlin go.