Wildcats fans complained about Arizona football defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel and his 3-5-5 defense all last season, those days are over.
Rodriguez is parting ways with defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel and his defensive line coach Bill Kirelawich and they will not return for the Wildcats 2016 season. It must have been an extremely difficult decision for Arizona’s head coach Rich Rodriguez as the coaches all go way back, but he stepped up and did what he felt he needed to do. This should gain him more respect amongst the disgruntled fans who blamed all the Wildcats woe’s on the defense warranted or not.
Kirelawich was rumored to have been hinting at retirement, so his departure may not be a surprise. He has been coaching defenses for over three decades that include four seasons with the Wildcats and the majority with the West Virginia Mountaineers.
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Casteel has been with Rodriguez in Arizona since 2012. Before Arizona, he coached at UTEP and with Rodriguez in West Virginia. Zach Rosenblatt pointed out that Casteel was the 33rd highest paid assistant coach in the nation at $660K according to the USA Today database of hundreds of assistant coaches.
The SEC dominates in this category, with Auburn defensive coach Will Muschamp at the top raking in $1.6M a year. That said, Arizona’s budget is not too shabby so Arizona should be able to find excellent talent out there. Maybe Arizona should up the budget?
Sure the Defense had a ton of injuries, and depth seemed to be an issue, but what most fans thought didn’t work with Casteel’s investment in the 3-3-5 defense that Rodriguez defended half way through the season. Towards the end of the season he told the media that the Wildcats did change the defense up a bit, but without a bye, it was difficult to teach new schemes. Is he ready to let the 3-3-5 go?
Casteel initially joined Rich Rod in 2001 at WVU. Is RR ready to let go of 3-3-5? Told me yrs ago he liked it because it was "different"
— Dave Cooney (@CooneyLand) January 4, 2016
Coach Casteel leaves with heartbreak amongst some of his players who expressed their respect and gratitude for him on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/CodyIpp57/status/684095699277987840
Coach Casteel was the GOAT as a DC
— D' Legynd (@Urban_Legynd) January 4, 2016
I thank coach Casteel for everything he taught me this past season and I am also looking forward to a new start with the new DC‼️
— Rugrat Gone Wild😈 (@BigGucci_Sosa8) January 4, 2016
So far, Arizona has one de-commit, Kapri Doucet over the exit of coach Casteel is now back in the search for a school.
JC LB Kapri Doucet, who committed to Arizona last week, reopens recruitment after firing of DC/LB coach Jeff Casteel https://t.co/t4AKeCZyK8
— Michael Lev (@MichaelJLev) January 4, 2016
More wildcats: Arizona Football 2015 season review from beginning to end
The school announced earlier on December 21, 2015, that cornerbacks coach David Lockwood was leaving the program and would not return. This wasn’t a surprise because Arizona ranked 10th in the Pac-12 Conference and 112th nationally in yards allowed per game (268 yards). Jahmile Addae will replace Lockwood. Addae has been with the Arizona football program for the last three years and was a former player for Coach Rodriguez at West Virginia.
Looks like Addae and safeties coach Matt Caponi are the only two defensive coaches left on the staff at this point. Should get interesting!
Thanks for that Pac-12 South championship and for all the time and effort you put in to make Arizona the best Coach Casteel and Coach Kirelawich..we wish you much luck in the future.
BearDown Arizona!