After weeks of searching, the Wildcats finally have found their guy. On Monday morning, coaching news was buzzing about Arizona Football possibly hiring Scott Boone as their new linebacker coach.
Things can begin to resume as normal for the Wildcats, as Scott Boone is officially hired to be the new linebacker coach for the Arizona Football team. Boone joins the Cats, after having recently coached at the University of Nevada in Reno.
Join us in welcoming Coach Scott Boone to our football family! #BearDown https://t.co/rQzmtKU3V6 pic.twitter.com/30jcYAzhax
— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 20, 2016
But what about Defensive Coordinator Marcel Yates? Don’t worry, he is still here, doom-sayers keep calm. Boone will be the new coach of the linebackers, and Yates will move to the secondary, his specialty. Yates served as coach of the secondary while at Boise State and also played defensive back for the Broncos from 1996-99.
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What does this mean for Arizona moving forward? Well, we will certainly find out. The Wildcats had a nightmarish season, finishing 3-9, and subsequently losing their lead recruiter and defensive backs coach, Donte Williams.
Even the throttling of rival ASU could lessen the sting of a temporary downward spiral. In the coming weeks, Arizona has lost a few commitments (something to be expected with coaching changes, as well as when you have a high number of early commits). However, the Wildcats still couldn’t seem to shake the 2016 blues, long after the season has been over.
Perhaps good things may now be on the horizon. The influx of de-commits seems to have leveled off, and Arizona finally has their guy.
Confirmed: Former Nevada DC Scott Boone to become #arizonawildcats LB coach. Could become official as soon as today.
— Michael Lev (@MichaelJLev) December 19, 2016
Meet Scott Boone, the former linebackers coach, and defensive coordinator for the Nevada Wolfpack. Boone has been in the coaching ranks for some time and has made stops at FCS William & Mary and Nevada as assistants, and Randolph-Macon College, the Division III school in Ashland, VA as head coach.
Not typically known for his recruiting, Boone is seen as a well-respected coach, with good coaching ability. Prior to Boone’s first season with the Wolf Pack, Nevada’s defense averaged 34.4 points and 505.3 yards allowed per game in 2013. In 2014, Boone’s inaugural season at Nevada, the Wolf Pack defense improved to 27.2 points and 447.1 yards allowed.
Additionally, Boone coached Ian Seau, the nephew of former NFL Hall of Famer Junior Seau. Under Boone’s guidance, Ian became a great, college defensive player, even having a brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams in his post-college playing career.
This is definitely an interesting hire, and we personally like the move. Boone is known for his coaching ability, something the Wildcats certainly can’t forget about, just for the sake of getting the “good” players. As much as the Wildcats need talent, they also need coaching to train that talent.
Next: Arizona Football Signs Massive JUCO Defensive Commit
At Zona Zealots, we want to welcome Boone to the staff, and can’t wait to hopefully finish out this class strong! Bear Down, Arizona, and Welcome to Arizona, Scott!