As Spring football nears, Rich Rodriguez and the Wildcats look to replace receivers coach Tony Dews, who is heading back to West Virginia.
Arizona Football continues to battle turnover, and bad luck as Spring Football nears. A typical part of the daily operations of every football program in the country, the Wildcats learned they would need to replace receivers coach Tony Dews. Dews recruited Arizona QB Khalil Tate and other key offensive athletes.
It has been a busy few months for Arizona football since the end of the season. Whether it be a few football de-commitments or the departure of Donte Williams and the subsequent hiring of Scott Boone, more movement seems to be ongoing at a time we all wish it would become more stable.
Dews has been with the Wildcats since Rodriguez first arrived in Tucson. Before his arrival here, he has also served as an assistant to Rich Rod at Michigan and West Virginia. Now after five years with Arizona, it is being reported that Dews will be heading back to West Virginia where he is filling a spot left by West Virginia running backs coach JaJuan Seider who just took the same job at Florida.
SOURCE: #Arizona WR coach Tony Dews is expected to join #WVU staff. 1st reported by https://t.co/8QaeIqoB7P
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) February 5, 2017
Where does this leave Arizona?
It will be interesting to see which route the Wildcats take. Rodriguez has a few options, and while it is uncertain what their timeline is, it is worth noting spring football starts in less than two weeks.
More from Wildcats Football
- Arizona Football begins Conference play against Stanford
- Arizona Football starts slow but runs away from UTEP
- How Wildcats Fans Can Claim $200 INSTANT Bonus at BetMGM Betting $10 Right Now
- Costly Mistakes doom Arizona Football in loss to Mississippi State
- How can Arizona Football beat Mississippi State on the road?
While we have no inside information regarding the coaching search, these are just names of potential replacements.
Miguel Reveles- Currently on staff with Arizona, he serves as the Director of Junior College Relations and was considered the lead recruiter for the highly-touted Nate Tilford. He coached tight ends while at Azusa Pacific before his arrival to Arizona four years ago.
He is familiar with the roster and scheme, and would likely have an easy transition if he were to be named the replacement for Dews.
Dameyune Craig- Formerly the receivers coach at LSU, Craig is currently not on staff anywhere. He does have an excellent football pedigree, coaching at places like Auburn and Florida State prior. Players at LSU were even upset following his firing.
Could be a good move for the Wildcats. Craig was the lead recruiter for guys likes Jameis Winston, Ukeme Eligwe, Tre’ Williams and Tony Stevens among others.
Alvis Whitted- The receivers coach at Colorado State, he is becoming familiar recruiting in this region. A former standout at NC State and in the NFL as a player, Whitted has taken to the coaching ranks and is doing well so far.
He could be a great hire for the Wildcats. He has a solid coaching pedigree, who’s coached some talented players with the Rams, and has experience at the professional level as a player.
Troy Walters- Receivers coach and offensive coordinator at UCF. Walters was a former player in the Pac-10 (now the Pac-12) at Stanford. He has a solid coaching pedigree and has shown his ability as a recruiter as well.
A former coach at Colorado, Walters seems to be more of a west coast guy, and perhaps this could be a chance for him to return.
Rob Ianello- Receivers and Associate head coach at the University of Buffalo, Ianello has been a familiar name in the college ranks for some time. Having been all over, this would be a unique pick, since Ianello actually coached here during the Dick Tomey years, and his wife also served as an assistant coach on the women’s basketball team.
He’s considered a good recruiter, and is obviously very familiar in recruiting to Arizona. He could be great hire for the Wildcats, as Rodriguez and the program try to continue to enhance and improve the recruiting.
Hernandez “Hunkie” Cooper- On staff with the Aztecs at San Diego State, Cooper is a former standout college and pro player (NFL and AFL). He initially joined the staff at SDSU in 2015 and has helped contribute to a solid program, helping coach Donnel Pumphrey, college footballs leading rusher.
He has a good recruiting presence in the area and could be a good hire for the Wildcats should they decide to hire Cooper.
Garret Chachere- Was the linebacker and defensive end coach at Cal under Sonny Dykes. Chachere, if you recall, was the receiver coach for the Wildcats during the Mike Stoops years from 2009-11.
He has experience in Tucson and the Pac-12 and could be a friendly, familiar face in the desert. Chachere has coached notable players like Juron Criner and even mentored Ka’Deem Carey while he was in Tucson.
Next: Super Bowl LI to Feature Couple of Former Arizona Wildcats
This will be a difficult decision for Rodriguez and Arizona Football, but the options are out there. It will be interesting to see how the coaching search unfolds. Bear Down, Arizona!