WAIT! Where is Arizona Football Legend Chuck Cecil Going in 2018? We will explore five possible destinations if not Arizona.
Twitter lit up with speculation about Coach Rich Rodriquez’s future after the Cats lost to Purdue last night in front of an empty crowd in Levi Stadium. However, what’s trending higher for Arizona football is Chuck Cecil’s future on the football coaching staff.
What provoked speculations was when long time Arizona Daily Star sports columnist Greg Hanson hinted on Tuesday that Chuck Cecil is heading out of Tucson as early as January when his contract expires. Wildcats quickly became a ground swell of disappointment on social media that Cecil’s homecoming may be coming to end just when the community was rallying!
Cecil, the 15-year NFL coaching veteran who constantly tweets out an uplifting Dabo-type postgame shout out to the players, coaches, fans and staff, can’t be blamed for possibly heading out of Tucson.
The man is a ball coach, or even better, he is an elite ball coach that needs to be on the field with players, and he needs a paying gig.
Arizona Wildcats Football
Currently, Cecil serves as a Defensive Analyst and NCAA rules state that as an Analyst he may not engage with the players (among other things). Thus Cecil could not have been utilized the way he had with NFL teams, but has been a coach’s coach, football schematics guru and fan favorite for Arizona football. Not to mention the swagger he brings back to the Cats with his fiery, infectious and positive attitude.
The good news for Arizona fans is that the NCAA Division I Council approved a 10th on-field assistant coach to be hired nationwide opening up a spot for Cecil with the Cats. Thus, if on Coach Rodriquez’ radar, Cecil would easily transition onto the coaching staff when his contract expires in January without having to remove or replace an existing Arizona coaching staff member.
Hanson was quick to point out that Coach Rodriquez would need to make the former NFL Defensive Coordinator a Co-or-Assistant Head Coach or Co-Defensive Coordinator alongside Marcel Yates. And that’s where the speculation begins.
This move would be applauded and supported by key donors, season ticket holders, alumni, faculty, administration, the local community and global Wildcats fans on social media who have already started a campaign to fund Cecil’s hire. When Cecil was hired he stated, “I love it here (in Tucson). It’s hidden gem. When you come here it just grows on you. It’s an amazing place to play ball and go to school.”
It’s obvious to most we talk to that Cecil belongs in Arizona. A young Lute Olsen-type coach who doesn’t have the wanderlust to leave a place where he met his wife and feels the virtual and community hugs on a continual basis.
Here is a little taste of Cecil doing his thing:
So, if not Arizona, where does Cecil land? Here are top-five hot spots for Cecil in January in no particular order…
No. 1 Ohio State University
Urban Meyer and Cecil have crossed paths more than once over the past decade both on and off of the field. Despite OSU’s Defensive Coordinator Greg Schiano not clinching the University of Tennessee Head Coach spot this year, Schiano will be a head coach again in the Power 5.
With the 10th assistant, Cecil would have an opportunity to work with fellow grinders Schiano and Meyer and take the defensive reins should Schiano leave.
Noteworthy: Cecil who has been sober for over three years credits Meyer’s Bleacher Report Article I’m Not the Lone Wolf on Twitter as a manifesto for leaders who are trying to cope with the pressures of coaching in the NCAA and NFL to get help.
No. 2 University of Missouri
Head Coach Barry Odom fired his Defensive Coordinator early in the 2017 season and has officially promoted Secondary Coach Ryan Walters to Defensive Coordinator. Walter had worked under the title of Co-Coordinator. Cecil kills two birds for Odom, both as a Co-DC/DB or Linebacker’s coach.
Noteworthy: Cecil has ties to the Missouri region. He shared the Defensive Coordinator responsibilities and served as the Defensive Backs Coach for the St. Louis Rams. According to stats: The defense improved from 26th (2011) to 14th (2012). In 2014, the secondary ranked 2nd for the fewest passing touchdowns in the league.
No. 3 Washington State University
We won’t have to look too far to find Cecil in the Pac-12 if the current Washington State Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Backs’ Coach Alex Grinch heads to Ohio State instead of Cecil.
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Like Rich Rodriguez, Mike Leach has quite the personality and as he would remind you, great facilities. One would think that Leach would have a hell of a time recruiting players to move to eastern Washington, but somehow he does a great job and is known for grooming coaches himself. So both Cecil and Leach have that in common and their personalities would seem to mesh.
Noteworthy: WSU Head Coach Leach is represented by same agency which has also represented Cecil, and Cecil has strong recruiting ties to the West including California, Arizona and Texas. Leach and Cecil would be a fearsome combination. Who knows, they may be able to lure away current fifth year Arizona players.
No. 4 University of Southern California
A southern California native, Cecil is deeply rooted in the sunshine state with recruits and family. He lives down the freeway from USC who needs help in the backfield and with the 10th assistant spot, Cecil could serve as a Defensive Pass Game Coordinator or Co-DC while giving help to the defensive backs.
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It shouldn’t take USC Defensive Coordinator Clancy Pendergast long to land at Head Coaching position and with Cecil on staff it would make a turn-key transition for Coach Helton in 2019.
This would hurt. If Cecil were to end up at USC, Arizona fans would feel sad and it would be a sticking point all next season. Folks would point to Rich Rod not stepping up to keep the beloved legendary Arizona player, NFL Coach, and NFL Player. And it would happen at the same or increased intensity that fans applauded the hire last season. There is no love lost between the schools plus with Cecil’s inside knowledge of the Arizona program, he would have a leg up on recruiting.
Noteworthy: Cecil and Pendergast are practically neighbors in California and date back to their days at the University of Arizona. On top of all that, both did tours of duty with the Arizona Cardinals (NFL).
No. 5 The University of Alabama
Oh please no! We already lost our Athletic Director to Alabama, not our legend too!?
Saban has an affinity to shake things up and look outside the box to stay innovate on the field. He’s also known for hiring NFL coaches in the Analysis position. With his Defensive Coordinator Jeremy Pruitt headed Tennessee, Cecil could end up in an DC candidate or uncategorized Defensive Coaching Analysis to bring outside the box defensive insights to Bama.
Noteworthy: Former Arizona Athletic Director Greg Byrne, a Cecil friend and fan in Tuscaloosa may help Cecil land in the South.
No. 6 The NFL
A respected NFL Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Backs’ Coach, look for Cecil to follow his former boss, current Eagles Defensive Coordinator, Jim Schwartz when the NFL coaching carousel comes alive. Cecil has coached for 15 years in the NFL, most recently as a Defensive Coach for the Los Angeles Rams under Jeff Fisher. One positive thing you can say about the Rams under Fisher is that the defense was always incredibly powerful.
He may also end up in Denver with colleague John Elway or should Jeff Fisher get another shot, I am sure Cecil is on Fisher’s speed dial. Elway drafted Will Parks after getting to know him, so we know he loves at least one of our Wildcats!
Noteworthy: Cecil and Schwartz worked alongside each other for almost a decade at Tennessee and were part of the team that helped the Titans go 11-1 before Schwartz left for Detroit and Cecil took the reins at Defensive Coordinator.
Cecil was the architect of a solid run and pressure oriented defense, which finished the 2009 season ranked 11th overall in the NFL. Tennessee ranked eighth in the league in interceptions (20) and second in interceptions returned for touchdown (4). During his final three years, the Titans defense ranked third in the NFL in interceptions (62).
Cecil could not be reached this a.m. for comment but he posted on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/chuckcecil26/status/946419585867071488
Where ever Chuck Cecil lands, (please not ASU as they already hired one Wildcat coach) Arizona Wildcats fans will always adore him. His character speaks for itself as I have watched fans react to and visit with him as he genuinely listens with an open heart to their memories and hopes for him in the future.
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Wouldn’t it be awesome Cecil we’re to end up the Head Coach should Rich Rod retire? Or maybe that was Rich Rod’s plan all along. Think about it: Coach Rodriquez brings Cecil here and grooms him until Coach is ready to step away leaving Arizona happy and in good hands.