Arizona Football parts ways with Defensive Line Coach, Iona Uiagalelei

As the 2019 season winds down for the Arizona Football team, head coach Kevin Sumlin and the Wildcats part ways with Defensive Line coach, Iona Uiagalelei.

In case you’ve missed any of the information so far today, the Wildcats announced they are officially parting ways with defensive line coach, Iona Uiagalelei.

The news may not be too surprising to some, but perhaps just the timing of it all, as this of course, coming off the heels of Arizona parting ways with defensive coordinator Marcel Yates and linebackers coach John Rushing just a few weeks ago.

Arizona Wildcats

With as rocky of a season it has been so far, and with the year nearly over, the Arizona Football program is continuing to make some drastic changes.

And let’s face it, it hasn’t been all rosy here in the Old Pueblo as the Cats currently sit in last place in the Pac-12 South, and are riding a five-game losing streak.

Naturally when that happens, the coaches get blamed and rightfully so, since it is in turn their responsibility to put their players in the best position to win games.

We can certainly sit here a split hairs as to whether Arizona has the talent to compete or not, but ultimately it’s up to the coaches to work with what they got and help their guys succeed. If it’s a talent issue, then it still falls on them from a recruiting perspective to get the right talent to turn things around.

And to be blunt, two seasons into the Sumlin era, and things have been awful, with the Wildcats being near the bottom in nearly every major, statistical defensive category.

While parting with Sumlin I’m sure would be the go-to answer for most fans, logically speaking that’s just not the feasible answer at this point, as Arizona is strapped for cash and parting this early from Sumlin would show a great error in judgement from the Athletic Director Dave Heeke, who just signed an extension with the Athletic Department earlier this week.

In reality, it’s a results driven industry, and the defense hasn’t performed, nor have they improved, so it’s time to bring in fresh blood and see if this thing can be turned around rather quickly.

After all, with this season likely to also be a bowl-less one, this will be the first time in over a decade that the Wildcats haven’t made a bowl in back-to-back seasons. It also makes Sumlin’s set mighty warm for next year.

At Zona Zealots, we would like to wish coach Uiagalelei the best and are anxious to see who the Wildcats add to the staff and recruiting as a result to the changes. As always, Bear Down, Arizona!