Arizona Football: A new chance to make a first impression

With a new coaching staff for Arizona Football, with it comes a clean slate that allows a chance to make a great first impression moving forward.

First impressions are everything, right? Well, coming in, Arizona Football head coach Jedd Fisch and his staff have had an opportunity to make a great first impression among fans, alumni, current players, and future Wildcat football players as well.

Coming in, there was a sour taste left in the mouths of fans, as the Kevin Sumlin era still had some gusto to it. This left numerous fans still on the fence about the state and direction of the Arizona Football program.

Arizona Wildcats

However, with a few crucial hires and nice recruiting wins here and there, that poor perception has all seemingly begun to change in a blink of an eye.

First off, the coaching staff needed a change of culture inside that Arizona Football locker room, much like the way that Sean Miller and his coaching staff have bonded their team this year. Even though we might not be the most talented team, that does not mean the relationships and heart shown on the field need to fade away.

This starts with buy-in from every player that dons the red and blue on that football field. Personally, I believe that is done by giving each player a defined role on the team, and by doing this, each player will find their value that they bring to the team and take pride in that day in and day out.

Giving false promises to athletes only creates divides in the locker room that can end up being distractions while the season is unfolding. It is critical that the coaches are open and honest with players moving forward. Sugarcoating their play or where they stand within the program will only create waves both in and outside the program.

Secondly, the coaches have needed to make reparations on the bond between alumni and the current Arizona Football program. For as long as I can remember, former players have been an afterthought.

Many of these former Wildcats have gone on to accomplish some amazing things in life after college. These relationships could be used in the future to enhance the program and take it to new heights. It starts with simple aspects such as keeping in touch via text or phone call even sending some current swag to former players can go a long way.

Finally, building a barrier around the state of Arizona when it comes to recruiting is going to be important. Keeping the states’ top recruits has to be the mentality moving forward for this program, and even though some may still leave, Arizona has to do a better job in locking down their state.

Too many times in years past, very talented players have left the state without hearing from the University of Arizona. So far the coaching staff has excelled in making our name relevant again and is bringing out the full-court press when it comes to keeping the homegrown kids in the state of Arizona.

Arizona could make that next leap forward if they could convince the tops kids in the state to have the thirst and desire to head down to Tucson to further their football careers. In order to get this ball rolling in the right direction, it is essential that those coming back to Arizona have a first-class experience that they can go back and share with current students at their high schools. Of course winning cures all, however, improved recruiting efforts could perhaps change this.

I have faith that if all these pieces fall into place for Fisch and his staff can take this program to new heights. So far under this new regime, every aspect seems to be firing on all cylinders. As fans of Arizona Football, hopefully, this short term success can be carried on for years to come. As always, Bear Down and Go Cats!