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Expectations from Bobby Wade in first season as Arizona WR coach

Arizona all-time leader in receiving yards, Bobby Wade, is entering his first season as the Wildcats' wide receivers coach.

By Alan Rubenstein

ASU interim wide receiver coach Bobby Wade coaches during an ASU football practice at the Kajikawa Practice Facility in Tempe on August 16, 2021. Asu Football Practice
ASU interim wide receiver coach Bobby Wade coaches during an ASU football practice at the Kajikawa Practice Facility in Tempe on August 16, 2021. Asu Football Practice / David Wallace/The Republic via Imagn Content Services, LLC
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After two seasons as an offensive analyst at Arizona State, Bobby Wade accepted his first full-time assistant coaching job as the Arizona wide receivers coach. Wade set the Arizona career record with 3,351 receiving yards from 1999 through 2002 seasons. Wade could see the record broken by one of his players in 2024.players

Consensus preseason All-American Tetairoa McMillan needs 1,247 receiving yards in 2024 to tie Wade's career record. McMillan had 90 receptions for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024. Everything Arizona does in the passing game in 2024 will be centered around McMillan.

Opponents will have to game plan around McMillan. Wade's job will be to develop a second and third receiver to complement McMillan. Montana Lemonious-Craig is the second leading returning receiver for Arizona in 2024 behind McMillan. Lemonious-Craig had 28 receptions for 296 yards and three TDs in 2023.

Reymello Murphy was an explosive receiver at Old Dominion last year with 28 receptions for 502 yards and three touchdowns in 2023. Wade praised Jeremiah Patterson and Malachi Riley during training camp earlier this month. Wade said he expects Arizona to play six or seven WRs this season.

"We need other guys that are going to be able to give him (McMillan) a spell and give him a break on the football field. Obviously able to also play across from him because other than that, it is easy to double team him...It's extremely important...I think we will err on the side of having more of a two and a three.""

- Arizona WR coach Bobby Wade

Wade will work under Dino Babers who was his offensive coordinator as a player at Arizona. Babers was a head coach for the last 12 years at Eastern Illinois, Bowling Green and Syracuse. Arizona head coach Brent Brennan was also on the Wildcats' staff when Wade was a player.

Next. Expectations for new Arizona QB coach Lyle Moevao. Expectations for new Arizona QB coach Lyle Moevao. dark

Before becoming a coach, Wade played eight years in the NFL with eight different teams. Wade finished his NFL career with 244 receptions for 2,858 yards and nine touchdowns with 660 punt return yards and one TD. Wade is one of several assistants on Brennan's staff who played at Arizona.

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