The last three Arizona football coaches have strode into the
Tucson desert with flowing optimism. Yet they quickly became
engulfed in a pool of quicksand, and as desperately as they tried
to escape, the fate they succumbed to was ultimately the same.
But there is every reason to believe that the fourth, first-year
coach Mike Stoops, will steer clear of the obstacles and triumph in
the Arizona desert.
But there is every reason to believe that the fourth, first-year
coach Mike Stoops, will dodge the bullets and triumph in
Tuscon.
“Guys are playing with a lot of emotion and we’re
really focused on the game plan now,” junior free safety
Darrell Brooks said. “We’ve bought into his system. We
can hold our own with the best teams in the nation.”
When Dick Tomey resigned in 2000 amidst public pressure
following two mediocre seasons, he left as the program’s
winningest coach in school history and the longest tenured in the
last 70 years. The first three seasons after Tomey’s
departure marked a quick descent from mediocre to horrible.
Under Tomey’s successor, John Mackovic, the Wildcats went
10-18 in two plus seasons before Mackovic was fired in the middle
of last season. Interim coach Mike Hankwitz fared no better in
resuscitating the program, going 1-6 as the Wildcats finished 2-10,
their worst record in school history.
Yet despite the recent turmoil and a lack of star power on this
year’s roster, Wildcats fans entered this season encouraged
with the team’s prospects. Five forgettable seasons filled
with disappointment and hopelessness immediately gave way to a
surging wave of enthusiasm when Stoops assumed the head-coaching
reigns last December. “He’s a very good football
coach,” said UCLA coach Karl Dorrell, who coached against
Stoops’ Oklahoma’s defense while an offensive
coordinator at Colorado. “There’s always a tremendous
challenge when facing a team he coaches.”
Stoops may not have any head coaching experience, yet has been
billed as a great hire because of the top-notch defenses he has
overseen at Kansas State and Oklahoma.
“I’ve been playing defense for a long time and
it’s exciting to have a guy of his caliber who really knows
what he’s talking about,” Brooks said. “He
coaches with a lot of passion. It’s like he’s out there
every play playing himself.”
Working under his brother Bob in Oklahoma, Stoops helped rebuild
a struggling program into a national champion in just his second
year. The Sooners’ quick turnaround has fueled hope among
Wildcats fans about their team’s future and has prompted
speculation around the Pac-10 that a new conference power may
emerge.
“From what I remember, Arizona has a strong work
ethic,” Dorrell said, reflecting on his days as a Bruin
receiver playing against the Wildcats. “They play hard-nosed
football and I see that competitiveness coming back out with Coach
Stoops.”
Part of the reason for the Wildcats’ optimism is the staff
Stoops has brought in with him. Following his brother’s lead
of hiring within the family, Mike brought in his brother Mark,
Miami’s former defensive coordinator, to fill the position at
Arizona. Stoops also lured in strength and conditioning coaches
Corey Edmund and Mark Hill from Oklahoma, who he considers two of
his most critical hires.
“The way the NCAA rules are set up, those guys spend more
time with the players than we do,” Stoops said.
“Oklahoma was the best prepared and conditioned team year in
and year out. (Edmund and Hill) do a great job not only with
strength, but also with speed and something that our team lacks is
team speed.”
“It’s as important a hire as you have,” he
added.
The payoffs of the Stoops hire may not be evident by glancing at
the Wildcats’ 1-3 record, yet the record has not necessarily
reflected their improved play. Arizona has lost two games by a
total of three points, including a 9-7 loss to No. 20 Wisconsin.
The competitive play has been an encouraging sign for Wildcats
fans, who saw their team blown-out by most quality teams last
season. Still, it has been rough on the players who have made
significant strides from a year ago to still come up short.
“It’s not deflating, but it’s definitely
disappointing,” Brooks said. “It’s a lot of time
and effort to come out with a loss.”
Saturday marks Arizona’s first test on the road and will
be the Bruins first test against a strong Pac-10 defense. The
Wildcats are giving up only 13.8 points per game and under three
yards per run. To maintain those impressive statistics, they will
need to accomplish something no UCLA opponent has done thus far
““ contain Maurice Drew. However, Stoops is particularly
worried that focusing too much on stopping the run will allow UCLA
to open up its passing attack more.
“You can’t be so conscious of the run that you give
up big plays on the pass,” he said.
Stoops also recognizes that while completely shutting down a
UCLA offense that is averaging 31.2 points per game and 273.2
rushing yards may be too lofty of a goal, limiting their
capabilities is within reach.
“We just want to slow them down, but I don’t think
you can stop them,” Stoops said. “We have to attack the
line of scrimmage and can’t sit back and let them create
seams.”
For the past couple years, the Wildcats have been the team
sitting back near the bottom of the conference standings. Yet
Stoops’ history suggests it’s only a matter of time
before they rise. Which will make the program’s recent
history even easier to forget.