Arizona Wildcats Football

The Arizona Wildcats football team has officially hired Jedd Fisch as its next head coach.

Adam Schefter and Field Yates of ESPN first reported the news.

Fisch has spent this season as the quarterbacks coach for the New England Patriots and has nearly 20 years of experience as a coach at both the college and NFL levels.

He will replace Kevin Sumlin, who was fired earlier this month after going 0-5 in 2020. Arizona suffered a 70-7 loss in the final game of the season, marking the 12th straight loss for the team dating back to last season.

The Wildcats had three losing seasons and a 9-20 overall record under Sumlin.

"When we hired Kevin three years ago, we had very high hopes for our football program," Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke said in a statement (h/t Adam Rittenberg of ESPN). "Unfortunately, we simply have not seen the results and upward trajectory in our program that we needed to, and I believe now is the time for a change in leadership."

Sumlin will receive a $7.5 million buyout based on the two years remaining on his contract.

Fisch will hope to turn things around despite limited experience as a head coach. His only time running a team came in 2017 with UCLA when he went 1-1 as the interim coach, replacing Jim Mora. He and Josh Rosen led the Bruins to a win over Cal before losing to Kansas State in the Cactus Bowl.

The 44-year-old has also worked as an assistant with the Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans in various roles, including two years as offensive coordinator for the Jaguars in 2013-14.

In addition to being the offensive coordinator at UCLA, Fisch has also spent time with Michigan, Miami and Minnesota at the college level.

This stretch has allowed him to work for an impressive collection of coaches, including Bill Belichick, Sean McVay, Pete Carroll, Brian Billick, Mike Shanahan and Jim Harbaugh, plus Steve Spurrier as a graduate assistant for Florida in 1999-2000.

It could help Fisch turn things around for Arizona after a disappointing run under Sumlin.

The University of Arizona fired head football coach Kevin Sumlin after going 0-5 this season. 

Arizona is in the midst of a 12-game losing streak dating back to last season and got throttled 70-7 by Arizona State in a rivalry game Friday night.

Sumlin, 56, went 9-20 with the Wildcats in three losing campaigns. Once considered one of the brightest offensive minds in college football, Sumlin fell on hard times during the latter half of his tenure at Texas A&M and fared no better at Arizona.

The Wildcats went 5-7 during Sumlin's first season at the helm, showing potential offensively but ranking among the Pac-12's worst defenses. They gave up 30-plus points in five of their final six contests.

The defense did not fare much better in 2019, opening with an abysmal performance against Hawaii before continuing to struggle throughout the season. Arizona ranked 118th in the nation last season with 35.8 points allowed per game.

This season, the Wildcats got off to a late start since the Pac-12 delayed the beginning of its campaign amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Things didn't get any better for Arizona once things got underway, though, as it allowed 39.8 points per game, 121st in the country.

Sumlin's departure continues a precipitous fall for a coach who once looked destined for an NFL future. His partnership with Johnny Manziel was one of the most thrilling coach-quarterback duos in recent college football history, but Sumlin failed to mesh with Kyler Murray or Kyle Allen after him. Murray and Allen both transferred from Texas A&M to find a much higher level of success and eventually land in the NFL.

Sumlin's resume reads similar to Chip Kelly's, though with less success. Like Sumlin, Kelly's offense burned white-hot in the collegiate spotlight before he got an NFL look with the Philadelphia Eagles. The NFL soon figured out Kelly after one solid season, and he's returned to the college level at UCLA but has yet to regain the same level of success.

Overall, in 13 seasons as a college head coach at Houston, Texas A&M and Arizona, Sumlin owns a 95-63 record with seven bowl appearances.

Arizona head football coach Kevin Sumlin has contracted COVID-19 and will continue to work remotely while he quarantines, the school announced Monday.

"My family and I have been aggressive in our efforts to remain safe and healthy throughout these past seven months," Sumlin said in a statement. "My positive test result, while a shock, is a stark reminder how we must all remain vigilant in our focus on hand washing, physical distancing and face coverings.

"I am feeling well and will be engaged in our ramp-up activities on a virtual basis until I complete the isolation protocol. I look forward to being back on the field in time to begin preparing for the season."

CDC guidelines recommend a person who tests positive for COVID-19 to self-isolate for at least 10 days. 

Sumlin is heading into his third season at Arizona, where he's posted a 9-15 record. The Wildcats will play a six-game conference schedule beginning next month as part of the Pac-12's altered 2020 slate. The conference initially canceled all fall sports before allowing football to resume amid advancements in rapid testing and the Big Ten's return.

Provided he makes a full recovery, Sumlin should be back with the team well in advance of its Nov. 7 opener at Utah. 

The University of Arizona is temporarily halting its plan to bring student-athletes back to campus in Tucson due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

"The health, safety and well-being of all members of our community is our number one priority," director of athletics Dave Heeke said, per ESPN's Adam Rittenberg. "We will continue to work in conjunction with campus partners and our local government agencies to support and evaluate a safe and healthy return to campus."

With states relaxing business restrictions and stay-at-home guidelines in recent weeks and months, the number of coronavirus cases is rising across the country.

The pandemic is hitting Arizona especially hard. On May 19, the state had confirmed 432 new cases. On June 19, officials confirmed 3,534 cases, and Arizona's 3,858 cases on Sunday are a single-day high.

In order to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced Monday the state will close select businesses for 30 days, per CNN's Kimberly Berryman and Theresa Waldrop.

The NCAA Division I Council opened the door for schools to resume activities for football and basketball teams starting June 1. 

According to Rittenberg, Arizona began bringing back athletes for voluntary workouts in groups of about 20 on June 15. The school is waiting to hear from Ducey about the ability of those already on campus to continue working out.

The consequences of reopening college sports—even on a limited basis—have mirrored that of the United States as a whole. A number of universities have reported positive COVID-19 cases. At Clemson, Andrea Adelson of ESPN noted almost one-third of the football team (37 players) have tested positive for the coronavirus.

University of Arizona President Dr. Robert Robbins does not envision that college football will be played this fall because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Appearing on Arizona radio station KVOI-AM (h/t ESPN's Mark Schlabach), Robbins expressed doubt over whether the 2020 season can go on as scheduled: "I'm really concerned about whether we're going to be playing football in the fall. My sense, right now, I just don't see that happening."

Robbins added:

"We're waiting to see what the NCAA does, what the Pac-12 does. As much as I want it, you know, it just seems as though if we do play any football in the fall, it's going to be delayed because I've heard nothing and we're headed to May 1. My hope is we're going to get some clarity on this very soon, but it seems unlikely to me. I'd love to see it happen, but we're waiting every day to get some guidance."

Essentially every major American sports league is shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the NBA, MLB and NHL. The coronavirus also prompted the NCAA to cancel the men's and women's basketball tournaments, as well as all spring sports' seasons.

The 2020 college football season is scheduled to start in late August, but with stay-at-home orders in place and large gatherings banned across the nation, those plans could be in jeopardy.

It is also increasingly unlikely that teams will be able to hold spring practices, so they may not be ready to start playing in late August even if coronavirus-related measures are softened or no longer in place.

Robbins noted that he expects the start of the season to be delayed at the very least and has heard the possibility that fall and winter sports begin in January or February 2021 and run through the spring.

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit discussed the situation during a conference call this week and said he too has heard the season could start as late as February or March with the College Football Playoff postponed until June.

Herbstreit also noted that he would be "shocked" if the college football and NFL seasons begin in the fall.

While a winter start into the spring may be on the table for college football if starting in August isn't possible, several issues could arise with such a decision.

If the NFL still holds its 2021 draft in April next year, it may require players who want to enter to sit out the college football season so as not to risk injury. Even if players are willing to risk it, they may not be eligible to play after getting drafted and signing a contract.

That would seem to suggest it could only work if college football and the NFL both agree to start their seasons at roughly the same time. Otherwise, college football would have to be played primarily with underclassmen. 

Arizona Wildcats quarterback Khalil Tate won't play in Saturday's game against UCLA.

Per Jason Scheer of Wildcat Authority, Tate is dealing with a hamstring injury.

Tate has managed to maintain relatively good health since taking over as starter in the fifth game last year, missing just one contest. An ankle injury sidelined him for an Oct. 20 tilt against the UCLA Bruins, a 31-30 Wildcats loss.

The 6'2", 215-pound quarterback burst on to the scene as a sophomore thanks to his ability to make plays with both his arm and his legs. However, under coach Kevin Sumlin, the dual-threat star has run significantly less.

He has 684 passing yards, 238 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns in three games in 2019.

Arizona is off to a 2-1 start this season. Losing Tate for any amount of time is a big blow to the offense, making winning games that much tougher.

Without Tate available, the Wildcats would likely turn to freshman Grant Gunnell. The 6'6", 225-pound signal-caller is 9-of-11 for 151 yards and three touchdowns in his lone appearance against Northern Arizona on Sept. 7.

The Arizona Wildcats lost to the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Saturday night, 45-38, but quarterback Khalil Tate nearly pulled off a last-gasp miracle to send the game into overtime.

On the final play of the game, Tate rolled out to his right, looking to throw the ball into the end zone. But instead, seeing open field ahead of him, he decided to run the ball and nearly found paydirt, scrambling 30 yards. He needed 31 yards, however, and was tackled on the 1-yard line with no time left on the clock.

It was a heroic effort, and after the game Tate defended his decision to take off and run, lamenting that he came up "a little short."

Tate had a big game overall in the loss, finishing 22-of-39 for 361 yards while also adding 108 yards on the ground. He scored three total touchdowns, though he also threw two interceptions. But it will be that one final yard he couldn't get that will likely stick in his mind.

Former NFL running back DeMarco Murray is joining Kevin Sumlin's staff at the University of Arizona as running backs coach, according to Michael Lev of the Arizona Daily Star.

Murray, 30, retired from the NFL last July after seven seasons in the league.

Murray replaces Clarence McKinney, who was named the head coach at Texas Southern last month. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in mid-December that Murray was in the running for the vacancy.

This is not the first time Murray and Sumlin have crossed paths. Sumlin was a part of Bob Stoops' coaching staff at Oklahoma from 2003 to 2007. He served as the co-offensive coordinator during Murray's freshman season with the Sooners.

While this may be Murray's first stint as a coach, he has experience that could make him a valuable asset to Wildcats running backs. Murray ran for 7,174 yards and 49 touchdowns in the NFL. His seven-year professional career was highlighted by his 2014 campaign, when he amassed more than 2,200 yards from scrimmage (a league-high 1,845 rushing yards, 416 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns) for the Dallas Cowboys.

Murray made three Pro Bowls and was the 2014 NFL Offensive Player of the Year.

Arizona is coming off a 5-7 performance in its first season under Sumlin. Led by sophomore J.J. Taylor (1,434 yards), the Wildcats' running attack ranked 35th in the nation. 

It wasn't long ago that quarterback Khalil Tate was a Heisman Trophy contender for the Arizona Wildcats.

Now he has to announce he is staying put instead of transferring.

The 20-year-old confirmed Wednesday he will return to the Wildcats for his final season after meeting with head coach Kevin Sumlin, per Michael Lev of the Arizona Daily Star. 

Lev noted Tate and his parents met with Sumlin and collectively determined his best path to success would be returning to the Wildcats next season to improve his game. 

This comes after Jason Scheer of 247Sports reported in November that Tate was leaning toward either transferring or entering the NFL draft due to a "disconnect" with offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone. The 2018 campaign was the 61-year-old's first with the Wildcats after he came over as part of head coach Kevin Sumlin's staff.

Mazzone reportedly attempted to turn Tate into a pocket passer rather than the dual threat he was earlier in his career. It even reached the point when the player would be "ridiculed if he took off running instead of going through progressions."

Scheer noted Mazzone wanted there to be true competition between Tate and incoming freshman Grant Gunnell prior to the 2019 season, which didn't sit well with the former after three years in the program.

Joe Pequeno of CBS Phoenix also cited sources in November who said the Californian was strongly considering transferring.

The difference in Tate's play with Mazzone at offensive coordinator and without him was clear. He was one of the most dynamic playmakers in the country in 2017 and found himself firmly in the Heisman race for stretches of the season on his way to 1,591 passing yards, 1,411 rushing yards, 14 touchdown throws and 12 touchdown runs.

He led the Wildcats to a 7-5 record during the regular season and a Foster Farms Bowl appearance.

Arizona was a mere 5-7 in 2018 and capped off its season with a heartbreaking 41-40 loss to Arizona State that prevented it from reaching bowl eligibility. Tate threw the ball 302 times after attempting 179 passes in 2017, resulting in 2,530 passing yards and 26 touchdown throws.

However, he ran for a mere 225 yards and two touchdowns, and the offense fell from 41.3 points per game in 2017 (fifth in the country) to 31.3 in 2018.

The question now is whether Tate will again tap into his dual-threat abilities that allowed the Wildcats to be a much more effective offense. Arizona enjoyed more success as an offense and in the standings when he was running more, and Scheer's report noted Sumlin's increased involvement as the 2018 campaign progressed led to the quarterback being asked to run more.

If more running leads to more winning and another bowl appearance, Arizona fans will surely be pleased with Tate's return.

After a disappointing 2018 season, Khalil Tate could leave Arizona either by transfer or entering the NFL draft, according to Jason Scheer of 247Sports.

Joe Pequeno of KPHO also reported that sources close to the football program believe Tate will transfer.

The junior has reportedly not gotten along with offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone, who has tried to make him into more of a pocket-passer instead of a dual-threat quarterback. While a decision hasn't yet been made, it appears as though at least one of them won't be in Arizona next season.

Mazzone is in his first year with the team after following Kevin Sumlin from Texas A&M. The offense scored a respectable 31.3 points per game this year to rank 49th in the country, although it was a steep drop from last year's 41.3 points per game that ranked fifth.

In that time, Tate was transformed from one of the most dynamic players in college football into an inconsistent passer.

Coming into the season, the quarterback was tied for the fifth-best odds to win a Heisman Trophy, according to OddsShark. This was thanks to the 1,411 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore.

Unfortunately, he only had 225 rushing yards in 11 games this year.

Even as his passing numbers increased with 939 more yards and 12 more touchdowns, his quarterback rating remained virtually the same.

If he transfers, he will likely try to find a coaching staff that will allow him to run and take advantage of his athleticism.

On the other hand, he will have a tough time reaching the NFL if he declares after this season. He isn't considered one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the class by Bleacher Report's Matt Miller.