Arizona’s coaching staff is coming together under Brent Brennan with the addition of nine new members announced on Wednesday, as well as Duane Akina’s promotion to defensive coordinator:
- Defensive coordinator Duane Akina
- Assistant head coach/running backs coach Alonzo Carter
- Wide receivers coach Bobby Wade
- Tight ends coach/passing game coordinator Matt Adkins
- Offensive line coach/run game coordinator Josh Oglesby
- Defensive line coach Joe Seumalo
- Stars coach Brett Arce
- Offensive analyst (quarterbacks) Lyle Moevao
- Assistant Strength Coach James Perez
- Chief of Staff Ben Thienes
Brennan, who served as a graduate assistant at Arizona under Dick Tomey in 2000, spent the last seven years as the head coach at San Jose State. His coaching staff blends together ties from his year in Tucson, and his last several in Northern California with the Spartans.
Learn more about Arizona’s new position coaches below (and check out our previous articles about WR coach Bobby Wade and OL coach Josh Oglesby in the below thread):
Alonzo Carter – Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs
Carter spent the last seven seasons under Brennan at San Jose State as the running backs coach, and was also promoted to the Spartans’ assistant head coach in 2021. Last season under Carter, SJSU senior running back Kairee Robinson finished second in the Mountain West with 1,194 rushing yards and a conference-high 18 rushing touchdowns.
During San Jose State’s 2020 Mountain West Championship season, Carter’s running back room averaged 4.5 yards per carry, and became one of the first two teams in D1 football history to complete a season without losing a fumble by a ball handler on offense, defense, and special teams.
Back when he was in college at Cal State Hayward, Carter became a backup dancer for MC Hammer and received a multi-platinum record for “Please Hammer Don’t Hurt Em”, which sold over 10 million albums.
Matt Adkins – Tight Ends Coach/Passing Game Coordinator
Adkins worked as a graduate assistant at San Jose State from 2017-2019, working with the offensive staff and tight ends, before being promoted to the full-time tight ends coach in 2020. Under Adkins, 2022 Spartans tight end Dominick Mazotti earned an All-Mountain West Honorable Mention.
Adkins also coached 2020 John Mackey Award semifinalist Derrick Deese Jr., who signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Lions in 2021, and All-Mountain West tight end Josh Oliver in 2018, who was later drafted in the third-round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Joe Seumalo – Defensive Line Coach
Similar to Brennan’s other hires, Seumalo joins Arizona after spending the last seven years at San Jose State. Under Seumalo, the Spartans produced the 2020 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, Cade Hall, and 2022 MWC DPOY, Viliami Fehoko, who was drafted in the fourth-round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.
Back in 2022, Seumalo’s squad led the Mountain West in sacks with 39, and finished fifth in the nation, averaging 3.27 sacker per game. In his 22 years of college football coaching experience, Seumalo has also spent time at Oregon State, UNLV, ASU.
Brett Arce – Stars Coach
After spending the last three seasons as a defensive analyst, Brett Arce has been promoted to Stars coach, and will work with safeties, nickel backs, and linebackers. This is a new coaching position for the Wildcats, and will be similar to the “Viper” position utilized by former defensive coordinator Don Brown in his lone season in Tucson.
Prior to his time in Tucson, Arce spent five seasons at USC: two as a graduate assistant (2016-2017), and three as a defensive quality control analyst (2018-2020).
With Wednesday’s announcements, the offensive coordinator, special teams coordinator, and quarterbacks, linebackers and defensive backs coaches are all that are left to still be announced. ESPN’s Pete Thamel is reporting that Danny Gonzales, who was the head coach at New Mexico, is set to take over as the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach. Prior to his four seasons (2020-2023) in Albuquerque, Gonzales also served as the defensive coordinator at ASU and San Diego State.
There is still no official word on the status of former safeties coach Chuck Cecil, and former defensive line coach Ricky Hunley.