Oklahoma’s Cale Gundy could join Arizona’s staff, per report

He is arguably the Sooners’ best recruiter, per one publication

Oklahoma Sooners co-offensive coordinator/recruiting coordinator Cale Gundy might join the Arizona Wildcats’ coaching staff, per Sports Illustrated’s Bruce Feldman.

Gundy, the brother of Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy, has coached at Oklahoma since 1999 when started as the running backs coach.

SOURCE: #OU Co-OC/recruiting coordinator Cale Gundy is a possibility to join Kevin Sumlin's staff at #Arizona.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) January 22, 2018

In 2015, Gundy was promoted to associate head coach and transitioned to coaching inside receivers.

In 2017, he was promoted to co-offensive coordinator after Lincoln Riley took over as head coach for the retired Bob Stoops. Riley still called plays, however.

According to Dallas Morning News, Gundy has arguably been Oklahoma’s best recruiter the last several years.

He was the Sooners’ running backs coach and the primary recruiter for Adrian Peterson, Demarco Murray, Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine.

He recently switched to being Oklahoma’s inside receivers coach, where he lead Mark Andrews to the school’s first-ever Mackey Award.

It seems like Gundy would be a home-run hire for Kevin Sumlin and company, but it is unclear what his role would be at Arizona. Feldman did not give any specifics.

Arizona increased its salary pool for assistant coaches when it brought Sumlin on board — from $2.7 million to $3.4 million, per reports — and it will be interesting to see if the UA can afford to bring in both Gundy and Noel Mazzone who Feldman reported is expected to become UA’s new offensive coordinator.

Gundy made $430,000 in 2017. Mazzone made $600,000 plus a $200,000 retention bonus.

Maybe it comes down to one or the other.

Either way, Sumlin’s staff should be finalized fairly soon, and there are a lot of spots to fill. At minimum, Arizona needs a new linebackers coach, running backs coach, offensive line coach, defensive backs coach, and quarterbacks coach.

Maybe a new wide receivers coach, too, as there has been no word if Theron Aych will be retained.

The Wildcats have already replaced special teams coordinator Brian Knorr with Jeremy Springer.

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Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter at @RKelapire

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