Rod Smith, Calvin Magee likely leaving Arizona’s coaching staff

The Wildcats’ staff is going to look vastly different under Kevin Sumlin

The Arizona Wildcats’ coaching staff will look much different under new head coach Kevin Sumlin.

Arizona co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Rod Smith and associate head coach/co-offensive coordinator Calvin Magee are likely leaving the program, reports Football Scoop.

Smith is a “very strong candidate” to become Lovie Smith’s offensive coordinator at Illinois, per the report, while Magee is a “strong candidate” to become offensive coordinator at New Mexico.

Whether they land those jobs or not, it does not look like they will be retained by Sumlin either way.

Smith and Magee were both on Rich Rodriguez’s staff throughout his entire tenure at Arizona. Both worked for Rodriguez at West Virginia at one point, too.

Defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae and defensive line coach Vince Amey are likely out at Arizona too, as well as recently-hired offensive line coach Garin Justice.

Football Scoop reports more staff changes could be coming, but it does say that wide receivers coach Theron Aych could stick around. (His recruiting ties in Texas could be valuable.)

That is a lot of staff turnover, but it will probably be for the better.

Reports have said Arizona is expected to add Noel Mazzone as its new offensive coordinator and Clarence McKinney as its new running backs coach. Both coached under Sumlin at Texas A&M last season.

Sumlin also confirmed Tuesday that he is retaining defensive coordinator Marcel Yates.

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