TUCSON, Ariz. – In a significant shake-up following a disappointing campaign, Arizona’s football program has made changes to its coaching staff, letting go of offensive coordinator Dino Babers and reassigning defensive coordinator Duane Akina. The announcement was made on Thursday, highlighting the program’s intent to move in a new direction after experiencing struggles this past season.

Despite remaining a part of the team, Akina will transition into a role focused on guiding the secondary. Meanwhile, Danny Gonzales, who has served as the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach, will continue with the team in an as-yet-undetermined capacity. The restructuring comes after a season that fell far short of expectations, following a significant turnaround when Jedd Fisch was the head coach, now at Washington.

Arizona entered this season under the leadership of coach Brent Brennan with optimism, but ultimately faced challenges as they finished with a 4-8 record, including a 2-7 mark in their inaugural campaign in the Big 12 Conference. Struggles were apparent on the field as the Wildcats dropped seven of their last eight games, culminating in a 49-7 defeat to their rivals, Arizona State, in the final game of the season.

The team’s performance metrics reflected their difficulties, as they ranked 15th in total offense and 14th in total defense within the Big 12. Moving forward, the program will need to address these shortcomings and rebuild to meet the high expectations that accompanied them at the start of the season. The upcoming offseason will be crucial for Arizona as they look to regain their competitive edge and develop a more effective strategy moving ahead.