Arizona Wildcats Hire From Within, Announce Offensive Coordinator(s)

Arizona has (finally) announced who will be running the offense for the Wildcats next season, and it is a pair of current Arizona assistants. Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh and running backs and tight ends coach Seth Littrell have been named co-offensive coordinators.

It is very likely that the Cats will keep the spread offense as both coordinators have a strong background in the offense. Both coaches were at Texas Tech before coming over to Arizona.

Bedenbaugh has helped develop Arizona into one of the more solid offensive lines in the country. Arizona had to juggle the line many times last season due to injury and the line seemed to just move on as if they had played every snap together all season. Prior to the bowl game, the Cats gave up only 11 sacks despite the injuries.

Littrell, despite only being on the staff for one year, is highly regarded by Mike Stoops and made such an impression in his one season that Stoops decided he was comfortable handing keys to the offense to the 31-year-old.

Both are great recruiters and it was important to keep them on staff as they have helped Arizona become one of the most potent offenses in the country.

Stoops also announced that the Cats have hired a new quarterbacks coach. They choose Louisiana Tech offensive coordinator Frank Scelfo to develop Nick Foles and the other quarterbacks. Ironically, Stoops is taking former Arizona assistant coach Sonny Dykes's offensive coordinator two weeks after Dykes left to become head coach at Louisiana Tech.

Scelfo has a great pedigree developing quarterbacks. While coaching at Tulane, he helped JP Losman and Patrick Ramsey become quarterbacks that were drafted in the first round of the NFL draft. He also has a history with spread offense, implementing it at Tulane for 11 years and at Louisiana Tech for the past two seasons.