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Rich Rodriguez was a popular draw during Thursday’s start of the Pac-12 media days.
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NOTABLE RICH RODRIGUEZ QUOTES FROM TODAY’S START OF THE PAC-12 MEDIA DAYS
ON QUARTERBACK SITUATION
“Okay, our quarterback situation, we have in my opinion two returning starters. One that’s more established in Anu Solomon, really good player, particularly when he’s healthy. Last year he had some injuries. But he’s got a challenge with Brandon Dawkins who played a little bit at the end of the year, has gotten better. So I think we’re in a good situation where we have two guys competing for the starting job. We’ve got a young guy Khalil Tate who’s got on outstanding future, we think, and we’re recruiting well at that position. But Solomon, Dawkins will go into camp splitting first-team reps, and we’ll see who wins the job. I hope both of them prove that we can win with them and we’ll play both of them throughout the year. I’m not typical where I think you’ve got to name a starter. We treat the quarterback position pretty much like the rest of them. Just compete and play the best guy at the time.”
ON EXPECTATIONS OF SOLOMON
“The next step for Anu is simply be more consistent. Certainly health is an issue with that, but there are so many more things that we can do in our offense if the quarterback can handle it mentally, and he can handle a lot mentally, and we’re going to put more on him. Now, we’re still going to call the plays just because I’ve always said we watch more film as coaches than the players do. They might be watching Sponge Bob Square Pants or something, I don’t know, on Saturday mornings. But Anu is a really — is a more competitive guy than sometimes he lets on. He’s calm and you look at him, it doesn’t look like he gets that excited, but he does. So it’s important to him, but we’re going to push him and have pushed him since the spring to take his game to another level, and I think he’ll do that.”
ON NEW DEFENSE UNDER MARCEL YATES
“Oh, yeah, I know what we’re going to do on defense. In fact, when I hired a coordinator, which was a little bit unique, I wasn’t looking so much for a scheme, because I think schemes are overrated, as much as I was looking for a personality and attitude. And I kind of set the parameters, this is what I want him to do. But I’m not going to coach it or teach it, I’m going to let my defensive staff to do that. But I hired Marcel Yates who scheme-wise was really good, but more than anything I liked his personality, I liked the personality of the defense, and I know what we’re going to do, I’m just not — why tell anybody until we have to. I mean, it’s not like it’s a big secret, but for the first couple teams, they’ll have to figure that out. … The first person has got to take responsibility, that’s me. As the head coach, I’m responsible for all phases of the team, and so I looked at myself and say, geez, I’ve got to do a better job of making sure we’re getting better defensively. There’s going to be some growing pains, but the future of our defense is going to be really good.”
ON POTENTIAL INDOOR FACILITY
“At Arizona, I think they were going to build that (Lowell-Stevens) complex whether I came or not. It’s just my timing was pretty good. My second year, we got to move in the new facility, and the only thing we need now is an indoor. I was a little naïve. It never rains, why did we need an indoor. But you spend a couple summers in Arizona, you realize what an indoor could do for you. So I think that’s next. I’m not sure when, but hopefully soon we’ll get an indoor built, and then you’ve got everything you need.”
ON AN OPEN DATE THIS YEAR AFTER NONE LAST YEAR
“Well, we have an open date this year. How about that? So the next time we will not have an open date is in 12 years, so that will be the next poor coach’s problem, not mine. Toes in the water, butt in the sand is where I’ll be, or somewhere like that.”
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Plenty of Arizona personnel news offered by new Arizona Daily Star beat writer Michael Lev, a veteran who covered USC’s program for the Orange County Register before moving to Tucson..
Rodriguez said senior safety Tellas Jones is "good to go" for training camp. Jones was suspended for spring after an off-field incident.
— Michael Lev (@MichaelJLev) July 14, 2016
RichRod said OL Freddie Tagaloa "is healthy now" after missing spring and end of '15 (knee) and competing for starting job, presumably at OG
— Michael Lev (@MichaelJLev) July 14, 2016
RR says UA has "two returning starters" at QB in his opinion and that Solomon/Dawkins will split first-team reps in training camp.
— Michael Lev (@MichaelJLev) July 14, 2016
Rodriguez said the UA is still waiting to hear from the NCAA whether transfer WR Zach Benjamin (via USF) will be eligible to play this year.
— Michael Lev (@MichaelJLev) July 14, 2016
Rodriguez expects LB Michael Barton, a grad transfer from Cal, to have an immediate impact. Barton likely will play inside linebacker.
— Michael Lev (@MichaelJLev) July 14, 2016
Rodriguez said he's hopeful LB Jake Matthews (foot) will be healthy for start of camp. RR said Matthews' offseason workouts have gone well
— Michael Lev (@MichaelJLev) July 14, 2016
Rodriguez said the kicker and punter jobs remain "wide open." Josh Pollack is the leader at both spots. Newcomer Edgar Gastelum will compete
— Michael Lev (@MichaelJLev) July 14, 2016
Last one for now: RR said prized freshman Michael Eletise will start out at guard and will also get looks at center.
— Michael Lev (@MichaelJLev) July 14, 2016
OTHER TWEETS INCLUDING SOME OF MY OWN ..
UA receiver Nate Phillips No.11 this year as senior instead of No.6 "to mix things up" & also told @Pac12Network he's Julian @Edelman11 fan.
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) July 15, 2016
Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez says he's got guys on his team who don't shave yet and BYU's players are worried about daycare for their kids
— Patrick Kinahan (@PKKinahan) July 14, 2016
In Rich Rod's five seasons at Arizona, each season his team was picked by Pac-12 media to finish fourth in Pac-12 South. Just engrave it.
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) July 14, 2016
Trey Griffey to the Mariners? Probably not, says RichRod. https://t.co/bQAOoCQ6gC
— Zack Rosenblatt (@ZackBlatt) July 15, 2016
2016 Pac-12 Football Media Days: Arizona’s Rich Rodriguez shocks players at water… https://t.co/pnyPbWSzOb https://t.co/aVo4aNaqak
— Anthony Fiato (@LAmobslugger) July 15, 2016
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon.
