After losing 12 straight games and suffering a humiliating 70-7 loss to rival ASU, Arizona moved quickly, firing coach Kevin Sumlin bringing an end to his time in Tucson where he went 9-20 in his three seasons with the program.
At the time of Sumlin’s hire, it seemed to be the right move to bring in someone with strong recruiting ties in the state of Arizona to take the program to the next level. The hire would prove disastrous, setting the program back further and reaching new dark depths that it hasn’t seen since the John Mackovic tenure.
With the state of the program headed in a downward trend former Arizona football players have taken to social media expressing their displeasure over the product being put on the field from week-to-week.
I talked to former Wildcats Brandon Sanders, a member of the Desert Swarm defense, and Joe Tafoya, who helped lead Arizona to the best record in program history in 1998, going 12-1 and finished fourth in the nation.
Here’s our conversation discussing what went transpired in the Sumlin tenure and how Arizona needs to get back to its brand of football and redevelop an identity that is long lost:
Congratulations #UofAFootball for turning in the worst performance in school history. Fitting that it should cap off the worst season in school history. I’m sorry coach Tomey for allowing this to happen to our legacy. #BearDown
— Joe Tafoya (@JoeTafoya) December 12, 2020
