Arizona Football and head coach Kevin Sumlin have announced the addition of veteran coach Stan Eggen to the Wildcats’ staff as defensive line coach. Eggen brings more than 40 years of coaching experience to the Arizona defensive staff.
“We are excited Stan Eggen has joined the Arizona Football Family as Defensive Line Coach,” Sumlin said in a statement. “Stan’s personal and professional values, fundamental approach to teaching the game, as well as his track record for development and recruiting make him a great fit for our defense, and our entire program.”
Eggen has coached at several Power 5 programs, including Iowa State, Texas A&M and Alabama. He has mentored a number of successful NFL players throughout his career, coaching the likes of Von Miller, Michael Bennett, Red Bryant, IK Enemkpali and Johnny Jolly, among others. He has seen more than a dozen of his former players selected in the NFL draft with more than 20 signing NFL contracts.
He began his coaching career in 1979 at North Dakota and hasn’t missed a season since, coaching consecutively for 40 seasons.
“I want to thank Coach Sumlin and (Defensive Coordinator Paul Rhoads) for the opportunity to become a part of the Arizona Football Family,” Eggen said. “I can’t wait to get started immediately representing such a great institution, and getting to know our student-athletes. (My wife) Tina and I are excited to be able to make our home in the Tucson community.”
Eggen comes to Arizona from the University of New Mexico, where he spent the past four years as the defensive line coach. Eggen coached several all-conference players while with the Lobos, including Aaron Blackwell, who earned All-Mountain West honors in 2018 at defensive tackle.
Eggen arrived at New Mexico from Iowa State, where he coached the defensive line under Rhoads, who served as the head coach. Eggen spent two seasons in Ames and helped tutor defensive lineman Demond Tucker, who was named Big XII Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2015.
Eggen has also had stops at Louisiana Tech, Texas A&M, Alabama, TCU, UNLV, Nevada, Utah State, Drake and Southeast Missouri State. While at Texas A&M, Eggen coached Miller, who was the second overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, before going on to win MVP of Super Bowl 50.
The defensive line coach also has a strong reputation in recruiting, being named one of the top 20 recruiters in the country multiple times by Rivals.com and was named as one of the top 10 recruiters in the country by Scout.com. He has also coached in 12 bowl games, including the 1997 Insight.com Bowl in Tucson against Arizona.
Eggen graduated from Moorhead State in 1977 with a bachelor’s in education, and graduated with his Master’s in education from North Dakota in 1981. He and his wife, Tina, have three children, Sloane, Paige and Shelby.
This information was provided by the UA Sports Communications Office.
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