Duane Akina to become Arizona’s Defensive Coordinator

Arizona’s new defensive coordinator will be Duane Akina, according to sources who spoke with

WildcatAuthority.com. Currently in Tucson,

Akina has been assisting Arizona head coach Brent Brennan with staff  hiring and transition.

Before Jedd Fisch was hired at Washington, he accepted a job as a defensive consultant with Texas,

but he returned mostly because of his connection to Brennan through Dick Tomey.

Akina was evident on the basketball floor at McKale Center on Saturday when the Wildcats made their

announcement about their comeback, and he has been vocal on social media about the return of Arizona players as

well. Brennan did not reveal much about his coaching staff during his press conference on Wednesday,

but he did express his belief that Akina will be making a return to Tucson.

I continue to work on that,” Brennan remarked. “The thing that excites me the most is that

I believe Duane Akina has given me a respectable commitment to stay involved in this,

which is thrilling. Simply put, he is a leader, a person,

and a teacher. I’m happy about that.

Akina led the Wildcats’ “Desert Swarm” defensive attack, one of the most aggressive and effective units in the

country, while serving as Arizona’s secondary coach. Darryll Lewis,

the 1990 Jim Thorpe Award winner, and Chris McAlister, the 1998

Mosi Tatupu National Special Teams Player of the Year and a finalist for the Thorpe Award,

were two of his prize pupils. Akina worked under Dick Tomey as a defensive assistant

at Hawaii for five seasons prior to his 14-year tenure at

Arizona. He then spent one season with the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL.

Thirty-one defensive backs who have played in the NFL, including seven Pro Bowlers,

nine Super Bowl participants, and twelve All-Americans,

have been taught by Akina. He has also coached six Thorpe Award finalists and three

Thorpe Award winners. Akina has 26 bowl game coaching experience.

Akina served in a variety of capacities during his initial tenure at Arizona,

including associate head coach, coordinator of defense,

coordinator of offense, and coach of defensive backs. Akina played a similar job under Mack

Brown at Texas after the 2000 season.

Akina most recently served as the defensive backs coach at Stanford for David

Shaw from 2014 to the current campaign.

Akina was a coach for several All-Pac-12 recipients at Stanford from 2014 to 22.

Among them was Kyu Blue Kelly, who made the second team after racking up 13 pass defenses,

including two interceptions in 2021. In 2020, Malik Antoine and Kelly, a sophomore cornerback,

were named honorable mention All-Pac-12 defensive backs for the Cardinals.

Paulson Adebo, a Stanford cornerback who was drafted in the third round by the New Orleans Saints in

2021, is the latest in a long line of defensive backs who were coached by Akina to be chosen in the NFL Draft.

Safety for all Americans The Houston Texans selected Justin Reid in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

In 2017, Reid played a key role in the Cardinal defense, which finished ninth in turnovers (28),

and 12th in interceptions (18 passes intercepted) nationally.

Reid joined Quenton Meeks and Brandon Simmons as the only three defensive backs

to be named All-Pac-12.

Stanford ranked second in the country in scoring defense

and sixth in passing defense during Akina’s rookie

campaign in 2014. Nine games later, the Cardinal had allowed only one passing score,

including a run of five straight games with none. Stanford forced as many interceptions as they gave up in terms of

passing touchdowns (12). From 2001 to2013, Akina was a coach at the University of Texas.

The Longhorns finished third in the nation in terms of completion % allowed (47.2)

and tenth in pass defense (177.3 yards per game) in 2003. Akina, who was named co-

defensive coordinator in 2004, assisted in leading a team that ranked 18th in the nation

in terms of scoring defense (17.9), 16th in terms of rushing defense (107.4),

32nd in terms of turnover margin (+5), and 23rd in terms of total defense (320.1).

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