Rodriguez Completes Coaching Staff
Jeff Casteel hired as defensive coordinator, three others sign on...
Jan. 11, 2012
(NOTE: Rodriguez will introduce Casteel at a news conference in McKale Center at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 13. It can be viewed at arizonawildcats.com here: live link.)
TUCSON, Ariz.--Arizona’s Rich Rodriguez completed his football coaching staff today with the appointment of Jeff Casteel to defensive coordinator, David Lockwood as a defensive backs coach, Bill Kirelawich as defensive line coach and Spencer Leftwich as tight ends coach.
Casteel, Lockwood and Kirelawich come from similar posts at West Virginia University and Leftwich joins Rodriguez’s staff from the offensive line position at Pittsburgh. Casteel and Kirelawich worked under Rodriguez during his tenure as head coach at WVU.
“We are very excited to have Jeff, David, Bill and Spencer, and their families, join our family here at the University of Arizona. They are not only great coaches, but great people who bring a lot of quality experience and knowledge to our staff,” Rodriguez said.
Casteel has been defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at West Virginia since 2003 and spent the season before that in Morgantown as co-coordinator. He worked with the defensive line at WVU in 2001 and as defensive ends coach at UTEP in 2000.
He was Rivals’ defensive coordinator of the year in 2010 when WVU finished third in the nation in total defense, second in rushing defense, third in scoring defense and second in sacks per game. His 2007 unit also posted top 10 marks at No. 7 in total defense and No. 8 in scoring defense.
West Virginia finished in the nation’s top 15 in total defense three of the last seven years and four of those years checked in with a top 15 scoring defense figure.
