One of the first things Kevin Sumlin did after officially becoming the Arizona Wildcats new head coach was choosing to retain UA defensive coordinator Marcel Yates.
Often times new head coaches like to gut the existing coaching staff and replace them with familiar faces but, luckily for Sumlin, Yates is a familiar face.
They worked together for two seasons at Texas A&M (2012-13) before Yates left to be Boise State’s defensive coordinator.
Yates was Sumlin’s co-defensive coordinator with the Aggies.
“When we went into a new league (from the Big 12 to the SEC), he was well-respected as a technician, as a coach, and a recruiter,” Sumlin said.