Arizona Wildcats defensive coordinator Marcel Yates moved from the coaches’ box to the sideline three games ago. Those three games represent the most consistent stretch his defense has played since he came to Tucson last year.
Coincidence? Maybe. Or maybe not.
Many factors have contributed to Arizona’s recent defensive turnaround, including experience in Yates’ system and an infusion of young talent. But Yates’ presence on the sideline surely is one of them.
Yates spent last season, his first at Arizona, in the booth. Several coaches watch the game from above, where they can see all 22 players, and communicate via headsets with personnel on the sideline.