Arizona Defense Heading in Right Direction Under Danny Gonzales

The Arizona Wildcats are on the right track in improving its defense from a tumultuous season that saw it in the bottom tier of the Big 12.

Last year Arizona ranked 13th in the Big 12 as a scoring defense, giving up 31.8 points per game. Defending the rush was also a tough time as the Wildcats gave up 175.3 yards per game, making them 14th in their conference.

The passing defense was ranked 12th in the conference with 239 yards relinquished. Overall, Arizona had a lot of work to do for the upcoming 2025-2026 season.

Arizona is on the right track to correcting the many issues that made 2024 an unpleasant season, starting with the promotion of former linebackers coach Danny Gonzales to defensive coordinator.

Safety Dalton Johnson was excited about Gonzales' promotion, as he is someone that players are already familiar with.

"Once he got the DC job I already knew what type of guy he was," Johnson said in a spring football press conference.

"I was super excited about that. He just brings this energy and this mindset that you just have to have as a defense. He's really trying to instill that into our hands, and I think he's doing a great job. Learning his defense has been fun this spring and trying to adapt myself in it. I'm very thankful for Coach G. Like I said, he's a great coach, a great father, and a great husband. He's teaching us how to be more than just great football players and just great young men in life. I'm happy to have him as my coach and as my defensive coordinator."

Head coach Brent Brennan held high praise for Gonzales in a spring press conference, stating his excitement for him as a coordinator.

"I'm excited for him in that role as part of building the staff and moving the pieces in place and cementing our personnel," Brennan said. "His experience as a play caller and the fact that he's been in so many battles and been in so many situations. He's been in and around enough football that he's experienced being in three-down and four-down. That gives us some variation and I love the style that he's accustomed to, which is just an aggressive, attacking defense."

Gonzales brings years of experience, both as a coordinator and a head coach. He believes that he can offer some valuable points to Brennan in the season.

"I think I can add value to coach Brennan, nothing in the decision-making factor, But I can share my opinion without trying to be aggressive, "Gonzales said. "I'm having a hell of a lot more fun as a defensive coordinator than I did as a head coach...Being a defensive coordinator and having a relationship with the kids that I do and being able to spend as much time as I do on football, it's a great blessing.

Gonzales will be implementing a tough, attacking 3-3-5 defense to his scheme, a style of defense he has run in four previous schools.

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