Former Vols assistant listed as option in Arizona's head coaching search

A former Tennessee Vols assistant coach was listed as an option this week in Arizona's search for a new head coach. 

The Wildcats are in search of a new head coach after Jedd Fisch stepped down on Sunday to become the new head coach at Washington, replacing Kalen DeBoer who left the Huskies to replace Nick Saban at Alabama. 

Former Tennessee defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, who is currently the head coach at California, was listed by 247Sports as a potential option to replace Fisch at Arizona. 

From 247Sports: Justin Wilcox finished his seventh season at Cal. leading the Golden Bears to the bowl-eligibility and an Independence Bowl selection in 2023 after wins in each of their final three regular-season games at home.

In 2018 and 2019, Wilcox led Cal to back-to-back winning campaigns and bowl games for the first time since 2008 and 2009, as well as produced four victories that knocked off a combination of five reigning and current Pac-12 champions. The Bears also took down a top-20 team in each of Wilcox’s first four seasons.

Prior to becoming Cal's head coach, Wilcox spent the previous 11 seasons as a defensive coordinator at Boise State (2006-09), Tennessee (2010-11), Washington (2012-13), USC (2014-15) and Wisconsin (2016). Over his first 23 seasons in collegiate coaching, Wilcox has been a member of staffs that have participated in 17 bowl games, won five conference or division championships and compiled an all-time record of 182-92 (.664).

Wilcox served as Tennessee's defensive coordinator from 2010 to 2011. He left Knoxville after the 2011 season to take over as the defensive coordinator at Washington, where he worked under then-Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian (currently the head coach at Texas). Wilcox's departure from Tennessee led to the hiring of Sal Sunseri as the Vols' defensive coordinator -- a hire that led to UT having the No. 109 scoring defense in 2012. 

According to 247Sports, "Wilcox's name has come up in agent and coaching circles as a strong possibility for mutual interest [for the Arizona job]."