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Nov 25, 2022; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; New Mexico Lobos head coach Danny Gonzales at Sonny Lubick Field at Canvas Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images Michael Madrid-Imagn Images

Fall Training Camp Day 17: Danny Gonzales

Originally posted on Arizona Wildcats on SI
By Nathaniel Martinez | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 9:30 PM ET

Just 10 days remain until the Arizona Wildcats hit the field to take on the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on August 30.

Danny Gonzales and Seth Doege talked with the media after the practice and had a lot of insight to share about the philosophies on each side of the ball. This time we will be looking at what Gonzales had to say.

The defensive line and what he's seen from that group

"I think we have five guys that we consider starters for three to four spots, between Tre Smith, Tia (Savea), Leroy (Palu), Deshawn McKnight, Dom Lolesio and Malachi Bailey has had a really good camp. Has come along the last couple days, especially if it's competition, when we will increase the competition, getting run with the 1's and then interior, inside, behind those guys between Chancellor Owens, (Jarra) 'Bear ' (Anderson) and Julian (Savaiinaea)? We've got three pieces that give us something."

Gonzales' respect for Brent Brennan

"Successful head coaches, much like coach Brennan, the job he did at San Jose State in the college world, is unbelievable. The respect that he has across the country for the job he did there that could never be done is tremendous. I'm one of them because I had to battle him. Who he is as a person, he's one of the greatest people in the world to work for, because he allows you to be a father. He allows you to be a husband. I know at any moment, I can call Coach B and he get up and do whatever it is I ask him to do. And the two of us understand that, because we're both pretty opinionated, and I think you need that on our football staff, because if you have a bunch of yes men, then you better have a guy that's unbelievable leading the charge, because it doesn't work that way."

Gonzales' admiration of Seth Doege

"Coach Doege has a a violence to him that I really appreciate. Violence is a harsh wordand in our football world, it's okay between the lines. Coach Doege knows how to separate that and teaches our young men how to be that way on and be good people out in the real world where they're going to live for the majority of their life after college football... He delivers a message, and he makes them all feel welcome and he makes them all feel valued, which is, which is the science of a great teacher."

Coaching against Arizona's receiving corps in practice

"It's completely challenging between coach (Brett Arce), Coach Viney Tariq (Thompson), Dakari (Monroe), those guys. Every Sunday, we talk about, 'Okay, are we good enough to play man coverage?' Because if you can play man coverage, people can't remember. Can't run the ball games because you cannot know one every time, and the numbers are right every time when you play man cover, but you put yourself on an island and between either 'Nunu' Javin Whatley, that dude is freaking hard to cover, and I don't know that it's necessary, because he runs these great routes and all these things."

The strength of the football team and JUCO transfers

"Now we have 46 guys in the power limit, 300 pounds. That's a strong football team. What we have inside with those three backups now, Zac Siulepa. You've seen him out there. He's got here, he's probably a little bit heavier than he must have pledged his FaceTime with me once or twice. So we got to get him into shape a little bit. But he moves around good, he doesn't look as big as he is. He's leaner than he looks, which is the positive. We're still getting through some stuff paperwork-wise, to get him back out there. So you're, you're guessing, with three or four, you can probably contribute inside."

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This article first appeared on Arizona Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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