Rod Smith
Arizona Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez has added another familiar face to his coaching staff — Rod Smith, who coached under Rodriguez at West Virginia and Michigan.
Smith will be the quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator with Calvin Magee, who arrived Wednesday with receivers coach Tony Dews and defensive backs coach Tony Gibson.
All four of the assistants on the new staff worked with Rodriguez at West Virginia and Michigan. Smith played for Rodriguez at Glenville State.
Smith, 38, helped develop Pat White at West Virginia and Denard Robinson at Michigan in Rodriguez’s zone-read offense. Smith ran the offense as a quarterback at Glenville State from 1993 to 1996.
Smith coached at South Florida from 2001 to 2006 before joining Rodriguez at West Virginia. Smith the USF’s offensive coordinator in 2005 and 2006.
Smith was the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Indiana this season. Another former Rodriguez assistant who ended up at Indiana — offensive line coach Greg Frey — could also end up at Arizona.
If Frey doesn’t come to Tucson, there is a chance Rodriguez could re-hire offensive line coach Robert Anae from Arizona’s 2011 staff.
Arizona also announced that Mike Parrish, 28, will be the director of football operations. He held that role at Michigan in 2010, and was a recruiting/operations assistant for the Wolverines in 2008 and 2009.
Rodriguez said he would like to complete his coaching staff by the end of next week.