Mary Roby was the leading force behind the rise of Arizona women's athletics, which rank among the best in the nation. University of Arizona photo

When Dr. Mary Roby was leading the Arizona Wildcats search for a softball coach in the summer of 1985, it was the athletic department’s intent to hire a woman.

But nearly everybody she talked to told her that she should hire Mike Candrea.

Like with most things she did as she oversaw the rise of women’s athletics at Arizona — from a campus rec sport, to the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, to the NCAA and the Pac-10 — she made the right call.

She interviewed only one person for the job — Candrea — and promptly recommended to athletic director Cedric Dempsey that he be hired. Four years after that, Roby hired swimming coach Frank Busch from Cincinnati.

How’s that for an enduring legacy?

Roby, who retired from the university in 1989, died Monday night in Tucson after a battle with cancer. She was 85.

“She gave me a great opportunity at a time when there were not a lot of male coaches being hired. She had the gumption to give me a chance,” Candrea said Tuesday.

“I look at her, and I look at a pioneer in women’s athletics. She was a very huge part of the growth of college athletics for the female athlete. I think she set the foundation for what we are today. We will dearly miss her.”

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Lucas Petrullo tries to run through a tackle in last year's state playoffs. Photo by Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic

As far as an in-state pipeline, Arizona could do worse than one from Scottsdale Chaparral High School.

It’s a school we’ve heard a lot about lately — and not just because of two-time state Player of the Year Davonte’ Neal.

Coach Rich Rodriguez hired state-championship winning coach Charlie Ragle to his administrative staff as a liaison for in-state recruiting. Chaparral middle linebacker Cody Ippolito has committed to Arizona, while the Cats wait on the decision of Neal, his best friend.

The Wildcats will also be adding Chaparral running back/linebacker/safety Lucas Petrullo — either as a walk-on or on scholarship if one is available — according to Dick Obert of the Arizona Republic.

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NOTE: Dr. Mary Roby, a pioneer for women’s athletics at Arizona and across the nation, died Monday in Tucson. She was 85, having been retired from Arizona since 1989. Long time Tucson Citizen sports columnist Corky Simpson wrote the following on June 3, 1995:

There’s a “hall of fame” for everything, it seems, and so many of them, I swear, they ought to have a hall of fame hall of fame.

It’s all about recognizing an individual’s achievement, though, and that’s fine.

But superstars such as Mary Roby do a lot more for a hall of fame than vice versa.

Women’s intercollegiate athletics would not be where it is today were it not for Roby.

She spent 40 years – 31 at the University of Arizona – opening doors (and breaking down a few) on behalf of female athletes.

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Chaparral's Davonte' Neal celebrates his team's Class 5A-II championship game victory over Cienega in November. Photo by Pat Shannahan/The Arizona Republic

The college football signing period starts Wednesday, and the Arizona Wildcats still have some spots to fill.

Coach Rich Rodriguez said a few weeks ago that he wouldn’t necessarily give out all 25 scholarships on Signing Day, and he’s certainly saving one for star athlete Davonte’ Neal from Scottsdale Chaparral High School.

He headlines the list of “who’s left” for the Cats.

Here is a look at five recruits who could still pick the Wildcats:

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Cody Ippolito pursues a tackle during his season year. Photo by David Wallace/The Arizona Republic

That’s one Scottsdale Chaparral High School recruit down; two to go?

Chaparral linebacker Cody Ippolito, an Arizona Republic All-Arizona selection, has committed to the Arizona Wildcats, who are still pursuing two of his teammates.

Ippolito made 109 tackles, including two sacks, last season as the middle linebacker for 14-1 Chaparral, which won the Class 5A-II state title. Rivals.com, Scout.com and 247Sports rate Ippolito as a two-star recruit.

Ippolito (6-0, 235) also had an offer from Northern Illinois and took a visit to Utah.

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Davonte' Neal is going to make some school very happy after signing day. Photo by Pat Shanahan, The Arizona Republic

The Arizona Wildcats’ pursuit of Scottsdale Chaparral High School’s Davonte’ Neal is being complicated by a couple of familiar names — Mike Stoops and Tim Kish.

Kish, the former defensive coordinator who took over as interim head coach at midseason when Stoops was fired, was hired last week as the linebackers coach at Oklahoma.

He is reunited with Stoops, who is the Sooners; new defensive coordinator, working for older brother, Bob Stoops.

Kish, known as an excellent recruiter and who worked in-state contacts for the past eight years, was able to get Oklahoma’s foot in the door with Neal, the two-time state Gatorade Player of the Year as a receiver/defensive back.

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Recruiting is all about relationships — from coach to player, and coach to other coaches.

New Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez, who successfully recruited the state of Florida while at West Virginia and Michigan, dipped back into his Sunshine State relationships to land the latest publicly committed player to the Wildcats.

That would be receiver Clive Georges from Key West, Fla.

His coach, Jerry Hughes, replaced Rodriguez as a volunteer assistant at West Virginia after the 1989 season. The two became such friends along the way that they were described as “fishing buddies” in a 2009 story in the Key West Citizen.

So when Hughes had this late-blooming senior prospect who wasn’t get a lot of BCS-level recruiting attention, he turned to his fishing buddy.

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Devin Fuller played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl after last season.

New Arizona Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez missed out on a potential centerpiece to his first recruiting class, as four-star quarterback Devin Fuller chose UCLA over Arizona and others on Sunday, he told 247Sports.

Getting the right quarterbacks in the program has been the most important priority for Rodriguez, especially after Daxx Garman and Tom Savage — who weren’t perfect fits, anyway — transferred after the fall semester.

Based on his recruiting buzz, Fuller, from Old Tappan, N.J., seemed to have a chance to do for Rodriguez at Arizona what Pat White did at West Virginia and what Denard Robinson did at Michigan in the coach’s read-option offense.

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Arizona fans pulled off a White Out vs. Washington for the second consecutive year. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

Josiah Turner sped down the court, the final seconds ticking away, Arizona trailing by two.

Dribbling down the right side of the court, he picked up a huge screen from Solomon Hill near the 3-point line to shed one Washington Husky, stepped inside another defender and reached for the hoop, ready to tie the game with a driving layup.

“It was an easy-looking layup,” said Washington’s Terrence Ross, “and I was worried.”

And then Washington’s Tony Wroten came flying in and swatted the ball away from the rim.

The Wildcats lost 69-67 on their White Out night at McKale Center in front of a national ESPN audience. Instead of getting a chance at overtime, Arizona lost a chance at a needed victory for its NCAA resume.

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Nick Foles attempts one of his 15 passes at the Senior Bowl. Photo by Chuck Cook-US PRESSWIRE

Former Arizona Wildcats Nick Foles and Juron Criner showed in the Senior Bowl what UA fans saw many times in the past few years — a touchdown connection.

Foles’ 20-yard pass down the middle to Criner, just over the goal line, gave the South team its only touchdown in Saturday’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. The North won 23-13.

Foles completed 11 of 15 passes for 136 yards and a touchdowns. None of his attempts were intercepted. Criner caught six passes for 77 yards.

The next big event for each is the NFL Combine from Feb. 22-28 in Indianapolis.

Foles tied the UA record for career passing touchdowns with 67 in his three-year career. Criner set the school record with 32 touchdown receptions — all but one came in the past three seasons.

Here are stories I wrote about each after their week of practice in front of scouts:

Foles: Lukewarm reviews at Senior Bowl

Criner: Draft stock rising