With his star pupil leading the nation in rushing, Arizona Wildcats assistant coach Calvin Magee was selected the FootballScoop Running Backs Coach of the Year on Sunday.

Magee, who is also the team’s associate head coach and co-offensive coordinator, was selected among five finalists, which were chosen from nominations by coaches, athletic directors and other athletic department personnel.

“Calvin does a great job every year with our backs,” head coach Rich Rodriguez said.

“But when your back has a year like Ka’Deem, you get a little more attention. He’s well-deserving. He’s a great football coach.”

Sophomore Ka’Deem Carey enters the postseason as the nation’s leading rusher (146.42 yards per game) and a school season record 1,757 yards on the ground. Carey ran 91 times for 425 yards last season while splitting time with senior Keola Antolin, and his emergence this year speaks well of Magee.

Carey said Magee’s teaching of identifying the cut-back lanes has been the most important thing.

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Rich Rodriguez wasn’t in the spotlight early in his career. Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

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Ah, the good ol’ days. Rich Rodriguez remembers those. Becoming the head coach at Salem University at 24 years old. Taking over at Glenville State two years later, in 1990.

The small college days.

These days, as the first-year head coach at Arizona — and as a guy who has won Big East titles and breathed the air at Michigan — Rodriguez is accustomed to coaching luxury. Assistants to the assistants to the assistants. Yes sir, Coach. Whatever you need, Coach.

Back then, he was just a one-man band making his way in the backwaters of the coaching world.

“My wife lined off the field when I was at Glenville. She was eight months pregnant,” Rodriguez said.

“I made her stop because I was afraid it was going to screw up the child with those fumes from the paint. I said, ‘Honey, I don’t think that’s really good for ol’ junior there.’”

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Ka'Deem Carey cuts through the UCLA defense on an 18-yard touchdown run. Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The new Arizona Wildcats football coaches are in the getting-to-know-you stage with their players — learning about their backgrounds and personalities.

It won’t take the coaches long to learn about some players on the field.

Calvin Magee, the co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach chuckled when asked what he already knew about freshman running back Ka’Deem Carey.

“I know he can play,” Magee said.

“I know the kid is a really good kid, after meeting him. His talent speaks for itself. I’m really, really looking forward to working with him and helping him improve.”

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Calvin Magee is Arizona's new offensive coordinator. KOLD-TV screenshot

New Arizona Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez broke out Arizona hats, windbreakers and other gifts as his three new assistants and their wives reached the luggage area at the airport Wednesday.

Welcome to Tucson … although Rodriguez didn’t have to work too hard to get his old pals to join him in his new adventure way out west.

He pretty much had them at “Hello.”

What was Calvin Magee thinking when Rodriguez called to invite him to join the Wildcats staff?

“I’m thinking I’m on my way,” Magee said.

Rodriguez is assembling some of the old crew — Magee, Tony Dews and Tony Gibson all worked for him at West Virginia and Michigan. Those three stayed together in 2011, working at Pitt, when Rodriguez was out of coaching.

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