The Arizona Wildcats are bringing aboard former Syracuse head coach Dino Babers as offensive coordinator, according to multiple reports Thursday.
Babers, fired after 11 games last season, was Arizona’s offensive coordinator in 2000.
The Wildcats made an impressive late-season run in 2023 but lost head coach Jedd Fisch to Washington. Arizona then hired San Jose State coach Brent Brennan, who was a graduate assistant in Tucson when Babers served as OC.
Babers was head coach at Syracuse for eight seasons beginning in 2015, compiling a 41-55 mark. He also was head coach at Eastern Illinois (2012-13) and Bowling Green (2014-15).
Babers has a career 59-64 record at FBS schools and went 19-7 at FCS program Eastern Illinois.
At Syracuse, Babers led the Orange to a 9-3 mark in 2018, finishing with a win over West Virginia in the Camping World Bowl and a final AP ranking of 15.
Syracuse was 5-6 in 2023 when Babers was let go.
Babers was an Arizona assistant coach for three seasons (1998-2000) before moving on to Texas A&M as offensive coordinator. He then focused on running backs at Pittsburgh in 2003, receivers and running backs at UCLA from 2004-07, and receivers, special teams and recruiting at Baylor (2008-11).
– Field Level Media