At the year 2020 into 2021 it was hard to make the case that the Arizona Athletic department was in healthy shape.
The disastrous Kevin Sumlin era had come to an end highlighted by a 12 game losing streak and a 70- 7 loss to ASU.
The men’s basketball program was in the midst of a middling season and facing the inevitable self sanctioning of the program.
Women’s basketball was at an all time high but there were questions as to how sustainable it really was given the generational but soon-to-be-graduating, Aari McDonald.
Baseball was solid but run by a coach who one always wondered how long he’d be there while Mike Candrea and the softball program had fallen off a notch and the effectiveness of his chain of succession was somewhat in question.
Lots of questions not a ton of answers
As the chapter turns from 2021 to 2022 it’s safe to save that the athletic department is on a much stronger footing, much which of which is due to some gutsy decisions.
To be fair, its impossible to know if football coach Jedd Fisch can actually coach.
But, the man and his staff have recruited and spent the time necessary to sell a vision and bring in an historic recruiting class, and that class is still far from finished.
Arizona is not an easy place to recruit to and Fisch so far has bucked that trend.
Currently, there are no questions about Tommy Lloyd and his stewardship over the Arizona basketball program.
Unlike Sean Miller, who seemed to embrace a culture of challenge and division, Lloyd has come in with a smile and an openness not seen in these parts in a long time.
On the court, it’s been an even smoother transition as a roster of supremely gifted players have been turned loose on the court in a manner in which would make Lute Olson proud.
Any question about the sustainability of the Adia Barnes’ program has been answered as well as she has her team armed with a top 5 ranking and another elite recruiting class coming in.
It would shock absolutely no one if she were to win a national title in the coming years.
It’s impossible to state whether new baseball coach Chip Hale and softball coach Caitlin Lowe will be good hires but they clearly are qualified and they want to be in Tucson. An aspect that is impossible to underrate.
Athletic Director Dave Heeke has taken a lot of arrows the past few years but under his leadership it’s impossible to argue that 2021 wasn’t an improvement over the previous year and the trajectory is pointing straight north heading into 2022.