Arizona Wildcats Coach Matt Adkins Invited to AFCA 35 Under 35 Program
The 2024 college football season was not a good one for the Arizona Wildcats.
After winning 10 games last season, expectations were on the rise despite some major changes. Jedd Fisch departed the program to take the head coaching job with the Washington Huskies.
Taking his place was Brent Brennan, who came over from the San Jose State Spartans. Not only were they under new leadership on the sidelines, the Wildcats were heading to play in the Big 12, leaving behind the Pac-12.
The results were not pretty.
Arizona went 4-8, losing all but two of their games by at least three touchdowns. In some people’s opinion, Brennan is already on the hot seat despite being in Tuscon for only one campaign.
While the overall production of the team was not good, there is one person who will be ending the year on a high note.
Offensive passing game coordinator and tight ends coach Matt Adkins is receiving an incredible opportunity. He was one of the people who have been selected for the AFCA 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute out of class that had over 200 applicants.
The goal of the program is to identify and develop football coaches at all levels to become better leaders and advance in their field. A one-day event is held where lectures are shared that will emphasize the things needed to grow as leaders and how to balance everything in life to become the best coach and person you can be.
Not only will participants be included in AFCA media, such as their magazine and email blasts, but they will also become part of a network of rising coaches with like-minded goals.
On their website, the rules and regulations about what is needed to be eligible to apply were shared.
“To be eligible, applicants had to be born on or after January 1, 1989, and must be currently serving as a high school head coach, two-year college full-time assistant or head coach, or NAIA/NCAA (all divisions) full-time assistant or head coach. Applicants were required to submit a resume, five references, and a 1,600-word article or ten-minute live instructional video on an offensive, defensive, special teams, or position-specific topic of the applicant’s choosing back in the summer.”
For anyone who wishes to apply to be a part of the 2026 class, the window opens on July 1, 2025, and will remain open through July 31, 2025.
Adkins's inclusion on this list is an incredible honor. While the team as a whole wasn’t able to produce at the level many hoped, his passing game was consistently productive behind the dynamic duo of quarterback Noah Fifita and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
