Arizona Football GM Gaizka Crowley Leaving the Program
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Arizona's turnaround season in 2025 came about because of a reconstructed roster and coaching staff. Without some changes in leadership and guidance, the Wildcats might not have been able to flip around and finish the regular season with a 9-3 record.
Brent Brennan is currently trying to sustain those impacts by extending his valuable coaching staff, but the transfer portal is still consuming part of his roster as the team prepares for the Holiday Bowl vs SMU.
Arizona hit the transfer portal hard last offseason, landing wideouts Kris Hutson and Javin Whatley, tailbacks Ismail Mahdi and Quincy Craig, and even key defenders such as defensive lineman Deshawn McKnight and Ayden Garnes.
While Brennan and his staff should receive kudos for recognizing the talent and managing to recruit them to the program, none of that would be possible without a general manager supporting some of the expensive moves.
Gaizka Crowley Leaving Arizona to Become Arkansas GM
The Wildcats have a big hole to fill in the front office. General manager Gaizka Crowley is leaving the program after two seasons. He'll be taking over the same role at Arkansas, aiding a struggling SEC program in a rebuild. John Brice at Football Scoop first reported the news.
Crowley was drawn to Tucson by Brennan when the coach was hired to take over the Wildcats. Crowley left his post at Western Michigan to help out in Tucson, and he made a huge difference.
He played a big role in the roster construction in 2025, adding 29 players this offseason out of the transfer portal. Crowley also played a role in helping Arizona land its 2026 recruiting class, which ranks fifth-best in the Big 12, according to 247 Sports.
Brennan has praised Crowley's work within the program, as well as director of scouting Fletcher Kelly, while the Wildcats turned the team around quickly.
"I think what Gaizka and Fletcher do an incredible job of is, they’re kind of the front door with some of the evaluation process," Brennan said. "They do a great job of making sure everybody is accountable to our process. So the position coach is seeing the players, the coordinator is seeing the players, and me seeing the players, so that we have consistency in our evaluation process.”
It's unclear if Crowley will be bringing anyone else from Arizona's staff with him to Arkansas. The Razorbacks are beginning a very tough rebuild in the SEC. They recently hired Ryan Silverfield to become the new head coach, pulling him away from Memphis.
Crowley was critical in making sure the program ran smoothly through practices, transfer windows, recruiting and NIL considerations when adding and retaining parts of the roster. He won't be easy to replace, and Arizona isn't sure if he will be the last member of the staff to leave. Running backs coach Alonzo Carter is considered to be a finalist for the opening at Sacramento State, as well.
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Logan Brown is an alumnus of the prestigious Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He currently works as a General College Sports Reporter On SI. Logan has an extensive background in writing and has contributed to Cronkite Sports, PHNX Sports, and Motion Graphics.
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