Doege's Stellar Job as Arizona's Offensive Coordinator
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When Seth Doege took the job as Arizona's new offensive coordinator in place of Dino Babers, he was aware of the work he had to do to turn the offense around from one that ranked 14th in the Big 12 at the end of the 2024 season.
Doege was hired after an impressive season at Marshall, one that saw him call plays for an offense that averaged 31.8 points per game and 382.8 yards of total offense en route to a Sun Belt Conference championship win over Louisiana, the first SBC championship in the program's history and the first of any sort since 2014.
It is clear to see that Arizona has found its coordinator for seasons to come, so let's take a look at what he has done to turn the program around since arriving on Dec. 13, 2024.
Turning the passing game around
Before Doege's arrival, the Arizona passing attack was lackluster. It appeared to lack the ability to spread the ball around, aside from the duo of Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan.
Ever since Doege took over, Fifita began passing the ball to a handful of different receivers, from freshman recruits to newly signed transfers who have made a difference this season. By the end of the season, Fifita completed at least one pass to 18 different pass catchers.
NOAH FIFITA SHOWS OUT IN THE DUEL 😱
— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) November 29, 2025
‼️286 PASSING YARDS & TD
Fifita Highlights vs. #20 Arizona State 🎬#Big12FB | @ArizonaFBall pic.twitter.com/sgPMxUnguX
It is due to the dynamic play-calling of Doege that the passing attack went from 7th-ranked in 2024 to No. 4 in 2025.
Utilizing the run game
As a Mike Leach product, Doege's offensive philosophy is to gash opponents with an air raid style. However, he knows when to use the run to his advantage. While at Marshall, the offense scored 21 touchdowns on the ground, rushed for 201.7 yards per game and averaged 5.15 yards per carry, ranking 20th in the nation.
One of the Wildcats' biggest priorities was bolstering the running game, which ranked 15th in the Big 12. The acquisition of Ismail Mahdi from Texas State and Quincy Craig from Portland State, paired with Doege's calls, has made for a potent rushing attack that has proven difficult for opponents to handle.
Cats are running wild 💨
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) November 22, 2025
Ismail Mahdi cashes in from 28 yards out as @ArizonaFBall adds some fourth-quarter insurance.#Big12FB | 📺 TNT pic.twitter.com/XirnmyjVw7
Although it may seem like a slight improvement, Arizona's rushing attack ranking jumped from 15th to 12th. The Wildcats' yard total jumped from 1279 in 2024 to 1805 this season. As a whole, Arizona's running backs scored 20 touchdowns, which is a massive jump from the 11 that were scored last season.
Bringing Fifita back to elite play
Fifita made many improvements from last year's campaign, which saw the Wildcats finish 4-8 and rank among the bottom tier of teams in the Big 12.
This year, Fifita has seemed much more decisive, making more precise and accurate decisions than a season ago.
The talented junior quarterback threw 26 touchdowns this year, eight more than the 18 he completed when Babers was in control. His five interceptions are also a huge step up from the 12 picks last season.
Brent Brennan has stated that his goal is to build a program that develops players and is successful for the long term. Should Doege stay for some years, the offense will continue to progress into one of the better ones, not only in the conference but in the FBS.
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Nathaniel Martinez and a set of shoulder pads at 7 years old. He later graduated from Pima Community College in 2023, where he began writing for the Pima Post. He is working to achieve a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Media Studies.