Marcel Yates, who will be named the Arizona Wildcats’ defensive coordinator any minute now, appeared on a Boise, Idaho, radio station Monday to discuss his decision to leave Boise State. Below are some excerpts from Yates’ interview with KTIK FM. You can listen to it in its entirety here.
(on why he decided to leave Boise State at this time)
“I think every coach has their schools, if they were offered a certain job at those certain schools, they would be interested in them. Arizona was one. With me growing up in L.A. and being in high school and playing during the ‘Desert Swarm’ years … out of high school I actually wanted to go to Arizona. At the time the best teams, I thought, in the Pac-10 on defense were Arizona and Washington State. Those were two schools I wanted to play for back then.”
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(on whether he was intending to return before the UA opportunity arose)
“Yeah. I got calls from schools. I won’t say their names. I’ve been getting text messages from people, negative and positive, about chasing the money. I was offered jobs that paid more money. It wasn’t about the money. It was about a fit, for me to do what was best to advance my career. From leaving Boise State and going to Texas A&M, I realized going to A&M (that) I was a better fit on the West Coast. I’m not saying I’ll always be on the West Coast, but as far as recruiting and knowing the landscape, I’m a better fit on the West Coast.”
(on whether it was difficult to leave his alma mater a second time)
“It’s difficult because of the timing. Obviously, being a Bronco, I know there are some people who are going to be pissed. There’s also some people who are going to be excited.
“I’ve been coaching for 15 years. Out of those 15 years, 11 have been at Boise State. For people to question my loyalty, I don’t understand that. My loyalty has been to this program and this city for 11 years. I will always be a Bronco. But at the same time, I have ambitions and I have goals. I just thought it was a good opportunity to go to the Pac-12 as a defensive coordinator. I could recruit the same area I’m recruiting now at a school that I always looked at and had interest in.”
(on whether his relationship with BSU coach Bryan Harsin led to his departure)
“That’s unfair. This has nothing to do with Bryan Harsin or loyalty. Our loyalty goes back to 1996 when we played together. I know his family. I’ve seen his kids born. I know his mom, I know his dad, I know his wife, family. The loyalty is there. That’s where it gets hard, when you’re so connected to somebody as a family member or as a friend and it’s time to pick up and leave. Feelings get involved. People go, ‘Why are you leaving?’ It’s not about that.”
(on how much of a factor money was in coming to Arizona)
“I was always taught, if you can’t retire off of it, then you still need to work. So make the best decision for you and your family. It’s a huge raise for me. (The Star was told Yates will make $500,000, about a 50 percent increase from his BSU salary.) I’m excited about that. But it was about having an opportunity to coach at a place where I can recruit and I can coach guys in a region I’m comfortable with and I feel like I can be successful at. And to be honest with you, my goal at some point, not today, is to be a head coach. If I go to Arizona and I’m successful as a defensive coordinator, does that put me in a better position to be a head coach to whoever it may be across the country? I think it does.”
(on how he has dealt with recruits during the job transition)
“I told those guys that there was communication from Arizona. I told them I hadn’t accepted the job yet. But I didn’t know what was going to happen. I don’t lie to recruits. That’s another thing I want to nip in the bud. What I didn’t want to do is, if I was going to take the job, I didn’t want to get out this week and go into homes wearing a Boise State shirt, and then come Wednesday, I’m going to Arizona. I wanted it done this weekend so I could give Boise State a chance to let everybody know that I was leaving.
“Whenever you’re leaving a program, you don’t want to mess with the recruits that are already at the program. With this being my alma mater, I don’t want to get into that.
“I’m not trying to take anybody. I’m not trying to steal recruits. These guys are Broncos, and I want to keep it that way.”
(on why the move made sense for him and what lies ahead)
“I’m a Southern Cal boy. That’s why the Arizona thing, it makes sense for me. It’s in a region I recruit. It’s in a conference where I can get kids and I can win.
“I still have a job to do. I still have to work. It’s great to get the job, but to keep the job is the tough part. That’s the thing that I’m excited about. I get to go down there and work with a defense that needs to improve with a new staff and kind of (be) the leader in building that.”
