(Image source: Twitter @Greg_Byrne)

BY JJ BAILEY

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

There’s a new top Wildcat on the gridiron in Tucson. Rich Rodriguez is heading southwest for his new gig coaching the University of Arizona. The announcement came from AD Greg Byrne... on Twitter.

Late Monday, Byrne tweeted:

“And the new Arizona football coach and his family is.......”

The link led to this picture of Rodriguez and his family sporting Arizona gear.

The hire was fodder for sports columnists nationwide. Some say he’s Mr Right, and some, well, think he’s all wrong.

Rodriguez’s reputation- built at West Virginia- seemed to be tarnished by his tenure at Michigan. But a blogger for SB Nation says, that one may be on the Wolverines.

“With his intricate offensive schemes, RichRod needs very specific players who must be developed in his system. Recruiting players that fit his offense will be paramount from the get-go. The lack of leeway and patience in Ann Arbor, as well as the team's defensive struggles, didn't suit that kind of coaching style. Perhaps Arizona will be different.”

But defense hasn’t been Rich Rod’s calling card. Some analysts, like Fox Sports’ Thayer Evans, say this move should help with that weakness.

“Rodriguez’s prolific offense is idea for the Pac 12 where games are won by offense and not defense, unlike the Big 10. Remember former coach Mike Stoops, who was fired in October after a 1-5 start, was defensive-minded.”

Rodriguez is considered a big-name get for the Wildcats, who haven’t won the conference in nearly 20 years. But what about how it was announced? Dropping info like that into a tweet was an interesting move for Arizona.

While most outlets glossed over it, the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel seems to think tweeting these kinds of tidbits is asking for trouble.

“Who else thinks it's only a matter of time before the NCAA investigates a college's lack of institutional hashtag control?”

As for next season, the new coach has to hit the ground running. Rodriguez has a short recruiting window before national signing day - February first.