National Signing Day is a month away. The Arizona Wildcats are scheduled to start spring practice two days later. So Rich Rodriguez needs to act fast to fill the staff openings created Monday when he parted ways with defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Jeff Casteel and defensive line coach Bill Kirelawich.

There’s no doubt Rodriguez will beat those deadlines. From the way he runs his offense to his preferred setup for team meals (buffet-style), Rodriguez is all about speed and efficiency. It’s how he rolls.

The direction he’s leaning to restructure his defensive staff is less clear at this point. What follows is a list of eight possible candidates for the two openings.

That number – two – is important to keep in mind. As things currently stand, that’s how many slots Arizona has available per NCAA rules, which limit FBS programs to nine full-time assistants. But the Wildcats essentially have three jobs to fill: defensive coordinator, defensive line coach and linebackers coach.