file photo/Arizona Daily Wildcat John Mackovic and his coaching staff have already begun to make recruiting trips in hopes of filling gaps in the team roster.

The season might have ended Friday for the players, but for some of the coaches it's just beginning, as the coaches will scour the country recruiting.

The Wildcats will be recruiting players from every position and will look at athletes from both the high school and junior college levels.

"We are continuing to turn over the stones to try and find someone, somewhere that can help us," head coach John Mackovic said.

A big area of interest for the team will be on both the offensive and defensive lines. Mackovic said it would be key to add a few more defensive tackles and four or five new offensive lineman.

"We are looking for anyone that can play and make us a better team," he said.

With the turmoil that hit the Arizona football program a few weeks ago, it was a concern to many that it would hamper the Wildcats' ability to recruit. However, Mackovic said he has made a few house visits to various recruits and all have gone well.

"The response is positive," Mackovic said. "(The recruits) are listening to what we have to say and I'm being open with everything that has gone on."

He did say the question asked by most of the recruits was whether or not he would be back as the head coach and he said he told everyone that he would be.

"This is an important off-season for us," Mackovic said. "I don't see (this off-season) as being unusual."

With its worst Pacific10 Conference finish in school history, very little went right for the Wildcats this season and Mackovic said that the team would have a lot to work on in the off-season.

He said that the team's first priority on both offense and defense was the ground game and rightfully so.

The Wildcats spent most of the season as the worst rushing team in Division I football with less than 44 yards a games while allowing over 160 yards a game.

He also said that this off-season would be key in improving their pass protection. The Wildcats gave up a conference high 52 sacks this season. Most of those sacks came as a result of an unfamiliar line, as UA offensive line coach Charlie Dickey had to revert to freshman who were supposed to redshirt such as John Parada and Tanner Bell.

The Wildcats came into the season with 15 scholarship offensive lineman and entered a couple games with only six of those 15 available. It seemed as though there was a different combination of offensive lineman every game.

"They were competitors and played as well as we could reasonably expect them to play," Mackovic said. "If we would have asked for more than that, then we would have been asking for too much."

If there good news to come out of all the uncertainty on the offensive line is that many young players got game experience that will benefit them later in their careers.

After the 41 players meeting with President Pete Likins a few weeks ago, there was much speculation that there would be changes in the coaching staff. Mackovic said it was still a possibility that the Wildcats could lose some of the assistance coaches.

He said that many of his assistant coaches did a good job this year, despite the teams overall performance.

"We have some talented coaches and coaches often get opportunities for advancements," said Mackovic. "Some of our coaches are in a position where other (schools) recognize the jobs they have done."

However, he also added that as of Mon. no other schools have contacted him about hiring any of the Arizona assistance.

With spring practice more than 4 months away, its hard to believe that a team can be looking that far ahead, but when you have an All-Pac-10 running back that missed a majority of the season, you spend more attention to when he could return.

Mackovic said that it is highly unlikely that junior running back Clarence Farmer would return in time for spring practice.

"If he did, it would be good for everyone, but the doctors don't feel he is able to," said Mackovic.

The most anticipated news to come out of this off-season would be the development of the Wildcats' two young quarterbacks. Red-shirt freshman Nic Costa and freshman Ryan O'Hara will be competing all off-season for the starting spot next year.

Mackovic said that the team is not really concerned with who performs better in the off-season, but more with how both players grow as quarterbacks.

"We will throw a lot," said Mackovic, "but we will work on the little things, the foot work and ball handling. Those little things have to get built so they are second nature."

In the past, the Wildcats were focusing more on getting there quarterbacks to fit into the offensive system, but this off-season they will be more focused on developing both players on a more individual basis.

"We are going to be careful at how much we throw at them, but now we will focus more on their development instead of the offenses development," said Mackovic. "We will let the offense come around."

Already looking toward next year, the Wildcats will have a tough non-conference schedule. Arizona is scheduled to play Louisiana State at home and will travel to Purdue. This could spell trouble for a young Wildcat team against two good football programs.

"We will have to be ready to play in come next September," said Mackovic.