Softball's Jung named Pac-10 player of week

The Pacific-10 Conference is sure taking notice of Arizona athletes.

A day after women's basketball star Shawntinice Polk was named Pac-10 Player of the Week for basketball, senior Lovie Jung earned the softball equivalent of the weekly honor.

Over the weekend, in the Fiesta Bowl Tournament, Jung posted a .474 batting average with five home runs, including a grand slam. Jung also had 11 RBIs, with nine hits and eight runs scored.

Jung currently leads the team with a .471 batting average. She leads the team in runs (12), hits (16), doubles (5), home runs (7) and RBIs (18).

Jung's achievement marks the second time she has received the award and the 74th time the award has been given to a Wildcat. Jung was named Pac-10 Player of the Week last year for March 19 ÷ 24.

The Wildcats return to action this weekend when they host the Pepsi Arizona Softball Classic from Feb. 14 ÷ 16.

Mackovic adds two to football coaching staff

University of Arizona football coach John Mackovic hired Mike Deal as

offensive coordinator and Jeff Hecklinski as quarterbacks coach Monday to complete a re-organization of the Wildcat staff.

Deal, offensive coordinator for the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe the past two seasons, replaces Rick Dykes, who resigned last month for personal reasons.

Hecklinski, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for Central Missouri State in 2001-02 and new member of Brady Hoke's new staff at Ball State in January, assumed a new position created when Mackovic recently released inside linebackers and special teams coach Scott Pelluer.

In other moves, wide receivers coach Rob Ianello will take on additional duties as passing game coordinator, while the offensive line coach for the past 11 years, Charlie Dickey, will now coach tight ends. Running backs coach Jay Boulware will take over the special teams coordinator duties.

On defense, coordinator Larry Mac Duff will coach linebackers, and Steve Bernstein will work with the secondary, while Marty Long (tackles) and Charlie Camp (ends) will continue to work up front. Graduate assistants Jeff Rodgers and Terry Samuel will work with the defense and offense, respectively.

Deal was the offensive line coach for Mackovic at Illinois during part of the latter's tenure there from 1989 to 1991, and later served in the same capacity under Mackovic in his final three years at Texas from 1995-97.

Overall a three-decade veteran of the coaching profession, he was offensive line coach at Vanderbilt from 1998-2000, Texas from 1995-97, Illinois from 1989-94 and Kansas State from 1986-88, where he also served as coordinator.

"Mike's worked for me at two different places. I consider him the best offensive line coach I've worked with," Mackovic said. "He's smart, innovative and will bring a great deal of enthusiasm and experience to Arizona football."

BYU first on soccer's Î03 exhibition schedule

The Arizona women's soccer team kicks off its spring exhibition schedule Friday against Brigham Young.

The Wildcats take on BYU at 2:30 p.m. and then again at 7 p.m. at Murphy Stadium. Arizona will play two more home games following BYU before playing at UC San Diego, and UCLA. The Wildcats then head to a tournament in Portland on April 5 and 6.