Mike Hankwitz interim head coach

Interim Arizona head football coach Mike Hankwitz is scheduled to interview today for the team's permanent head coaching job, according to reports from the UA athletics department.

A group including President Peter Likins, Athletics Director Jim Livengood and Senior Associate Director of Athletics Kathleen "Rocky" LaRose scheduled last week to meet with three candidates over the weekend plus Hankwitz today. The group reportedly met with Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops last week.

The four candidates other than Hankwitz include Cincinnati Bengals linebackers coach Ricky Hunley, New York Giants defensive coordinator Johnnie Lynn and USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow. Hunley is a former UA All-American, while Lynn and Chow are both former UA assistant coaches.

LaRose is also chairwoman of a 12-member search committee with the role of narrowing down the list of potential candidates.

"The committee narrowed the potential list of coaches from more than a hundred to about a dozen since the process began," LaRose said. "Some coaches have pulled out, others have thrown their name into the mix ÷ it's a dynamic group"

Livengood appointed Hankwitz, in his first season on the UA staff, as interim head coach after the firing of former coach John Mackovic.

In his first stint as a head coach and 34th overall year as a college coach, Hankwitz has led the Wildcats to a 1-5 record since replacing Mackovic. The lone win was a 27-22 upset victory over Washington, the team's first Pacific 10 Conference home win in nearly three seasons.

On the day he let Mackovic go, Livengood said he wanted to have a new coach hired by early December.

"We're hopeful the process will be completed by then," he said during the Sept. 28 press conference.