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Paul Rhoads, Stan Eggen and Andy Buh each have at least 22 years of experience coaching college football. They have more than 90 years in the game on their combined résumé.

Rhoads, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s first-year defensive coordinator, was presented with that sobriquet after the Wildcats’ third spring practice this week. The 53-year-old removed his cap and ran his hand through his (mostly) gray locks.

“I don’t know why he’d do that,� Rhoads joked.

He quickly added, “But I promise you this: What dark ones I have left are turning gray this week and beyond.�

Rhoads knows he has a challenging task. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ ranked last in the Pac-12 in total defense and points allowed last season. The Wildcats haven’t finished in the top half of the league in either category since 2013.

Rhoads certainly has the bona fides to direct a turnaround. As the defensive coordinator at Pittsburgh from 2000-07, he led five defenses that ranked in the top 30 nationally in points allowed and three that finished in the top 12 in yards allowed. He then became the head coach at Iowa State for seven seasons.

Mazzone, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s offensive coordinator, described Rhoads as a “pain in the buttâ€� — and meant it as a compliment. He has made a positive first impression on ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s defensive players.

“Very energetic,� senior linebacker Colin Schooler said. “He’s a very hands-on coach. He’s got lots of years of experience, and it shows, especially in the meeting room.

“Out on the field, he coaches differently with each player. He really individualizes how he teaches them. So if I’m responding well to one way but somebody else isn’t, he’ll change it, which is important, because everybody’s learning.�

How much can Rhoads accomplish in one season? That was one of several questions he answered while meeting the media this week. Below is a portion of that conversation, which has been lightly edited for context and clarity.

How long do you think it’ll take most of the guys to feel comfortable with your system and terminology?

A: “(That’s) certainly something that you can’t put a time stamp on. I think it happens when it happens. Colin (is) extremely comfortable right now with everything. And then there’ll be guys that are a long ways behind him. That ‘aha moment’ comes differently for different guys. We’ve got to be a long ways from where we are now on April 4 (for the spring game).�

When you step into a position like this, what is the first thing you want to set as far as your foundation?

A: “Work ethic. Make sure we’re playing hard. If you don’t play hard, you’ve got no chance. So we want to establish the importance of that. But there’s a difference between playing hard and playing fast. When you’re playing fast, now you know what you’re doing. Now you’re accountable. And that’s where we want to get to. Right now we’re just playing hard.

“We want to understand the importance of tackling. It’s the most important thing a defensive player does and the defensive unit does, and we’re starting to gain an appreciation for that. All these things are learned. There’s a lot of teaching taking place, on the field and in the meeting room and in the hallway and in the cafeteria and everywhere you look. But playing hard and tackling great will be the two first blocks that I lay down.�

Why do you feel that the emphasis on tackling is different than in years past?

A: “Because I think there’s more emphasis on other pieces of the game — scheme and technique and turnovers. Tackling’s never going to go away, and the priority that’s given across the country, I don’t think it’s as high as it used to be.�

As a new coach, do you look at film from last season or are you just kind of locked into right now?

A: “I’ve spent less time doing that than anything else. With a completely new staff now … there’s a whole room that’s gotta get on the same page. So in my opinion, it would be a waste of time to go back. We’re getting to understand what we’ve got every day. We’re learning what they’re capable of, both mentally and physically, and we’re learning a lot more that way than we’d ever learn on film.�

How well do you feel like you know the defensive personnel at this point?

A: “Pretty good after three days. Not to a level that I need to know yet to make all decisions — what we’re going to be when the season opens from a percentage standpoint, this front versus that front, this coverage versus that coverage. I don’t know yet because we haven’t learned enough.

“We’ll know more (after Friday) when we tackle for the first time, truly tackle and go to the ground. And I’ll know a heck of a lot more after I’ve exposed them to more things by the end of spring practice.�

It’s early, but what are your thoughts on the overall depth on defense?

A: “What depth? We’re pretty thin. But that’s OK. We’ll develop that. We’ll add this class this summer, in August, and get to integrating them. I don’t think that we look at that class and say, ‘These five guys gotta play,’ but the group will be given an opportunity.

“Everybody that’s here in spring ball right now has shown nothing other than ‘I want to compete for a starting job’ and ‘I want to compete for playing time,’ and that’s fun. It’s just sheer numbers. We don’t have the numbers that we need to say that we’ve got good depth.�

How important was it to add some front-seven defenders in that second wave of recruiting?

A: “Extremely important. Not just numbers, but we added size. We added the frames and the body types that we were looking for. We had to go national to do that. But that’s OK. This program has always been a little bit of a melting pot anyway.�

How big of a turnaround do you think you can engineer in one year?

A: “Oh gosh. There’s so many variables that go into something like that. Our goal, as I mentioned, is to play hard. Our goal is to tackle great. Our goal is to not give up big plays. And when you start doing those things, then the number of points you give up starts shrinking, which is the most important stat. And that’s what we’ll set out to accomplish. If we can accomplish those things and lower the points that we give up, we’ve got a chance to improve as a defense.�

Extra points

• The final practice before spring break took place at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Stadium on Friday evening. The team donned full pads.

• The following players remained out or limited: offensive lineman Edgar Burrola; receivers Jamarye Joiner and Thomas Reid III; defensive lineman Aaron Blackwell; and safety Jaxen Turner.

• Redshirt junior Josh Donovan spent time with the first-team offensive line at right guard. Freshman Woody Jean worked with the second team at left tackle.

• ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ hosted some high-profile recruits, including San Diego outside linebacker Jordan Allen and Denton, Texas, quarterback Seth Henigan. Allen is the son of former NFL defensive back Eric Allen.

• Former UA running back J.J. Taylor and incoming defensive end Regen Terry were among others in attendance.