If you ask Arizona offensive coordinator Seth Doege, his playing career doesn't hold a candle to Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita. "Noah is way better than me," Doege told CBS Sports. "But I think the thing he respects about my experience is I can see it through his lens." This season alone, Fifita has taken over as the program leader in passing yards and wins in Tucson.
He has thrown for at least 275 yards and two touchdowns during a five-game winning streak to help the Wildcats return to the national elite. He leads the Big 12 with a 74.2 completion percentage and a 174 passer rating. However, Doege had a prolific career of his own at Texas Tech.
Recruited by Mike Leach to run the Air Raid, the West Texas native threw for a combined 8,200 yards and 67 touchdowns. "He always tries to be modest and say he wasn't able to play at the level I play at," Fifita said. "All of that stuff is just lies." But when Doege first came to Arizona in 2025, he found Fifita at the lowest moment of his football career.
He questioned whether he could even play at this level. Fifita needed Doege to show him the way. "Coach Doege changed my life," Fifita said.
"He saved my football career. In a way, I'll never be able to repay him." Doege swung through the coaching ranks after his playing career, including stints at USC under Clay Hilton and Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin. In 2024, Charles Huff gave Doege his first playcalling opportunity at Marshall, and the Thundering Herd won their first conference title in 10 years.
Offers came through for Doege's services, even with only one year of playcalling success. But when Arizona came calling, Doege felt drawn to Tucson. "This one just felt right because of Coach [Brent] Brennan, and because I knew Noah," Doege said.
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