Published Oct 7, 2020
Kevin Sumlin remains asymptomatic as Arizona prepares to begin practice
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Matt Moreno  •  GOAZCATS
Senior Editor
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@MattRMoreno

Arizona will begin preseason practice this Friday, but whether or not head coach Kevin Sumlin will in attendance remains up in the air. The third-year UA coach tested positive for COVID-19 last week and remains in self-isolation while he recovers from the disease that has impacted so many people across the world over the last several months.

Sumlin said Wednesday during a Pac-12 webinar, which is serving as this year's media day, that he has yet to have any symptoms of the coronavirus so far. So a return to practice later in the week has not been ruled out assuming, of course, that he tests negative by that time.

The Arizona head coach is currently quarantining with his son, Joey, who has also tested positive for COVID-19.

"It's a process that's unfortunate, but we'll see where we are at the end of the week," Sumlin said. "From a timeline standpoint, I was tested last week but it wasn't confirmed until this weekend. So, it's about a week into this thing.

"I don't have symptoms and neither does my son. I get up in the morning and go through a checklist with him and how he feels. ... It's a tough time, but we're getting through it."

Sumlin has been pleased with how his program has handled working through the pandemic and he has exercised plenty of caution throughout the last several months when it comes to working to help curb the spread of the disease throughout his program.

The Arizona head coach expressed "shock" at learning of his positive test result this week underscoring his feeling about the unpredictability of the virus.

"You do the best you can," he said Wednesday about what he has learned by the situation. "I still don't know how or why or what happened, but the lesson is this thing is serious and no matter what precautions you have you have to be extremely aggressive about your protection, about your health as well as others. It's an unfortunate situation, but it's one that I'm not the only one this has happened to.

"Even though I've been really vigilant about what's happened, I've been fortunate over the last week about symptoms and being asymptomatic and so has my son. So, if there's anything that's good out of it it's become that. You cannot be too careful, you just can't."

College coaches have become experts in working remotely and through virtual means throughout the course of the pandemic and that is how Sumlin has been able to remain engaged with the team throughout his self-isolation period.

So far the team has not had a full practice this fall, but that changes Friday when the team begins its official preparations for the upcoming fall season that begins Nov. 7 against Utah. Sumlin is still working through the process of how he will be involved in practices while he battles the virus and said Wednesday that he will meet with UA's medical staff to figure out his plan for the end of the week.

"We haven't completely opened up," Sumlin said. "We're gonna slowly start moving into the locker room this weekend and Monday. As far as team meetings and things like that, as we ramp up testing we're gonna stay on Zoom meetings which gives me the opportunity to be a part of those meetings for at least another week.

"... As far as the meetings go, I'm still involved with that."

Sumlin added that he has a meeting with all three UA coordinators set for later in the day Wednesday to discuss the plan for fall preseason practices.

"It's not like I'm not doing anything," he said.

RELATED: Arizona picked to finish last in the Pac-12 by conference media members

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