Arizona Football Coach Splits His Forehead Open After Head-Butting Player: 'Not Sure What All the Fuss Is About'

Senior defensive assistant coach Chuck Cecil — who has been with the Wildcats for four years — later specified that it was a "love tap"

A routine gesture of support has potentially created a significant headache for an Arizona college football coach — literally.

During a Nov. 30 game between the University of Arizona Wildcats and the Arizona State Sun Devils, Wildcats senior defensive assistant coach Chuck Cecil head-butted a Wildcats player — who was wearing a helmet at the time — in order to rev him up for a play. The move resulted in a bloodied forehead for Cecil, who otherwise appeared unharmed.

A now-viral video of the moment and its aftermath was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Fox College Football. Cecil, 60, can be seen knocking his head against the player’s helmet several times and later is shown standing near players with a trickle of blood running down his forehead.

Cecil shared a post on X to comment on the moment on Sunday, Dec. 1, stating that he didn't understand “all the fuss” over the incident.

“Thanks for all the support and check-ins but I’m not entirely sure what all the fuss is about; I didn’t even notice I was bleeding,” he wrote, adding, “and it was a love tap, not a head butt!”

“Clearly, turning 60 means I need to be a bit more careful with the thin skin, and maybe we should issue a disclaimer: ‘Kids, don’t try this at home; leave it to the professionals!’ “ he added.

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The coach ended his post by centering the narrative back on Wildcats football.

“Seriously, there’s nothing that I love more (aside from my wife and daughter) than the University of Arizona, our players and the incredible Wildcat community. We need to come together, rally around our team/kids and work towards building a championship-winning program,” he wrote.

“That’s my sole focus and the reason I returned from the NFL — to contribute in any way I can. Let’s bear down and make it happen!” he concluded, referencing the University of Arizona's historic catchphrase, “Bear down!”

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The Wildcats ultimately lost the game with a final score of 49-7, leaving them with a record of four wins and eight losses for the season.

According to his University of Arizona bio page, Cecil is a former NFL defensive coordinator and NCAA College Football Hall of Fame inductee. While this is his fourth season with the Wildcats overall, it marks his first as the team's senior defensive assistant coach. He previously served as the defensive backs coach from 2021 to 2023.