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His 6-3, 300-pound stature is a force by itself, but Salave’a’s charisma and relentless positivity radiates throughout the hallways of the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility, which didn’t exist when he was an All-Pac-10 defensive tackle in Arizona’s “Desert Swarm� defense in the 1990s or during his first coaching stint at the UA in 2010 and ’11.

“If he’s in the building, you know he’s in the building,� said Arizona head coach Brent Brennan. “There’s no, ‘Where’s Joe?’ ‘He’s here, I heard him.’ He brings incredible energy to the environment and I think the players are excited to get to know him, and that process has already started. Then you also see those connections bearing fruit on the recruiting trails or even getting into some conversations with players that are at a high level. We’re excited about it and I think Joe is, too.�

Salave’a described the last month at Arizona as a “whirlwind.�

“Transitioning over, there were a lot of emotions,� Salave’a said. “When that plane landed (in Tucson), I could literally see (Dick Tomey’s) face and some of my peers and former teammates and coaches that got my jumpstart in college and after college.�

Salave’a said his “biggest challenge is the line of scrimmage� and “getting that (defensive line room) elevated immediately� after the Wildcats finished the 2024 season with the third-worst rushing defense in the Big 12; they were also 13th in sacks.

“If you win the trenches, you give yourself a chance to win. ... I’m excited,� Salave’a said. I’ve been working really hard these last few weeks to try and get into the homes and get on campus and get with these families that truly believe that we can elevate this room. The goal is elevate that room immediately with physicality and knock-back effort; those are pedigrees that are going to give us a chance to fortify that front.�

In the week leading up to the Super Bowl rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Salave’a joined “Spears & Ali� on ESPN Tucson to reflect on the Super Bowl he played in as a defensive lineman with the Tennessee Titans in 2000. The Titans lost to the St. Louis Rams 23-16 in Atlanta and nearly sent the game into overtime, but Tennessee wide receiver Kevin Dyson was tackled at the 1-yard line.

Salave’a discussed Super Bowl memories and his plans for Arizona’s defensive line in 2025. Here’s part of that interview:

How was the experience playing in the Super Bowl, and what do you remember about that week and season?

A: “The only thing I wish happened, when we punched our ticket to get into the Super Bowl after the AFC championship, we didn’t have that off-week. We played Super Bowl 34 immediately (after the AFC championship game). The recovery and game-planning, having that extra week would’ve given us an extra chance to catch our breath and wind going into the final game. It was tremendous because you’re talking about the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ in the Rams and Kurt Warner and their storyline of that season, because he wasn’t originally the starter. He stepped in and got that thing rolling. We were a yard short and a play too late in that 23-16 loss. Those are the memories you don’t like to think about but it’s the ones that stick out. Sometimes it overshadows the opportunity and blessing to be in that event and game.�

What was your perspective of Dyson falling a yard short of a touchdown to potentially send the Super Bowl into overtime?

A: “The one thing that got us to the Super Bowl was we ran the ball. I think we tried to match — with some of the play-calling — early on offensively. If we stuck to feeding Eddie George and play-action, it would’ve been a different story. Defensively, there were critical moments in the game and there was a breakdown in communication. You go up against those kind of teams in that particular game at that point in the season, the margin of error slims down and it’s all about execution. It was a season filled with individual stories. I thought Steve McNair was a stud, rest his soul. There were a lot of moments in that season where his leadership took us through some games that were a toss-up.�

Now that spring football practices are just over a month away, what is your philosophy in coaching defensive linemen, and what can people expect from your group this season?

A: “The one thing you’re going to see is effort in the unit on the field, being sound in our fundamentals and technique. I shared with the guys that the game will not change in D-Line play. We’re going to learn how to master fundamentals that equate to great technique. Physicality, running to the ball and everyone being accountable, taking care of their responsibility up front, are some of the things you’ll see from this group. I think we have enough in this room to give us a chance. It’s easier said than done but I’m excited for that reason going into spring ball.

“The system is one thing but you have to reprogram and reboot the mentality. That’s one thing we’re going to work hard at in the defensive line room, our mentality and approach to the game. Injuries, those things happen, but we have to build depth and by doing that, we have to create and elevate the competition. ... I’m excited for the opportunity to prove people wrong. We’ve had history of successful defensive units and we’re excited about getting back to that phase of the program and put together a product that people are proud of.�