Brent Brennan: Here to Stay

It seems like most Arizona fans are taking Brent Brennan's hiring in stride, but for those worried about his 34-48 record at San Jose State here's some important context, as well as why he's the right person for the job at this moment in Arizona football. 

Photo: Arizona Athletics

In the 24 years before Brennan's hiring San Jose State had three winning seasons. They've now had three in the last four years, including a 7-1 2020 season where they finished ranked in the final AP poll for only the second time ever. 

Brennan accomplished this despite working at, as detailed in The Athletic last year, one of the worst-resourced programs in FBS. San Jose State may play in the best Group of Five conference (the Mountain West) but they have only two full-time strength coaches (for a team of over 100) & one full-time recruiting staffer. They practiced on a field with broken goal posts, that they shared with the school soccer teams, this season. And Brennan has to fundraise to ensure there's money for players to have breakfast at team facilities (Many Power Five schools provide three meals, & even player-specific nutrition plans). In the age of NIL, he had nothing to work with, & still made bowls.

Also, let us not forget Jedd Fisch was 8-19 (9-20 if you count his two games as UCLA's interim coach in 2017) before Noah Fafita took the field, saved the Stanford game, & then led us to a 7-2 record down the stretch. If Fifita, Tetairoa McMillan, & the majority of this roster stick together (still a BIG IF) there's a good chance they'll provide a similar boost to Brennan's win percentage. 

Now, there are no guarantees. Mike MacIntyre was the architect of San Jose State's best season, which he parlayed into the Colorado job where he had one winning season in six years. Fifita, T-Mac, & co. could still leave, creating another full-on rebuild. None of us knows how this will play out (as the failure of Sumlin, & success of Fisch has already proven), but there is one thing we can confidently say. If things do go well, Brent Brennan won't bail. 

Brennan and Dick Tomey at San Jose State

Photo: Brent Brennan

The guy who worked under Dick Tomey - the winningest coach in Wildcat history - for six years, as a grad assistant in Tucson & an assistant coach in San Jose, isn't going to see Arizona as a stepping stone. The man who viewed Tomey as a father figure, talking to him after every game & speaking at his celebration of life ceremony at McHale Center five years ago, won't be jumping ship. The coach whose wife & brother are Arizona alums will be in it for the long haul.

Hopefully, that'll include the same sort of highs Brent's brother Brad saw playing under Tomey, catching three TDs for the famed 98 Wildcats that went a program-best 12-1. 

Even if it doesn't though, in this college landscape where many coaches preach dedication & loyalty to players and fans without giving it in return, I'll enjoy rooting for someone whose love for the city, university, program, & (by all accounts) players is genuine. Someone whose favorite Dick Tomey-ism is, "Your actions speak so loud, I can't hear what you're saying."

Best of luck, & Bear Down, Coach Brennan. 

Brennan and his wife Courtney, happy to be back on campus
Photo: Mamta Popat, Arizona Daily Star

Arizona vs. UCLA: Can the Wildcats Exorcise Their Demons?

44-41 2OT

In this life, or the next, they will all pay for their sins.

Current students at the University of Arizona may not recall the score that still haunts the football program to this day, but those of us who were at the last Wildcat game to host ESPN's Game Day crew will never forget it. Arizona had Oregon on the ropes when many in the Zona Zoo prematurely jumped onto the sidelines in preparation of rushing the field, angering the football gods with their hubris*, & bringing the team's Rose Bowl hopes crashing down. More rational people may argue that the students didn't really cause the team to lose that day, & that the existence of football gods is a ridiculous attempt to bring order to an inherently chaotic sport. The Ducks quarterback, Jeremiah Masoli would agree with, at least, the first half of that sentiment, saying in regards to the students crowding the field, "I saw it and I actually smirked. It was kind of funny. I wasn't really worried about it." But football, with its Hail Mary's, Immaculate Receptions, & touchdown celebrating deities, is clearly a place of the spiritual, if not the downright supernatural, & Masoli was an asshole. Thus there is no doubt in my mind that the loss belongs squarely on those students who attempted to celebrate early, & the rest of my feelings regarding those kids can best be summed up by the great Samuel L. Jackson:

The players, coaches, & students at today's game are not the least bit responsible for that tragedy, but it is a legacy that they are tasked with putting to rest for the sake of the Arizona fan base, less that anguish follow us the rest of our lives.

*Less anyone accuse me of only chastising the students' actions because of the end result I want to be clear that I was at that game, I refused to leave the stands, & I warned my friend not to jump onto the sideline. I would never claim to fully understand the will of the football gods, but I knew that claiming victory before it was bestowed upon us could only have calamitous consequences.