San Jose State coach Brent Brennan, considered a top candidate for the vacancy at Arizona, delicately sidestepped a question on that topic while speaking to Tucson media to preview the upcoming Arizona Bowl.
Undefeated SJSU is set to face Ball State in the Dec. 31 game at Arizona Stadium. Brennan was asked if heโs had any contact with UA officials about the opening.
โAnytime you win, there's going to be those questions. Those things are going to come up,โ said Brennan, who worked under legendary Wildcats coach Dick Tomey at the UA and San Jose State. โPeople in the athletics world, in the media world, all want to try and find something to talk about. ...
โWhen those conversations start, it's really a reflection of what's happening here at San Jose State; it's a reflection of what's happening with the players and what this team has accomplished, which has just been, in my opinion, nothing short of exceptional. So it's pretty cool to be a part of that and to see this team come as far as we have.โ
If Brennan is indeed in the UAโs crosshairs, the timing of the hire could be tricky. Brennan wants to see the season through and coach the Spartans to what could be their first unbeaten season since 1939. He conceivably could accept the job and continue to coach his team; the bowl game is just over a week away. Arizona also could wait until after the game if Brennan is the schoolโs choice.
The coach who was a finalist three years ago, Navyโs Ken Niumatalolo, denied heโs a candidate for the job this time.
โThereโs nothing to it,โ Niumatalolo told The Capital Gazette of Annapolis, Maryland, on Monday. โI donโt know where those rumors come from โฆ maybe because of last time, maybe because of our success as a program.โ
Niumatalolo also has an association with Tomey, having played for him for one season at Hawaii. Both Brennan and Niumatalolo spoke at Tomeyโs memorial service in May 2019.
