The University of Arizona's next football coach brings with him to Tucson a deep connection to the winningest coach in Wildcat program history.
Brent Brennan, a disciple of legendary UA coach Dick Tomey who served as head coach at San Jose State University the last seven seasons, agreed Tuesday to become Arizona's next football coach. He'll succeed Jedd Fisch, who left for the same role at Washington following three seasons atop the UA program.
Brennan's contract is a five-year deal, pending approval from the Arizona Board of Regents.
Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke posted a picture on X (Twitter) with Brennan and a signed document on Tuesday with the caption, "Got our guy!" Brennan is the 31st head coach in UA football history. They flew shortly after from Northern California to Tucson, where Brennan was greeted on campus by the UA marching band and cheerleaders before his first meeting with Wildcat players.
"I am incredibly excited to announce Brent Brennan as the next head football coach at the University of Arizona," said Heeke in a news release. "Brent is an exceptional leader with a background of championship success on the field, on the recruiting trail, and as leader in the community.
"With strong connections to the Tucson community and an appreciation for the rich legacy of our program under legendary head coach Dick Tomey, Brent's vision to continue the upward trajectory of Arizona football is rooted in the historical excellence of the program. As we begin a new era, Brent Brennan is the ideal leader for our student-athletes, staff, campus and Southern Arizona community as we write the next great chapters of Arizona football."
Brennan was a finalist for the coaching vacancy at Arizona in 2020, before Fisch was hired to replace the fired Kevin Sumlin. The 50-year-old Brennan has a 34-48 record at San Jose State since he was hired in 2017, but is 27-19 over his last four seasons.The Spartans had back-to-back seven-win seasons in ’22 and ’23, while going 7-1 overall in the pandemic-impacted 2020 season.
Then-San Jose State head coach Brent Brennan, center, holds the Dick Tomey Legacy trophy after defeating Hawaii 27-14 in 2022. Brennan was 26-19 over the last four years with the Spartans, with three bowl bids. Hawaii and SJSU are two of the three NCAA FBS programs once piloted by Tomey, who still remains Arizona’s all-time coaching wins leader.
"He's left an indelible mark on the football program and university," San Jose State athletic director Jeff Konya said of Brennan on Tuesday. "We wish him and his family nothing but the best moving forward."
In 2020, San Jose State won a Mountain West Conference title for the first time since 1991; the Spartans started the ‘20 season 6-0 — the program's best start since 1939. SJSU lost to Ball State in the Arizona Bowl in Tucson to end the year.
Before San Jose State, Brennan, a former UCLA wide receiver and Redwood City, California native, coached at Hawaii, Washington and Arizona as a graduate assistant.
At Arizona in 2000, he was a graduate assistant under Tomey, the all-time wins leader (95) in UA history, before the former UA boss was fired. Brennan's brother, Brad Brennan, played wide receiver for the Wildcats from 1996-2000. The younger Brennan caught a go-ahead touchdown pass in Arizona's win over Nebraska in the 1998 Holiday Bowl; the UA's 12-1 season remains the best record in program history.
After Tomey's dismissal, Brent Brennan followed former Arizona defensive coordinator Rich Ellerson to Cal Poly for four years and then reunited with Tomey at San Jose State in 2005 as a wide receivers coach.
New University of Arizona football coach Brent Brennan, right, and his wife, Courtney, a UA alumna, smile as they are greeted by the UA band and cheerleaders as they arrive on campus to meet with players Tuesday in Tucson.
Between their time together at Arizona and San Jose State, Brennan learned two Tomey-isms: “The harder it gets, the better we play” and “Football’s not complicated; people are.”
Brennan was among the key speakers at the late Tomey's funeral service at McKale Center in 2019.
“He is more than my football dad. He was just a really important man to me. I was incredibly honored to speak at his service," Brennan said leading up to the Arizona Bowl in 2020. "I wish there were more speakers; I felt like I could have sat there all day and listened to people tell stories about him and what they meant to him.
“I think about Coach every day," he added. "I talk about him all the time. He’s always been a real point of reference for me as I’m building our team and getting ready for games. I miss Dick Tomey dearly. What a great influence he had on my life.”
Tomey's son, Rich Tomey, told the Star's Michael Lev on Tuesday, “I know my dad would be more than excited about this."
"I know he’s smiling down so big right now," Tomey said. "I couldn’t imagine a better choice for the U of A. I know my dad has always felt that way. I remember him talking about the U of A, and he always said how great a fit Brent would be. ... He just embraced my dad’s philosophy. I know he and my dad had a special relationship."
Speaking of relationships, current Arizona wide receivers coach Kevin Cummings coached under Brennan for four seasons in San Jose; he also played wide receiver for Brennan at Oregon State. Brennan also coached OSU star receivers James Rogers, Brandin Cooks and Markus Wheaton — each an NFL player at some point.
“I think he’d be excited,” San Jose State coach Brent Brennan said of how he believes former UA and SJSU coach Dick Tomey would react to the Spartans' recent success. “I think he’d also still call me and chew me out if we got penalized for something stupid.”
The relationship between Cummings and Brennan could potentially keep Cummings — and star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and quarterback Noah Fifita — at Arizona. However, Cummings flew to Seattle along with several other UA staffers and was in attendance for Fisch's introductory press conference at Washington on Tuesday. Cummings wasn't announced as one of Washington's assistants on Tuesday; running backs coach Scottie Graham, quarterbacks coach Jimmie Dougherty, defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi and strength and conditioning coach Tyler Owens were officially announced as members of Fisch's staff.
Brennan's hiring adds to a hectic week across the college football map, let alone the last 72 hours in Tucson. Legendary coach Nick Saban's retirement from national powerhouse Alabama led to the Crimson Tide hiring Kalen DeBoer from College Football Playoff runner-up Washington last week. Then, in a whirlwind courtship, UW hired Fisch Sunday, promising a seven-year, $51 million deal to the Alamo Bowl-winning now-former Wildcat coach.
That led to Monday and Tuesday, with Brennan again back on Arizona's radar.
Several UA players, including All-Pac-12 linebacker Jacob Manu, posted "#StayingWithNansen" on X Monday night to campaign for former defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen to become Arizona's next head coach. Nansen accepted a co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach role at Texas, as head coach.
Besides assembling a staff, Brennan's next steps as Arizona's leader will be working to retain players on a team that finished 10-3 and No. 11 in the Associated Press Top 25, the program's highest season-ending ranking since 1998. If the roster stays intact, despite losing starters in running back Jonah Coleman and cornerback Ephesians Prysock to the transfer portal — and it's inevitable more players will enter the portal — the Wildcats are expected to compete in their first season as a Big 12 program.
Getting players to buy in is Brennan's forte, Rich Tomey said.
“Just the way he deals with players, how much he loves his players, the way he prioritizes people first," Tomey said. "Getting his players to buy in. I’ve seen it at San Jose State. They’d run through a wall for him.”
Added Tomey: "It’s going to be exciting. I’m excited for Tucson. I’m excited for the university.
"I know they hit a home run.”
VIDEO: Alamo Bowl: Arizona football coach Jedd Fisch shares his desire to let the Wildcats’ bowl win be a true conclusion to the 2023 season for his team, rather than a jumpstart so quickly to what might come to be in 2024. Fisch shared his remarks after the No. 14 Wildcats’ 38-24 win over No. 12 Oklahoma in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023, in San Antonio, Texas. (Courtesy Valero Alamo Bowl)
