San Jose State is preparing for its first Mountain West Conference Championship matchup this week, but head coach Brent Brennan's name continues to swirl as one of the potential top candidates for the open head coach position at Arizona.
Brennan's name quickly emerged as one to watch shortly after the Wildcats made the move Saturday to fire head coach Kevin Sumlin after a 9-20 record during his time in Tucson.
Brennan has ties to Dick Tomey having worked for the legendary UA head coach in San Jose and in Tucson. His brother, Brad, played for the Wildcats as well. The connections are clear, but it is not just that element that could make him an attractive option for athletic director Dave Heeke and the Arizona football program.
Brennan won the MWC Coach of the Year award on Tuesday after guiding the Spartans to an undefeated season so far in 2020. One more win and SJSU would play in the Arizona Bowl on New Year's Eve, conveniently enough, set to be played at Arizona Stadium in Tucson.
As Brennan and his team begin their week of preparations for the MWC title game, naturally, the question of the Arizona opening came up during a press conference on Monday. The San Jose State head coach did not address the continued rumors of his connection to the job. Instead, he used the opportunity to relay where his focus is right now.
“We’re climbing the mountain and that’s all I’m worried about right now,” he said Monday. “That’s it. This team, moving forward, playing in the biggest game in the history of our school.”
Brennan, who signed a contract extension last year that will keep him with the Spartans until 2024, has gone on record as saying that he wants to continue coaching at San Jose State for 15 more years. He is a native of the area and has deep roots in the program at San Jose State.
"Because I love San Jose State University," he said when asked Monday why he wants to remain dedicated to the program. "I grew up here. My dad played here. I went to these games as a young man, as a kid. ... That's been my whole life. So, when I said that, that came from the heart.
"I love this place. I love what we're doing. I believe we can build a winning football program at San Jose State and I think we're into our process of demonstrating that."
Brennan has helped the Spartans make strides since his arrival in 2017. Last season SJSU finished with a 5-7 record with this year being the biggest one of change for the program with the team sitting at 6-0 heading into its matchup with Boise State this week. Still, Brennan has a losing record overall as a head coach at 14-29.
While most of the attention has been focused on potential candidates with West Coast ties, Heeke said over the weekend that the program is conducting a national search for its next head coach.
You can keep track of all the latest coaching search news by visiting our premium message boards in addition to our Arizona Coaching Search Headquarters.
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