This time a year ago, the Arizona Wildcats were 9-3, fresh off back-to-back Territorial Cup victories, and preparing for a matchup with the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2023 Alamo Bowl under Jedd Fisch. Fast forward a year – Jedd Fisch is gone, and Brent Brennan’s Wildcats just went 4-8, with a 49-7 loss to ASU and no bowl game berth. And while fans, players, and coaches are all disappointed with Brent Brennan’s first season at the helm in Tucson, he will continue to call the Old Pueblo home for at least another year. On Sunday evening, Arizona Athletic Director Desireé Reed-Francois confirmed to Michael Lev of the Arizona Daily Star that Brent Brennan will return for a second season as the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats.
“Coach Brennan deserves a fair chance to be successful,” said Reed-Francois in a quote to the Star last night. She reportedly met with Brennan for around two hours on Sunday evening, after Brennan met with the team earlier in the afternoon.
What’s next for Arizona?
Following the Territorial Cup loss on Saturday, Brennan described the 2024 season as “absolute misery”, but exclaimed that he is excited for the Wildcats’ future:
“Now the good news is, I’ve been through things like this before. I’ve been a part of a lot of staffs that have taken over programs, so I’m not afraid of the challenges ahead. I’m actually excited about it.”
But what do those challenges look like for Brennan go forward? For starters, Arizona is expected to make a number of coaching changes, including offensive coordinator Dino Babers, who is on a one-year contract and relinquished play-calling duties in September. The expectation is that Brennan will go after a young, explosive offensive coordinator, who can help establish an offensive identity for the Wildcats, and get Noah Fifita and Co. back on track.
“Ultimately, we are judged by wins and losses. There are no moral victories, and we are going to get this right by providing the necessary support for Coach Brennan and the program,” Reed-Francois told Lev and the Daily Star.
The Wildcats also are preparing for Early Signing Day on Wednesday, December 4, and the transfer portal opening next Monday, December 9. Brennan will now get a chance to recruit the initial portal window, and sign his own recruiting class. But it won’t be that easy for Arizona. The Wildcats will need to manage their own roster turnover, and also navigate announcing staff changes to avoid impacting recruits.
Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea are likely heading to the NFL Draft. Cornerback Tacario Davis could also turn pro based on a number of mock drafts throughout the season. And the Wildcats could see a number of players hit the portal. Former 4-star quarterback Brayden Dorman has already announced his intentions to enter the portal once it opens. Long story short – Arizona is officially in rebuild mode.
Rebuilding with Tucson
Brennan doesn’t just have to rebuild the coaching staff, retain Arizona’s roster, and secure a decent recruiting class. He also needs to rebuild his relationship with the Tucson community. Throughout the season, fans expressed their discontent with the direction of the program, and rightfully so. While Arizona’s depth was questionable this season, Brennan did inherit one of the nation’s top QB-WR duos in Noah Fifita and T-Mac, and squandered it.
It will be critical that Brent Brennan is more active and engaged with the Tucson community, effective immediately. Showing more energy and enthusiasm during press conferences, being more active on social media, and leading the team in volunteer events on campus and in the community are all great ways to get that ball rolling. Desireé Reed-Francois knows it, telling Lev and the Daily Star:
“We also talked about ensuring that we are out there. We talked about the community. This is a really special community, and this is a community that wants to see that we have a demonstrated commitment to winning.”
With the decision to return to Arizona officially made, the uphill journey for Brent Brennan begins.