Update 1/19/24: Brent Brennan has officially been hired as the next head coach of the Arizona Wildcats football program. Brennan comes from the same position at San Jose State where he finished with a record of 34-48
The Arizona Wildcats are officially in the market for their third head football coach since the start of the 2018 season, after losing Jedd Fisch to the University of Washington over the weekend.
Fisch leaves Tucson after posting a 10-3 record in 2023, which was the school’s first double-digit win total since going 10-4 in 2014 under then-coach Rich Rodriguez. It also pushed the school to the forefront in Arizona sports betting circles.
With several internal candidates and a handful of outside options presenting themselves to Arizona athletic director Dave Heeke, there’s no shortage of options for the Wildcats. Among those are current San Jose State coach Brent Brennan, who was a runner-up to Fisch the last time Arizona had a coaching search in 2021. Former Wildcats assistant coaches like Johnny Nansen and Brennan Carroll also should be among those considered this go-round.
With all that in mind, BetArizona.com broke down the head coaching odds in Southern Arizona as the Wildcats look for their heir apparent to Fisch in 2024 and beyond.
Next Arizona Head Coach Odds
San Jose State Coach Odds on Choice
The overwhelming leader to replace Fisch is Brennan, who served as a graduate assistant at Arizona under legendary coach Dick Tomey in 1998. Brennan has won two Mountain West titles at San Jose State, doing so in 2020 and 2023, while posting an all-time record of 34-48 at the Bay Area program.
The 50-year-old California native did lead the Spartans to a 6-2 mark in conference play this past season, as SJSU played in the Hawaii Bowl, which was the program’s second straight postseason berth after making the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in 2022.
Other candidates to replace Fisch include former Arizona defensive coordinator and current Texas co-defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen, as well as the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator Brennan Carroll. The only other candidate listed in the Arizona search is Brennan’s father, Pete, who won two national titles and a Super Bowl as a head coach at USC and with the Seattle Seahawks between 2001 and 2023.
Despite the head coaching uncertainty, ESPN BET Arizona lists the Wildcats as +7500 to win the national championship, tied with Kansas State, Miami and Utah for 18th nationally.
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