By Jarra Gojolo — Senior Content Editor
San Jose State football head coach Brent Brennan is expected to sign a contract extension later today, sources close to The Spear say.
“I could not be more excited to be signing an extension today,” Brennan said at a press conference today. “I think it’s great for everybody involved program wide, it lets the players know that our family is going to stay intact. For recruits and their families, that the people they signed up to join in this battle are going to be there in the leadership positions.”
News comes after the Mountain West Coach of the Year was considered a candidate for Arizona’s head coaching position.
The Wildcats hired New England Patriots’ QB coach Jedd Fisch earlier today, concluding a coaching search that came down to him and Brennan as finalists.
“I was really honored to be in consideration with the University of Arizona,” Brennan said. “Having conversations, in the big picture of a career, I think that’s always part of it.”
Brennan led the Spartans to their first ever MW title and their first conference championship since 1991. SJSU is 7-0 for the first time since 1939, when the team completed a perfect 13-0 season.
SJSU is playing in the Arizona Bowl later this month, its first bowl game since the 2015 season.
An assistant at SJSU during Dick Tomey’s tenure, Brennan took the head coach job in 2016 after previously being the wide receivers coach at Oregon State.
After two consecutive 11-loss seasons in 2017 and 2018 the Spartans went 5-7 in 2019 including wins against Arkansas, Army and Fresno State.
No fine details of the deal have been released, but SJSU athletic director Marie Tuite says the extension will keep Brennan in San Jose “for a number of years.”
After the 2019 campaign Brennan agreed to a first extension until the 2023 season that saw his salary increase to $850,000 a year.
Brennan will join Tomey as the only coaches in the last 30 years to lead the Spartans for five season, continuity that he calls “critical” for a football program.
“What has made the journey so magical and so special is the people,” he said. “And we get to keep going.”
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