By Matthew Gonzalez — Content Editor
Just a season ago, San Jose State was a win away from clinching bowl eligibility.
Now in 2021 the Spartans have added a historic 7-1 season to the record books.
To put the cherry on top, head coach Brent Brennan has received the Lombardi Foundation Coach of the Year award Wednesday.
Brennan received the award with his family in tow under the impression that the Lombardi Foundation simply wanted to greet him and his family, however we now know the meeting had Brennan setup to receive a prestigious award.
“It was overwhelming because it was a surprise and it was cool that my family was there,” Brennan said. “My family, our coaches’ families, our players families — just like our fan base — none of them got to share this journey with us so for [my family] to be there for that moment was pretty special.”
Brennan says the award is a significant achievement for SJSU’s entire football program and serves as a testament to all the hard work he, his staff and his players did in the 2020 season.
“I think it’s an incredible honor but I really look at it like this is great for Spartan football.”
“This is great to continue to get the message out about what our coaching staff and what our young men have done here at San Jose State over the last four years.” said Brennan.
Brennan felt that the ongoing culture his team is building and phrases such as “climbing the mountain” have contributed to the success his team had on the field this season.
“Culture is something that everybody is responsible for everyday, not just me.
“As a coaching staff we try to provide the framework for it, but then it’s up to the players to carry it and uphold it and it took some time to get to that.”
Brennan was the winningest head coach in the Mountain West this season, and took SJSU football to greater heights than it had ever been since the 2006 and 2012 seasons, granting him this award and a foundation the Spartans can look forward to in seasons to come.
Follow Matthew on Twitter @MattG2001