By Matt Weiner (@mattweiner20) – Spear Reporter | Photo via Titus Wilkinson of The Spear
Brent Brennan dispensed a stern reply when asked for his reaction to early speculation that he’s a candidate for Oregon State’s head coaching vacancy:
“My early speculation is that I hope we get to play next weekend – that’s it. I’m worried about this team and this job and that’s where I live. I’m worried about right now,” said Brennan, SJSU’s seventh-year head coach.
Few can blame Brennan for his reaction. He’d just beaten UNLV to cap off a 1-5 to 7-5 midseason turnaround which gave the Spartans a shot at a Mountain West Championship. Though computers passed on SJSU, it will still compete in its third bowl game in the last four years – a program first.
At the same time, it’s a valid question.
With Beavers head coach Jonathan Smith leaving No. 21 OSU for Michigan State, the decision will likely come down to Brennan — an OSU wide receivers coach from 2011-16 — and Beavers defensive coordinator Trent Bray. Whether OSU sides with Bray or Brennan, a move must be made quickly because the transfer portal opens on Dec. 4.
Hiring Bray offers a sense of continuity and a rapid onboarding process. He’s amassed nine total seasons in Corvallis, guided a remarkable defense in 2022 and OSU wouldn’t have to pay him the $4.85 million Smith received. Sure, Bray wasn’t among the five coaches Smith brought to MSU – but – this could be Smith keeping a door open for him, should OSU hire someone else.
If that someone else is Brennan, it’s likely because he has head coaching experience which Bray does not. During his seven years at SJSU, Brennan’s become the first SJSU head coach to make three bowl games, first to win a Mountain West Championship and first head coach to notch five-straight seasons with a .417 win percentage or better. There’ll be no learning curve when it comes to head coaching responsibilities like meeting with administration or glad-handing donors.
And Brennan’s shown signs of leveraging his success at SJSU into a Power Five job. Last year, he interviewed for Stanford’s head coaching vacancy before it was given to Troy Taylor. Then, after SJSU’s 2020 Mountain West Championship win, Brennan interviewed for the head coaching vacancy at the University of Arizona. Hours after Arizona hired Jedd Fisch, Brennan signed an extension that made him the Mountain West’s highest-paid coach at the time.
If OSU hired him, Brennan’s current salary of $2.3 million could skyrocket north of $3 million. Plus, Brennan could have a strong NIL presence at his disposal. This past season, Brennan cultivated a never-before-seen turnaround with a “roster that wasn’t believed to eclipse $100,000 in NIL earnings” according to the SF Chronicle. This only points toward Brennan being a sound hire. Not to mention his deep OSU ties.
When Brennan left OSU for SJSU in 2017, he brought over Beavers’ offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven and defensive backs (2015) and safeties coach (2016) Derrick Odum, and later added former OSU defensive line coach Joe Seumalo and quarterback Lyle Moevao. Brennan even named his dog “Benny” after OSU’s mascot.
Some may say, ‘why would Brennan go to OSU when its been cast away by the PAC-12?’
Well, why not?
If conferenceless OSU and Washington State head to the Mountain West, Brennan could build a dynasty. The Beavers would likely boast the most talented roster and with the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams, they could regularly be in the national spotlight.
What may make the OSU head coach job unideal to some, is exactly what makes Brennan ideal. He’s navigated difficult circumstances with an energy that makes players, coaches and administration believe in his vision.
If there’s ever a program and fan base that could use some optimism, it’s OSU.
A correction was made on Nov. 27 and 28, 2023: An earlier version of this article misidentified Derrick Odum as a defensive coordinator and then defensive assistants coach. Rather, Odum coached defensive backs in 2015 and then safeties in 2016.