Meet Arizona Wildcat and Eller MBA Grad Brett Berry

This is our fourth installment of a new Fan Spotlight series and a focus on you the Arizona Wildcats fan!  We thank Wildcat Brett Berry for taking the time to share himself and his love of his Arizona Wildcats with all of us.

Brett is a native of Arizona (raised in Gilbert) who now lives in east Phoenix.  He is a commercial real estate consultant at Ernst & Young working in downtown Phoenix. We met with Brett while asking our followers if they were big Arizona Wildcat Fans and loved his response:


ZZ: Are you an Arizona Alumni? If so, what year did you graduate?

Brett: I’m a Wildcat twice over!  I graduated undergrad from UA in 2005 with a major in Regional Development and a minor in Music.  Seeing as I didn’t want to be done with college (Who would ever want to stop …especially at Arizona?) and they offered me a good scholarship, I went straight into the MBA program at Eller and graduated in 2007.

ZZ: How long have you been a fan of the Arizona Wildcats?

Brett: I actually grew up watching ASU sports with my dad as he graduated from there after transferring from Washington State.  But parents always want better for their kids then they had, right? All of his children have gone to U of A for at least undergrad.

Brett Barry Photographer

I truly became a fan of the Wildcats when my oldest sister started there in the fall of 1996, when I had the pleasure of going with my sister (who had season tickets) to several basketball games with the team that went on to win the national title.  From then until I graduated in 2007, one or more of the Berry children was going to school at U of A, so we’re all pretty devoted.

ZZ: What was it about the University of Arizona Athletics program that caught or continues to catch your pride or attention?

Brett: I’m really proud at how much our athletics programs all seem to be pulling the rope in the same direction and truly seem to care for one another.  And I think that the alumni and the entire City of Tucson really all care about the University both athletically and academically.

ZZ: What are some of your favorite things about the Arizona Wildcats teams? Which team do you follow the most?

Brett: I really appreciate how both our basketball and football programs seem to genuinely be trying to build themselves “the right way.”  I love how genuine and earnest and intense Sean Miller is, even when speaking to the media at halftime.  I love how focused both he and Rich Rod are on winning and winning the right way.  In terms of who I follow most, I definitely follow the basketball and football teams very closely, but have been following the baseball and softball teams as much as I can as well.

ZZ: Do you always watch Arizona games or go to the games when they are in your town?  How often at home, how often in person, how often do you listen on the Radio?

Brett: When in town, I always go unless there is something major I can’t get out of doing (wedding, major family event, etc.).  Despite the outcome, I loved being able to go to the Fiesta Bowl last year.

I’m excited that this year, despite living in Phoenix, I got season tickets for football season with my sister who lives in Tucson.  Otherwise, I’m always building my schedule around being able to watch the game, and people know not to bother me during games—especially if it’s a big game.

Brett Berry Photograph

ZZ: Do you go to a specific establishment or sports bar to watch the games? If so, what place?

Brett: I’ll go pretty regularly to the Arcadia Tavern to watch games with friends, which is a U of A bar with lots of alumni events not far from my house.  It’s always fun to cheer on the Cats with a bunch of alumni!

ZZ: What is your favorite saying or cheer when it comes to the Arizona Wildcats?

Brett: Nothing beats singing “Bear Down, Arizona!”

ZZ: Do you have any game day rituals or game day look?

Brett: I don’t really have any rituals other than being excited for the game.  I’m usually wearing one of my UA tees or polo shirts.  I wear my UA polo’s to work on Fridays pretty regularly….especially to kick off the weekend during football season.

ZZ: Do you have a favorite Arizona Wildcat moment?  (in a game and/or meeting someone involved)

Brett: Most recently, watching TJ McConnell kiss center-court as he walked off the floor for the last time at McKale Center was a really beautiful moment and it really personified to me the pride that the athletes, students, staff, and alumni feel for their school and program.  It was so genuine and heartfelt that it made that moment all you could ask for from college sports.

Arizona Wildcats
Arizona Wildcats

Arizona Wildcats

ZZ: Tell us about the pride you feel when you wear the school colors.

Brett: Wearing the school colors reminds me of all the people in Tucson and spread around the country and world that share the same pride and love of a great university that makes them proud both athletically and academically.

ZZ: Does winning or losing a game affect your mood? In which ways?

Brett: It does, but I try not to keep things in perspective.  I’m certainly MUCH happier when they win.  I’ve been involved in lots of competitive sports and other activities in my life, so I try to keep some perspective and appreciate a team win or lose.  But I’m definitely a wreck during every March Madness game the Cats are playing in and am pretty devastated when the season ends too early in March.

ZZ: Who is your favorite Arizona Wildcat player and what sport do they or did they play? Favorite Coach? And why?

Brett: That’s really tough to answer, but I’d have to say Coach Sean Miller is my favorite coach by a nose over Rich Rod.  I really appreciate how genuine he is and his focus, intensity, honesty, and integrity about how he goes about his business and how he cares about his players are so admirable.

As for my favorite player, I think TJ McConnell, though he is graduating, has been my favorite.  His work ethic, passion, and appreciation for the school and his relationship with Coach Miller all made his Arizona career a pleasure to watch the last few years.

ZZ: If you could say one thing to them, what would it be?

Brett: Keep on making us Wildcats proud, and bear down!!!

Brett Berry Photograph

BEARDOWN BRETT! And Thank you!

Next: Fan Spotlight: Meet NHRA Exec and Arizona Wildcat Dad Jeff Morton

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