Arizona head coach Brent Brennan named to another hot seat

Brent Brennan was one of eight head coaches named by Ari Wasserman of On3 as on the hot seat and feeling the most pressure entering the 2025 season. Arizona finished 4-8 in their first season with Brennan as the head coach in 2024.

Arizona lost 36 transfers to the 2025 portal and brought in 28 to match the freshmen signed. Nearly half of the projected 2025 starters for Arizona are transfers. Brennan also turned over about half the staff, which includes all three coordinators.

Billy Napier of Florida is first on the hot seat list posted by Wasserman on Wednesday morning, followed by Brent Venables of Oklahoma, Hugh Freeze of Auburn, Sam Pittman of Arkansas, Brennan, Brent Pry of Virginia Tech, Mike Locksley of Maryland and Scott Satterfield of Cincinnati.

Brennan is the only one of the eight head coaches on Wasserman's list who is entering his second season with his current school. Wasserman is an Arizona alum. Satterfield is entering his third season at Cincinnati, with the other six coaches in their fourth season or more at their current programs.

Brennan spent seven seasons at San Jose State before Arizona with a 34–48 record. San Jose State had winning seasons under Brennan in 2020, 2022 and 2023. The 2024 season was extremely disappointing for Arizona after being ranked 21st in the preseason polls.

Arizona will need to show progress in 2025 to get Brennan off of the hot seat. Quarterback Noah Fifita returns for his third season, but Arizona has to replace wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, the eighth pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.

Brennan's fate, whether it is after the 2025 or 2026 season could be determined how well the units under new defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales, offensive coordinator Seth Doege and special teams coordinator Craig Naivar perform.