Brent Brennan enters a pivotal season in his second year with Arizona. Brennan is 66th out of 68 in the CBS Sports "2025 college football coach rankings: Deion Sanders, Bill Belichick headline Power Four coaches ranked 68-26" posted on Wednesday.
Jeff Lebby of Mississippi State who is 68th and Frank Reich of Stanford who is an interim coach in 2025 and 67th, are the only power conference head coaches ranked below Brennan in the CBS Sports college football coaching rankings.
Mississippi State finished 2-10 overall with its only wins over FCS Eastern Kentucky and Massachusetts and 0-8 in the SEC, losing by an average of 17.8 points per game in the Bulldogs' first season under Lebby. Reich was hired on March 31 after head coach Troy Taylor was fired for mistreating staff.
Arizona lost 37 transfers and brought in 27 players through the transfer portal for 2025. Brennan signed a five-year contract that began at $2.2 million per season in 2024 and increases by $200,000 each season. It is too soon for Brennan to be on the hot seat, but with another poor season he likely would be entering 2026.
"The team Brennan inherited from Jedd Fisch was seen as a contender in the Big 12 last season. They returned a QB coming off a great season in Noah Fifita and a first-round talent at WR in Tetairoa McMillan. Despite this, the Wildcats stumbled to 4-8 and 2-7 record in the Big 12. Worse, they lost their Big 12 games by an average of 27.3 points, disproving the theory that every game in the Big 12 is close on a weekly basis. 2024 rank: 56 (-10), High: 62, Low: 68"Tom Fornelli, CBS Sports
Brennan hired young offensive coordinator Seth Doege from Marshall to replace Dino Babers and Matt Adkins, who were the play callers for Arizona last season. Fifita has worked with four offensive coordinators before entering his third season as the Arizona starting quarterback.
Arizona was 114th nationally, averaging 21.8 points per game in 2024, 96th, posting 354.5 total yards per game, 42nd with 247.9 passing YPG and 120th at 106.58 rushing YPG. Even with opponents focusing on McMillan, Arizona was unable to develop a consistent rushing offense.
Arizona allowed 31.8 PPG, which was 109th nationally, 106th, permitting 413.0 YPG, 98th with opponents rushing for 174.00 rushing YPG and 103rd, giving up 203.0 passing YPG. Brennan elevated linebackers and special teams coach Danny Gonzales to defensive coordinator in 2025.
Arizona needs to improve completely across the board in 2025 after regressing significantly in 2024. Brennan spent his entire career as an assistant coach, primarily working with wide receivers, but was only a co-coordinator in 2009 before being hired as the head coach at San Jose State from 2017 through 2023.
Arizona needs to beat Hawaii and FCS Weber State at home convincingly in its first two games in 2025 to remove a lot of the doubt from his low ranking. Arizona also hosts Kansas State in a non-conference game before beginning Big XII play at Iowa State on September 27.