Brent Brennan emerging as possible UCLA head coaching candidate

Arizona head coach Brent Brennan has emerged as a potential candidate for the same job at his alma mater, UCLA. Brennan has been named on several lists speculating about who will replace Deshaun Foster as UCLA head coach. Foster was fired after a 5-10 record three games into his second season as UCLA head coach.

Brennan had one reception for seven yards with UCLA in 1994 and also played for the Bruins in 1993. In two seasons as the head coach at Arizona, Brennan has seven wins and eight losses. Brennan has 41 wins and 56 losses in his ninth season as a collegiate head coach.

Brennan had 34 wins and 48 losses in seven seasons at San Jose State before coming to Arizona. Before becoming the head coach at San Jose State in 2017, Brennan spent 19 years as a collegiate assistant coach. Brennan was an assistant coach at Cal Poly from 2001 to 2004 and San Jose State from 2005-2010.

Brennan being familiar with California recruiting is important as the head coach at UCLA. If UCLA chooses to pursue Brennan, he has a $7.5 million buyout with Arizona. According to USA Today, Brennan is paid a yearly salary of $2,700,000 with maximum bonuses of $1,200,000.

When Brennan was hired by Arizona in 2024 he became the fourth head coach for the Wildcats since 2017. If Brennan leaves for UCLA it would provide Arizona athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois the opportunity to hire her own head coach. Reed was hired as the Arizona AD in February 2024, about a month after Brennan was hired.

Tim Skipper is the UCLA interim head coach. Skipper had seven wins and seven losses as the acting and then interim head coach at Fresno State in 2023 and 2024. Skipper played at Fresno State from 1997 through 2000 and is not likely to be a candidate for the position permanently.