Arizona and Northern Arizona have vastly different reasons for new coaching staffs
Arizona and Northern Arizona have new coaching staffs in 2024 for vastly different reasons. Brennan was hired as Arizona's head coach after Jedd Fisch led the Wildcats to a 10-3 season that included seven straight wins to finish the 2023 season. Brian Wright replaced Chris Ball who was fired by NAU.
Fisch completed turned around the Arizona football program in three seasons in Tucson. Arizona was 1-11 in their first season under Fisch in 2021, ending a 20 game losing streak. The Wildcats improved to 5-7 in 2022 before their breakout 2023 season.
After Nick Saban retired, Alabama replaced him with Washington head coach Kalen DeBoar. Fisch replaced DeBoar at Washington which led to the Arizona opening. Fisch set the foundation of a winning culture at Arizona that placed the program in a good place for Brennan when he was hired.
Brennan inherited a similar situation at San Jose State to where Arizona was when Fisch was hired. Brennan was 34-48 in seven seasons at San Jose State. The Spartans finished 3-22 in Brennan's first two seasons. San Jose State was 5-7 in their third season under Brennan, before a breakthrough 7-1 season in 2020.
Brent Brennan Weekly » Week 2@CoachBrennan reflects on his first win as Head Coach of @ArizonaFBall! pic.twitter.com/t7jJkM8B0W
— Arizona Athletics (@AZATHLETICS) September 6, 2024
San Jose State was 19-18 in their final three seasons under Brennan. Brennan led San Jose State to bowl games in three of his last four seasons. San Jose State had only played in six bowl games before Brennan was hired. The Spartans were 0-3 in bowl games under Brennan and are 0-9 all-time in postseason games.
Ball was 20-30 in five seasons as Northern Arizona's head coach. The best record for Northern Arizona under Ball was 5-6 seasons in 2021 and 2023 before he was fired. Wright was a longtime assistant before leading Florida Atlantic to four consecutive wins to finish the 2013 season as interim head coach.
Wright stayed two more years as an assistant at FAU before becoming the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Toledo from 2016 through 2019. Division II Pittsburgh State hired Wright as head coach in 2020. Pittsburgh State was 33-8 in four years under Wright, including making the NCAA Division II second round in the last two seasons.
Next. Northern Arizona: final odds and predictions with huge point spread shift. Northern Arizona: final odds and predictions with huge point spread shift. dark
NAU won its opener under Wright 66-6 over independent Lincoln (California). The step-up to playing Arizona is almost infinite. Arizona won its debut under Brennan 61-39 over New Mexico. Against an opponent was less talent than their season-opening win, Arizona should put up big numbers versus the Lumberjacks.