Brent Brennan made one thing clear in his introductory press conference as Arizona head football coach: Tucson is special to him.
He got married while working as a grad assistant at Arizona in 2000. His mentor Dick Tomey had a profound impact on him in that year and then when the duo worked together at San Jose State.
As the Wildcats enter the Brennan era, a week after Nick Saban retired, which started a domino effect of Kalen DeBoer to Alabama and then Jedd Fisch heading to Washington, the new Arizona head coach asked the players on the roster for a chance. A chance to show what the program could do with Brennan leading the charge and what the Wildcats could look like in the Big 12.
Brennan is fighting to retain players and build his culture using the teachings of Tomey all these years later.
He’s hoping he can recreate that same magic in the Old Pueblo 23 years later.
There’s plenty of discussion to come when it comes to the roster, coaching staff and wins & losses. But Brennan made it clear, Dick Tomey’s fingerprints will be on this program once again.
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