San Jose State is looking for a new football coach for the first time in eight years with Brent Brennan departing for the University of Arizona.
Brennan guided the Spartans to three bowl game appearances in four years and a Mountain West Championship in 2020 and there is a lot at stake for the Spartans as they look for his replacement, including retaining a roster that Brennan and his staff bolstered with another well-regarded recruiting class.
Quarterback Jay Butterfield, a former four-star recruit who transferred from Oregon, built a solid relationship with Brennan and said the head coach was the reason he transferred to SJSU last season. Butterfield appears poised to be Chevan Cordeiro’s successor, but with Brennan’s departure, does he stay at SJSU?
The Spartans’ most recent recruiting class was ranked seventh in the Mountain West, but had solid high school and transfer portal pieces including quarterback Chubba Purdy, younger brother of 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
There are a lot of candidates who can take over as SJSU’s head coach, but each candidate will have decisions to make with the roster and with current recruits.
SJSU director of athletics Jeff Konya said in a statement released Tuesday by the school that a national search for Brennan’s replacement is underway.
Here is a breakdown of coaches who could be in the mix as SJSU’s 30th head coach in program history:
Top of the list candidates
Alonzo Carter — SJSU running backs coach
The most obvious choice to take over as SJSU’s next head coach is Alonzo Carter. Brennan hired Carter in 2017 and promoted him to associate head coach, running backs coach and recruiting coordinator during his six seasons on staff.
Carter’s coaching roots in the Bay Area run deep. He got his start as a head coach at McClymonds High School in 1999 where he won four Oakland Athletic League Championships. Carter was hired to be head coach at Contra Costa College in 2010 and led the Comets to four conference championships.
Carter might be in the best position to try to keep SJSU’s current roster intact. Not only is Carter a well-respected coach in the Spartan locker room, but he is also a well-liked figure around Northern California high school and junior college coaches as he has built strong recruiting relationships over the years.
Derrick Odum — SJSU defensive coordinator
If there is one coach SJSU fans hope Brennan is not taking with him to Arizona, its defensive coordinator Derrick Odum.
Odum was another coach who arrived from Oregon State with Brennan in 2017. He helped build a defense that allowed just 17.8 points per game during the Spartans’ 2020 Mountain West Championship run. The Spartans were the second-best defense in the Mountain West in terms of yards per game allowed in 2023 with Odum as the play caller.
Another well-respected coach around SJSU players, Odum is responsible for developing all-conference players such as Tre Jenkins, Viliami Fehoko and Cade Hall. He’s another coach who has a good shot of keeping SJSU from doing a complete rebuild.
Brennan Marion — UNLV offensive coordinator
One of the architects of UNLV’s turnaround this past season, Marion makes a lot of sense if the Spartans want to go with an outside candidate.
The Rebels went from the fifth-highest scoring offense in the Mountain West in 2022 to the highest scoring offense in 2023 under Marion using his high-paced go-go offense. The Rebels went from averaging 26.2 points per game in 2022 to 34.4 points per game in 2023.
Despite being from Pennsylvania, Marion has roots in the Bay Area. He started his college playing career as a tight end at Foothill College and played briefly at De Anza College. He got his first coaching gig at West Valley College as a wide receivers coach in 2011 and held the same position at Harker High School in 2012. In 2013, he got his first head coaching job at St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School in Vallejo.
A young, offensive coach fits well for a team in the Mountain West.
Jason Eck — University of Idaho head coach
Eck, 46, has only been a head coach for two seasons, but the former Wisconsin offensive lineman has guided the Big Sky’s Vandals to the Football Championship Series playoffs twice, reaching the semifinal this past season. Eck is 16-9 as a head coach.
Idaho ranked in the Top-20 in scoring and total offense in the FCS this season, averaging 32 points and 417 yards per game.
Before taking over at Idaho, Eck coached for six seasons at FCS powerhouse South Dakota State. He was the Jackrabbits’ offensive coordinator for three seasons, and those teams averaged 32.5 points per game. He was named the FCS Assistant Coach of the Year in 2019.
Less likely, but should be in the running
Patrick Walsh — Serra High School head coach
The longtime Serra High School head coach has built one of the top high school programs in Northern California. He took over the program at just 26 in 2001.
The Padres won a CIF state championship in 2017 and has led Serra to the CIF state title game six of the last seven years.
Walsh has some history with SJSU as he played football and baseball for the Spartans in the mid-1990s. If Walsh feels like he has accomplished everything he could at the high school level, becoming SJSU’s next head coach could be an enticing new challenge.
Reached by the Bay Area News Group’s Darren Sabedra on Tuesday morning, Walsh said in a text, “I clearly love exactly where I’m at spending 23 years of my life here at Serra. It would be extremely flattering to be considered for any job at the NCAA or NFL levels but I like being where my feet are.”
Marcus Arroyo — Former UNLV head coach
If the Spartans want to go with a former SJSU alumni, Arroyo might be the route to go.
As a player, Arroyo was a record-setting quarterback for the Spartans from 1998-2002.
Arroyo was the offensive coordinator at Arizona State in 2023, but struggled as Arizona State ranked last in total offense in the PAC-12. He was the head coach of UNLV in 2022, but was fired after posting a 7-23 record in three seasons.
Long shots
David Shaw — Former Stanford head coach
Former Stanford head coach David Shaw hasn’t been out of the game too long, stepping down as the Cardinal coach after the 2022 season. He led Stanford to three PAC-12 championships and eight bowl game appearances in 11 seasons.
If SJSU could lure Shaw back into coaching, it would be a homerun hire. Shaw’s history of winning combined with his Bay Area ties could pick up where Brennan left off and possibly elevate the program to an even higher level.
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For what it’s worth, Shaw was spotted at SJSU training camp this past season casually chatting with coaches and players.
Ron Rivera — Former Washington Commanders head coach
If SJSU wants to go big game hunting, why not try to get a coach who went to a Super Bowl just eight years ago.
After the Commanders’ disastrous 4-13 finish, it’s hard to picture Rivera ever getting a professional head coaching job again. But can he possibly rebuild his reputation at the college ranks? It’s not an uncommon move.
Rivera also has Northern California ties, attending Seaside High and playing at Cal from 1980-1983.
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