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Those rules have been bent, and then some, since I was a journalism student at Northwestern 30-plus years ago. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is an unabashed New York Knicks fan. FOX NFL analyst Tom Brady is a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. Partisanship is encouraged in today’s media landscape.

Whenever anyone asks if I root for the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥, my response is always: “I hope the kids do well.â€� For the most part, the student-athletes I’ve encountered at ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ and USC (my former beat) are good people with good families and good intentions. It’s satisfying to see them succeed.

I would like to see Brent Brennan succeed as ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥â€™s head coach. I’m rooting for him. It’s not because he’s a good guy, although that’s part of it. Rather, it’s because it’d be in the best interest of UA football.

This year marks my 10th season covering the program in some capacity. Brennan is the fourth head coach during that span. Constant change at the top is no way to build a consistent winner. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ needs stability, at least to the degree that’s achievable in the transfer-portal era.

Unless he gets fired — a possibility if things don’t go well during the 2025 season, which kicks off Aug. 30 against Hawaii — Brennan isn’t going anywhere. This is a destination job for him. He isn’t looking for the next-best thing. He’ll retire here if the fates allow. That ought to count for something.

Taking responsibility

Now, I know what you’re thinking: We stunk last year. Why would I want this guy to stick around?

Any and all criticisms of Brennan’s performance in Year One are valid. He has taken accountability for all of it. Mistakes were made, especially in terms of staff construction. Defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales went so far as to say, “We did a terrible job coaching across the board.�

But Brennan was honest with himself in the offseason and humble enough to realize he needed to make significant changes. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ has a new crew of coordinators. Joe Salave’a represents a massive upgrade in the defensive line room. I guarantee this year’s team will be better coached than last year’s.

Those weren’t the only changes Brennan made. He altered his approach to building the roster, connecting with the community and interacting with the media without losing the essence of who he is.

Brennan and UA football chief of staff Ben Thienes met with a select group of media members multiple times during the offseason. The purpose was to get to know us better, get to know this market better and build better, more trusting relationships.

Almost every day during training camp, Brennan would take the time to talk to the entire media contingent covering practice. It wasn’t just a quick “Hey, how’s it going?� It was an unfiltered, off-the-record AMA — Ask Me Anything.

If you’ve never met Brennan, I hope you get to someday. His true personality doesn’t always come across in news conferences and TV interviews. He holds back a bit because he refuses to disparage his players, even if they deserve it. It’s the only time he isn’t completely honest.

The Brennan that we — and the folks inside the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility — interact with off camera is genuine, personable and funny. He has stories for days. He curses like a sailor (but in an endearing way). He’s the kind of guy you’d want to have a beer with.

Of course, just because you’re a great guy doesn’t mean you’re a great coach. Brennan has a lot to prove this season. Neither he nor his team handled expectations well last year. I disagreed with some of his in-game management decisions, including punting while down big in the second half of the Territorial Cup.

By the way: Just because I’m rooting for Brennan to succeed doesn’t mean I’ll hold back if, in my view, he messes up. I will continue to hold him to account.

Treating people right

The 2024 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ were an undeniable flop. As such, Brennan made a bad first impression on the fanbase. It’s hard to come back from that. But it’s hardly impossible.

Brennan led San Jose State to respectability from the depths of despair. Yes, the circumstances were different. Brennan had no pressure taking over an underfunded SJSU program coming off a 4-8 season in 2016. But he proved he could build it back up.

After going 3-22 in Brennan’s first two seasons, the Spartans went 31-26 over the next five. They won seven games three times, including during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when they played only eight games. From 1988-2019, SJSU won seven or more games only five times.

Those who point to Brennan’s overall record with the Spartans — 34-48 — as proof that he’s never won ignore that critical context.

Gonzales, who battled Brennan in the Mountain West, praised his achievements at SJSU.

“They went down to freaking Arkansas and (in 2019),� Gonzales said. “That’s big-time football. Coach B is the right man for this job.�

Gonzales cited other reasons. They included the way Brennan handles his staff. He encourages them to have well-rounded lives.

“He’s one of the greatest people in the world to work for because he allows you to be a father,� Gonzales said. “He allows you to be a husband.�

Gonzales made those statements during a news conference Wednesday afternoon at ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Stadium. His wife, Sandra, was in attendance, as she always is. Offensive coordinator Seth Doege also participated in the interview session. His wife, Abigail, was there, too.

“That’s not normal,� Gonzales said.

He also lauded the way Brennan treats his players. They know he has “their best interest at heart,� Gonzales said. The entire staff is expected to follow that lead.

“Our football team would do anything for our coaches,� Gonzales said. “Bad analogy, but if they need to bury a body, there’s gonna be a whole bunch of people bringing shovels.�

Why does any of this matter? It suggests that the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ will fight for their head coach. I’m not sure that was always the case a year ago. It revealed itself in a handful of games — UCF and ASU come to mind — in which the Cats became dispirited and didn’t appear to give their all for the full 60 minutes. That’s the antithesis of the “Redlineâ€� mantra Brennan and his assistants have promoted this offseason.

They’re pulling for him, too — and feel an obligation to not let him down.

“I go back to when I made the decision to take this job,â€� said Doege, who became ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥â€™s OC in December. “I wanted to work for Coach Brennan. And the reason I wanted to work for him is because he values the things that I value. That’s family and football.

“I love the man. He gave me an opportunity, and I feel a little bit responsible to make him right. I wake up every morning thinking about how I can make him right.�