Arizona Wildcats Coach Discusses ‘Signature Look’ After New Mexico Victory
Since arriving in Arizona in January, coach Brent Brennan has made it a point to embrace the team’s Polynesian culture.
During Big 12 media days in July in Las Vegas, Brennan showed up wearing a lei as he talked with media. Many of the players that he brought with him did the same.
But the lei that Brennan wore in Las Vegas was nothing compared to what he wore on the sidelines during Saturday’s opener with New Mexico, a game the Wildcats won behind a record-breaking performance from wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
What he wore on Saturday looked more like a floral arrangement, and as it turned out he was wearing two leis.
So was he doubling down on a signature look?
Reporters asked him about that after the game.
"This is a signature look when Noah Fifita's grandmother gives you one and Tetairoa McMillan's mother gives you the other,” he said.
It wasn’t just during the game, either.
Brennan could be seen wearing the leis during the team’s walk to the stadium in pregame activities.
Fifita and McMillan are just two of the players with Polynesian heritage on the team.
Entering the season, Arizona has seven players on the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award watch list. Winners of that award have included Marcus Mariota, Tua Tagovailoa and Taulia Tagovailoa.
To date, an Arizona player has not won the award.
That could change this year, though. Along with Fifita and McMillan, the other players on the watch list are defensive lineman Keanu Mailoto, linebacker Jacob Manu, offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea, defensive lineman Stanley Ta’ufo’ou and defensive lineman Ta’ita’I Uiagalelei.
The only team with more players on the watch list is BYU.
It’s also the most for Arizona in the award’s history. McMillan was a finalist last year.
But that isn’t all.
Arizona has 12 other players of Polynesian heritage, including defensive lineman Julian Savaiinaea, offensive lineman Rhino Tapa’atoutai, linebacker Leviticus Su’a, offensive lineman Wendell Moe Jr., offensive lineman Shancco Matautia, defensive lineman Chubba Ma’ae, defensive lineman Ammon Kaufusi, linebacker Kamuela Ka’aihue, offensive lineman Jonah Rodriguez, defensive back Gavin Hunter, defensive lineman Dominic Lolesio and defensive back Nela Taliauli.
The Wildcats are preparing for their next game against Northern Arizona on Saturday.
It will be interesting to see which players’ parents give leis to Brennan. It will also be interesting to see if he carries over the look on the road when the Wildcats head to Manhattan, Kan., to take on the Kansas State Wildcats on Sept. 13.
That will be Arizona’s first road game of the campaign.
MATT POSTINS