Can't Wait For Saturday | The other Spartans have a new leader and are hoping he stays awhile
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Greetings from "Can't Wait For Saturday," your morning morsel of college football, courtesy of longtime Illini beat writer, AP Top 25 voter and Heisman state rep Bob Asmussen. He'll give you his views each day on the game he loves.
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San Jose State started playing football in 1893. While not exactly the Cradle of Coaches, the school has an interesting list of big bosses. Including Michigan legend Fielding Yost for a game in 1900 that his team won.
There is an Illinois connection to San Jose State too. Ron Turner was the coach there for one season in 1992, leading the Spartans to a 7-4 record. He could have stayed longer, but instead became Dave Wannstedt's offensive coordinator with the Chicago Bears. A good move that led to his hiring at Illinois in 1997.
Besides Turner and Yost, others who knew the way to San Jose include Darryl Rogers (just before he went to Michigan Stae), Jack Elway (just before Stanford), John Ralston and Dick Tomey.
The Spartans have never had a coach for more than eight seasons, which happened twice. The latest coach Brent Brennan was getting close with six years. Despite a modest 34-48 record, Brennan is moving on too.
Bowls bids in three of his final four seasons (all losses) must have convinced Arizona that Brennan is the right guy to replace Jedd Fisch, who has taken over at Washington.
And who is next at San Jose State? Ken Niumatalolo, the winningest coach in Navy history with 109 victories.
In 15 seasons, he coched in 11 bowls and had a 6-5 postseason record. Two of his Navy teams won 11 games and another won 10. But the team was sliding toward the end, winning three, four and four games his final three seasons.
Niumatlolo spent the '23 season as UCLA in a non-coaching position, but was named a full-time assistant shortly before accepting the job at San Jose State.
At age 58, he could finish career with a lengthy run in California. If he is able to recapture his success from the Navy days. I like Coach Ken's chances.
Illinois has never faced a Niumatlolo-coaches team. But it is 1-1 against San Jose State, losing at home in 2002 and winning at home in Ron Zook's first campaign in '05.
