Aztec Notebook: Lewis Navigates Loss, Bowl Goals, and Roster Rebuild

A Season of Growth and Reflection

San Diego State football coach Sean Lewis shared a heartfelt message on social media, expressing his pride in the players, coaches, and support staff for their incredible season. This year marked a significant turnaround for the Aztecs, with Lewis leading the team to a 9-3 record after a challenging 3-9 season last year.

In the aftermath of a 23-17 double-overtime loss at New Mexico, which cost SDSU a chance to compete for the Mountain West championship, Lewis reflected on what could have been. "What more I could have done?" he pondered during a conversation. "How I could have gotten us through those four quarters cleaner, so that we didn’t lose control of our own destiny?"

Lewis emphasized the importance of taking advantage of moments when in control of one's fate. "There’s an unbelievable lesson there that can’t be lost," he said. "It teaches us how important preparation is, how important the moment is, and how important it is to take care of the individual piece for the good of the team as you go forward in life."

The Mountain West Standings

The Mountain West conference saw a four-way tie for first place, with Boise State, New Mexico, SDSU, and UNLV all finishing 6-2 in conference play. The championship game participants were determined by an average of computer metrics, with SDSU finishing third behind UNLV and Boise State. The Broncos will host UNLV in the title game.

Lewis acknowledged the significance of the season, stating, "It’s going to take me some time and some distance to reflect upon how special and how proud I am of the season and all the great things that we have done." He expressed more pride in the growth and resiliency of the team than in the wins and losses.

Resetting and Refocusing

After the loss, the team met on Monday morning to reset and refocus. With no practices scheduled this week, the Aztecs will take time to heal, stay in shape, and prepare for finals. Once the bowl matchup is announced, the team will build out their practice schedule around finals and the holidays.

QB Commitment

SDSU received a verbal commitment from Bakersfield Frontier High School quarterback Brady Campbell, who flipped from New Mexico State to join the Aztecs. The 6-foot-3 Campbell passed for 3,687 yards and 38 touchdowns during his high school career. His announcement came two days before the early signing period begins.

Coaching Changes

There have been at least 20 coaching changes in college football this year, with a flurry of firings and hirings recently. On Sunday, UCLA reportedly filled its open position by hiring James Madison coach Bob Chesney. Lewis' name was rumored in recent weeks to be in the mix for the Bruins job.

When asked about speculation for other jobs, Lewis said, "It comes with the territory. There’s nothing real. There’s nothing imminent. Success leads to attention, so it’s a testament to the hard work in the program."

Lewis deflected questions about UCLA, saying, "Seems like they got a great coach. Chesney’s got a great track record, the way he builds a program up."

Coaching Carousel Impact

The coaching carousel isn't limited to head coaches. Staffs need to be rebuilt when there is a change at the top, with ripples coming in the assistant coach community as well. Last year, SDSU lost its defensive coordinator, Eric Schmidt, who was hired as head coach at North Dakota.

SDSU defensive line coach Rob Aurich was promoted to replace Schmidt, and now Aurich is a candidate for other jobs after guiding an SDSU defense that was among the best in the country.

"It’s very real," Lewis said. "In the seven years that I’ve been a head coach, on average I’ve had to replace two assistants (per year). That comes with the territory."

Opt-Outs in the Offing

This is the first time in three years that SDSU has been bowl eligible. With this comes the challenge of opt-outs, where players choose not to play in their bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft or the transfer portal.

"We started having conversations today," Lewis said. "The thing we can take care of is our house. Getting a good understanding, or at least taking the temperature of where guys are with their mindsets and their next steps on what they’re going to do individually and how that will impact the team in two weeks, three weeks, a month."

Lewis emphasized the importance of reconstructing the roster, ensuring enough high-character individuals are in the building to make another run in 2026.