Arizona football coach Jedd Fisch accepts Washington Huskies job
Jan 14, 2024, 5:23 PM | Updated: Jan 16, 2024, 2:14 pm
Head coach Jedd Fisch of the Arizona Wildcats walks the sidelines during the second half of the NCAAF game against the Washington Huskies at Arizona Stadium on September 30, 2023 in Tucson, Arizona. The Huskies defeated the Wildcats 31-24. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Arizona football head coach Jedd Fisch is the new man in charge of the Washington Huskies, the university confirmed Sunday.
247 Sports’ Jason Scheer first reported the news.
Fisch interviewed with Washington on Saturday afternoon before a deal was finalized on Sunday, according to reports. The deal reportedly will earn Fisch over $50 million across a seven-year contract, with a salary of $7.75 million per season.
Fisch recently led Arizona to an Alamo Bowl victory after a 9-3 regular season and the Wildcats’ first bowl berth since 2017. Last year was also the first time since 2014, and only the fourth time in school history, the program has reached 10 wins. Arizona also ended the season on a seven-game winning streak, the longest since 1998 and finished with a No. 11 ranking — its best finish in 25 years.
“I want to thank Coach Fisch for his tireless work and relentless dedication to rebuilding Arizona Football into a point of pride for the entire Wildcat Family. While we did not want to see Coach Fisch leave and made every effort to retain him by continuing our investment in the football program, we wish him the best as he begins a new chapter in his career,” athletic director Dave Heeke said in a statement.
“As for next steps, we have a shared vision for the program and our student-athletes. Arizona Football is well-positioned for future success and championship excellence, and I am confident we will attract a new leader who will continue the positive trajectory of our nationally ranked football program. The national search for a new head coach is already underway, and I will refrain from any public comments until our next head coach is announced.”
This comes after Fisch arrived in Tucson with the Wildcats having lost 12 games in a row. The Florida alum was able to turn the program around after he went 1-11 in his first year and 5-7 in 2022.
Arizona hired Fisch in December 2020 on a five-year deal before he inked an extension that would have kept him in Tucson through 2027. The $16.3 million contract signed in December 2022 included $15.9 million in salary and bonuses, and a $400,000 bonus that would have been activated if Fisch was still at Arizona through November.
Fisch was set to earn $3 million in 2024, $3.2 million in 2025, $3.25 million in 2026 and $3.6 million in 2027 at Arizona.
Fisch returns to Seattle after he worked as the Seahawks quarterbacks coach in 2010 on Pete Carroll’s staff. Fisch also worked in the Big Ten on Jim Harbaugh’s staff at Michigan from 2015-16.
Before Fisch joined the Wildcats in December 2020, he worked a one-year stint with the New England Patriots as quarterbacks coach in 2020.
Prior to that, he was an assistant with the Los Angeles Rams under head coach Sean McVay but had never been a hired head coach in college or the pros, though he went 1-1 as interim head coach at UCLA for part of the 2017 season.
Washington made the national championship game this season, falling to Michigan. Huskies head coach Kalen DaBoer left to lead the Alabama Crimson Tide after long-time legendary head coach Nick Saban retired on Wednesday.
