Arizona's Fisch Resigns to Become DeBoer's Successor at Washington

January 15, 2024 by CollegeFootballPoll.com Staff and gohuskies.com

On January 14, Washington named Jedd Fisch as the successor to Kalen DeBoer who resigned to take the same position at Alabama just two days earlier. In his first head coaching gig, Fisch elevated the Wildcats from 1-11 in his first season to 10-3 in 2023 with a 38-24 Alamo Bowl win over Oklahoma. He served as an interim head coach at UCLA in 2017, going 1-1 with a 35-17 Cactus Bowl loss to Kansas State, making his overall record 17-22.

DeBoer was named the new head coach at Alabama on Friday, January 12. DeBoer was 25-3 in 2 seasons with Washington, including a 14-1 mark in 2023 with the lone loss coming to Michigan in the national championship game. He was 12-6 at Fresno State after going 67-3 at Sioux Falls when it was a D3 school. Add it all up and his career record is 104-12.

The following is the statement on the Washington Huskies website, gohuskies.com.

The University of Washington has named national Coach of the Year Finalist Jedd Fisch its new Head Football Coach, it was announced today by UW Director of Athletics Troy Dannen. Fisch will be formally introduced to the UW community and members of the media on Tuesday, January 16th at 11:00 a.m. in Husky Stadium.

“In seeking a new head coach, we wanted to move quickly but thoroughly and sought out a coach who would build on our foundation, bring energy to the program, has a track record of success, is an elite recruiter and was someone who young men wanted to play for,” said Dannen. “We found all of those characteristics and more in Jedd Fisch. It became clear through our conversations that he shares our values and our vision for UW Football, and he is the right coach at the right time as we transition to the Big Ten Conference. On behalf of the Husky Family, I want to welcome Jedd, Amber, Zaylee, Ashlee and Kendall to Seattle, and I cannot wait to see what comes next.”

Fisch comes to UW following three years at the University of Arizona, taking the program from one win in his first year in 2021 to ten wins in 2023, including an Alamo Bowl victory. He garnered national acclaim this season, named as a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and the Dodd Trophy, presented annually to the nation’s top head coach.

“It is truly an honor to join the University of Washington and do my part in carrying on the tradition of a storied football program and world-class university,” said Fisch. “The unbelievable success of the Huskies the last two seasons demonstrates what UW is capable of and I cannot wait to compete for Big Ten and national championships with tremendous young men and an outstanding coaching staff that we will assemble. I am grateful to President Cauce and to Troy Dannen for their confidence in me and I’m thrilled to be a Husky. Our work has already begun.”

Prior to Arizona, Fisch served as the quarterbacks coach with the New England Patriots under Head Coach Bill Belichick. He previously served as an offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach or assistant with the Los Angeles Rams, UCLA, the University of Michigan, Jacksonville Jaguars, the University of Miami, Seattle Seahawks, the University of Minnesota, the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens, and as a quality control coach with the Houston Texans. He got his start at the collegiate levels serving as a graduate assistant at the University of Florida under Steve Spurrier. In addition to Belichick and Spurrier, other mentors include Pete Carroll, Brian Billick and Jim Harbaugh.

Fisch is a native of Livingston, N.J. and graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Criminology in 1998. He earned his Master's degree from the University of Florida.