Deep Dive on Fisch's Evolving UW Football Coaching Staff

Here's what's gained and what's lost with the recent turnover.

DL coach Jason Kaufusi directs traffic from the Husky sideline at Oregon. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Call it the clipboard massacre.

In one short month, the University of Washington football team has lost four assistant coaches -- almost half of the staff -- in a coaching exodus not seen in Montlake unless the head coach was terminated.

In this case, Jedd Fisch is still on the job leading the Huskies, probably wondering was it something he said?

In order, defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, safeties coach Vinnie Sunseri, offensive coordinator and line coach Brennan Carroll and linebackers coach Robert Bala bailed on Fisch's great UW rebuild after spending just a year on the job.

Some might say they either didn't like the Northwest weather or the Seattle traffic, or both.

While congratulating them on their career moves and not blinking, Fisch might remind you that two of them left for family reasons and the other two received promotions to become co-coordinators at the same school, with the latter development not going to happen at the UW, and who's he to stand in their way.

Either way, those guys weren't totally on board with bringing Husky football back to exalted levels to see it through, rather they used their 12 months at the UW as just a stepping stone to something else. And people thought Kalen DeBoer and company gave the Huskies a short shrift with just two seasons on the job.

Similar to players rushing off to the transfer portal in droves, Fisch, never one to get too worked up over people leaving, will remind you there's always someone out there to fill an open slot. He'll typically just shrug all of this off and point out a lot people want to work and play for this UW football team.

However, it would be foolish for anyone to think that this mass departure of coaches collectively all at once won't set the Huskies back some in player development and recruiting, if not in confidence levels over the continuity of the program.

Consider that Esun Tafa, Utah's top-rated offensive tackle for 2026 and momentarily a UW commit before pulling back on is pledge, was speaking to Carroll at his high school on Friday and then likely getting a call from Carroll's replacement, Michael Switzer, on Monday, with the latter basically introducing himself in a harried manner over the phone.

Not an ideal way to build a Big Ten contender.

If there's a positive to these personnel changes, former Purdue coach Ryan Walters has replaced Belichick as defensive coordinator, with the Huskies swapping in a guy with a proven track record and a professorial approach for someone with a famous football name, still feeling his way around as a coordinator and apparently with no interest with getting out from under his father's shadow and branching out on his own.

A good indicator on what sort of impact all of this nonstop personnel movement has is to gauge whether the UW can improve on Fisch's initial 6-7 season in any significant manner or remains stagnant in the program rebuild next season. It could be a take two steps back before taking one forward kind of thing.

While people clean out there offices and others have new business cards made up with a Husky Stadium address printed on them, here's a look at Fisch's coaching staff, who they are and where they currently stand:

HUSKY COACHING STAFF	Their Back Stories
Jimmie Dougherty, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach	Replaces Carroll, adding OC to QB coaching duties; was San Jose State OC for three years until Ron Caragher staff got fired in 2015; been with Fisch at three schools; second stint at UW after previously coaching fot Steve Sarkisian.
Scottie Graham, running backs coach	Former Ohio State and NFL running back who got into coaching late with Fisch at Arizona after a long administrative career; seems to be a great motivator.
Kevin Cummings, wide receivers coach	Another three-year Fisch assistant at Arizona who joined him in Montlake; even-keel personality whose career appears to be on an upward trend.
Jordan Paopao, tight ends coach	Passionate coach working for his third UW staff answering to Sarkisian, Chris Petersen and Fisch, with Jimmy Lake choosing not to keep him; spent two seasons with Fisch at Arizona.
Michael Switzer, offensive-line coach	Replaces Carroll as OL leader; joined Fisch at Arizona as analyst and assumed same role at UW; was Indiana State OC for three seasons; highly decorated Ball State player who had NFL tryout, which is a good example for his players to see; should be emotional coach.
Ryan Walters, defensive coordinator	Former Purdue head coach who was fired last season after 1-11 season; carries impressive credentials as Illinois and Missouri DC; brings a certain professionalism to the staff; gives the Huskies a second head coach to bounce things off.
Jason Kaufusi, defensive-line coach	Veteran coach with a solid reputation; was with Fisch for three seasons inArizona; versatile enough to handle both DTs and ERs last season, where Kalen DeBoer's staff had a separate coach for each position group.
John Richardson, secondary coach	Resurrected career after one season with Fisch at Arizona after getting fired at WSU with coach Nick Rolovich and others over refusing state vaccine mandate; recently promoted to oversee all of the DBs; understands value of school "DBU" reputation.
Taylor Mays, safeties coach	New full-time coach, replacing Vinnie Sunseri; was analyst and support staffer at USC for three years; will need time to acclimate to new role; former three-time All-American for Trojans and NFL player; Seattle native.
Linebackers coach	To be determined

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