Fisch Name-Dropped After First Wave of Coaching Changes

Here's what the UW football leader had to say about turning up on various wish lists.

Jedd Fisch's name is being passed around following early coaching firings. | Dave Sizer photo

The University of Washington football team had an open week with an early bye on the schedule before getting into Apple Cup preparation.

The always intrusive and no-boundary social media world, however, never takes a day off.

For example, no sooner than UCLA fired coach DeShaun Foster after the Bruins opened 0-3, and Florida lost a second game in three outings to further cloud Billy Napier's coaching future, postings emerged suggesting Husky coach Jedd Fisch would be a top candidate at each school when or if they were in the market for a new coach.

The well-traveled Fisch, of course, has a past football connection to each place. He served as the UCLA offensive coordinator and as an interim coach when Jim Mora Jr. was fired in 2017, and as a graduate assistant at Florida for Steve Spurrier in 1999-2000. He also obtained his undergraduate degree in criminology from Florida.

"I focus on the fact we're playing a team that beat us 24-19," Fisch said when asked about the involuntary name-dropping involving him. "That literally is the only thing I'm thinking about."

Yet one of the most persistent questions from the Husky fan base, practically since the day Fisch was hired to replace Kalen DeBoer, is this: realistically, how long will he coach in Seattle?

After all, Fisch has never stayed more than three years in any one coaching job -- doing that at both Arizona and with the Baltimore Ravens -- in his long-winding career that spans nearly three decades.

The question also was a reflexive one because DeBoer enjoyed enormous success with the Huskies and then bolted after just two seasons and took the Alabama job.

Jedd Fisch stands on the sideline with his play sheet. | Dave Sizer photo

The response on the current UW coach's longevity in Montlake always has been this: the fan base should hope that Fisch enjoys gradual rather than immediate success to avoid a situation in which he is pirated away as the newest coaching flavor out there, similar to what happened to DeBoer.

Fisch similarly has done so much work to rebuild the UW football program over 21 months, it would be hard to imagine him not staying in Seattle through at least the duration of Demond Williams Jr.'s four-year career, which will conclude in 2027.

A seasoned Williams will be at his playmaking best as a junior and a senior. his offensive line stands to be huge and talented by then, the receivers will be among the best anywhere in the college game and the defense should be firmly established under defensive coordinator Ryan Walters.

Fisch would be foolish to walk away from that or try to take all of it elsewhere in the college ranks, though the right NFL opportunity -- i.e., a head-coaching job -- would be hard to turn down.

For now, the second-year UW coach is trying to plot ways to bounce back from an Apple Cup loss a year ago when his team got stuffed at the Washington State 1 with a minute remaining in the game, after a play call of his misfired badly.

"My mind is strictly on that," said Fisch, aware persistent rumors will be used against him in pursuing high school talent. "A lot of players want to come here recruiting-wise. A lot of players want to be a part of our program. I don't worry about what other coaches say about what I'm going to do."

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