Husky Power Play: Only Fisch Makes Offensive Calls

The University of Washington football team seemingly has an assistant coach or two to answer to every Husky position coach, which is someone who reports to the head coach at all times, leaving no game-day detail ignored.

It's the way of the college football world these days, with an overload of guys with expertise wearing headsets or holding clipboards on every sideline and in every press box.

The exception to this delegation of duties, at least in Montlake, is Jedd Fisch not only oversees every decision and calculation on each side of the ball, he continues to serve as the Husky offensive play-caller at all times.

Kalen DeBoer had Ryan Grubb to make these UW offensive decisions for him. Jimmy Lake had John Donovan, at least for 13 often ill-fated games. Chris Petersen turned to Bush Hamden at the end of his Husky time.

Fisch has Fisch.

He answers to himself, and he prefers it that way.

Entering Saturday night's opener against Colorado State, Fisch was asked if he could ever foresee a day when he would hand over the play sheet to someone else and simply be a head coach.

"Not really, I don't think so," he said on Thursday. "Right now i can't say I can envision that."

A head coach for five years now at Arizona and the UW, Fisch largely has made his football living and built his reputation over nearly two decades as an offensive coordinator.

It works for him this way. He's been unable to do it in any other manner.

Jimmie Dougherty is the Husky offensive coordinator this season. Brennan Carroll had that job title in 2024. Except they don't or didn't coordinate.

"For 13 years, I've called plays, so that's like 13,000 plays, plus you start talking about every play you call in practice ... It's hard to say I want to give that to someone else," Fisch said candidly.

Jedd Fisch watches the clock count down at Penn State. | Skylar Lin Visuals

With an offense built around extra swift quarterback Demond Williams Jr., extra talented wide receiver Denzel Boston and determined running back Jonah Coleman, the Huskies have a chance to become as creative as it gets. Run up a lot of points. Churn out a lot of yards.

The situation is a coordinator's daydream. Fisch isn't budging here. He'll decide how it all turns out. He remains undeterred by any previous miscalculation by himself.

In his 13 prior games at the UW, he's still living down his worst call -- running an option play from the 1 to the short side of the field for an Apple Cup win.

Coleman was dropped for a 2-yard loss on a play that didn't fool anyone with 1:07 remaining in a game the Huskies lost 24-19 to Washington State.

Fisch still can't envision doing it any other way. Not tonight. Not next week. Not any time soon.

"Right now, no," he said. "You never say never, but pretty close to never."

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: