Report: Arizona's Jedd Fisch emerges as top target as Washington's next head coach

Washington appears to be centering on a top target for its next head coach following the departure of Kalen DeBoer, with Arizona coach Jedd Fisch emerging.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Sunday afternoon that Fisch has emerged as the top target and he’s the only candidate Washington officials have engaged with after their initial phone calls. The job came open when DeBoer departed for the Alabama job earlier this week in the wake of Nick Saban‘s retirement.

The goal for the Huskies will be to keep the program operating at a high level as it makes the move to the Big Ten in 2024. DeBoer certainly had it firing on all cylinders, as evidenced by Washington’s run to the national championship game this year.

But Fisch has quickly made a name for himself at Arizona over the last three years, highlighted by a 10-win season in 2023. He could be the perfect man to help Washington remain highly successful.

Fisch also has a knack for building a program up, as Arizona wasn’t much to write home about before his arrival.

The Wildcats were winless the year before Fisch arrived, then won just one game in his first season at the helm. However, fortunes changed quickly with Fisch running the show.

Arizona improved to 5-7 in his second season in 2022 before leaping all the way to 10-3 during his third season in charge in 2023. That kind of high level success in a short window is something DeBoer demonstrated in his coaching career and something the Wildcats will be looking to capture yet again.

Fisch has also shown to be an above-average recruiter. The Wildcats’ highest-ranked class in the three years prior to Fisch’s arrival was ranked 57th nationally.

In the four classes he’s been around for, Fisch has produced the 29th (2022), 44th (2023) and 48th (2024) ranked classes.

You can view Fisch’s career trajectory below.

The Jedd Fisch File

2021-24 – Arizona (head coach)
2020 – New England Patriots (quarterbacks)
2019 – Los Angeles Rams (assistant offensive coordinator)
2018 – Los Angeles Rams (senior offensive assistant)
2017 – UCLA (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks)
2015-16 – Michigan (quarterbacks, wide receivers, passing game coordinator)
2013-14 – Jacksonville Jaguars (offensive coordinator)
2011-12 – Miami (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks)
2010 – Seattle Seahawks (quarterbacks)
2009 – Minnesota (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks)
2008 – Denver Broncos (wide receivers)
2004-07 – Baltimore Ravens (offensive assistant)
2002-03 – Houston Texans (defensive quality control)
1999-00 – Florida (graduate assistant)