Two days after Washington lost head coach Kalen DeBoer to Alabama, the Huskies have their next head coach. UW announced Sunday that Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch, who has been one of the hottest names during the coaching carousal, will be taking over the reins in Seattle.
Reports from ESPN's Pete Thamel and The Athletic's Bruce Feldman earlier in the day Sunday indicated that Fisch was the top option for the Huskies and was in the process of accepting the position.
UW athletic director Troy Dannen made the news official Sunday afternoon by posting a video of himself delivering the contract to Fisch alongside the official announcement from the program.
“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,” Dannen said in a statement. “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.”
Washington also put out a statement from Fisch, who will be formally introduced in a press conference Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Husky Stadium.
“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,” Fisch said. “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.”
According to Thamel, the Huskies will owe Arizona $5.5 million as part of the buyout to pull Fisch from Tucson, which is expected to come from the $12 million being paid to the program by Alabama as part of DeBoer's buyout.
Feldman is reporting Fisch will receive a seven-year contract worth $7.75 million per year to lead the Huskies.
The new UW head coach released a statement following the official announcement.
The Huskies planned to move quickly, and all indications are that Fisch will step in after guiding the Wildcats to a 10-win season and an Alamo Bowl win over Oklahoma in 2023.
The stop in Tucson is Fisch's first as a head coach, and in just three short years he has brought the Wildcats from one win in 2021 to its current position as one of the teams in line to make a run at the College Football Playoff.
Fisch has ties to several areas and programs around the country, and Seattle is no exception. He previously worked under Pete Carroll as the quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks in 2010, and Carroll's son, Brennan, is the current offensive line coach at Arizona.
The 47-year-old New Jersey native is also well versed in the Big Ten as he previously worked on staff with Jim Harbaugh at Michigan as a quarterbacks and receivers coach plus passing game coordinator.
A Florida alum, Fisch has extensive experience at several different programs across the country plus he has worked at the NFL level as well. That appeal helped him build Arizona's roster during his three-year stint with the Wildcats making the program an attractive option for top transfers and recruits.
In the 2021 cycle, Fisch helped Arizona land its first five-star recruit in nearly two decades when receiver Tetairoa McMillan joined the program.
Fisch has yet to sign a contract extension with Arizona leaving the door open for UW to make its move to woo him away from the desert. Saturday, current offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb announced that he would not be taking the reins on Montlake, and Sunday Kasnas head coach Lance Leipold posted to social media about his eagerness to get back to work with his team signaling that he will also no longer be an option for the Huskies.
Both had been linked to the UW opening.
Washington's administration has moved quickly after the decision by DeBoer to move on from his post as head coach in favor of taking over for Nick Saban at Alabama.
The Huskies have since seen several departures through the transfer portal and numerous decommitments since DeBoer's move became official.
