The Washington Huskies announced Sunday that they have hired Jed Fisch from the Arizona Wildcats as their next head football coach after Karen DeBoer left for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
DeBoer took over after seven-time All-American head coach Nick Saban announced his retirement. Over the course of several days, the Huskies made a surprising move to lure Fisch away from Tucson.
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Arizona Wildcats head coach Jed Fisch walks along the sideline during the second half of a game against the Washington Huskies at Arizona Stadium on September 30, 2023 in Tucson, Arizona. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
“I am truly honored to join the University of Washington and play a role in continuing the tradition of a storied football program and world-class university,” Fisch said in a statement. “The Huskies' incredible success over the past two seasons is a testament to Seigaku University's potential, and we look forward to competing for Big Ten and national championships with the great young players and great coaching staff we have assembled. I can’t wait.”
“I'm grateful to President Korth and Troy Dannen for their confidence in me and I'm excited to be a Husky. Our work has already begun.”
Fisch, 47, became Arizona's head coach after the 2020 season. After going 1-11 in his first season, he continued to improve the Wildcats each year. Arizona improved to 5-7 in 2022 and 10-3 in 2023, finishing the year with an Alamo Bowl victory.
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Jedd Fisch of the Arizona Wildcats takes a Powerade dunk off No. 5 Jacob Manu during the final minute of a game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, on November 25, 2023. Get hit. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
He was an assistant with the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans. He served as an assistant at UCLA, Michigan, Miami, Minnesota and Florida before ultimately taking the full-time head coaching job.
“In searching for a new head coach, we wanted to move quickly and thoroughly, building on our foundation, bringing energy to our program, having a track record of success, being an elite recruiter and recruiting young men. “We looked for a coach who could live up to our expectations. I wanted to play for him,” Washington athletic director Troy Dannen said.
“We found all of those traits and more in Jed Fisch. Through our conversations, it became clear that he shares our values and vision for UW football. It became clear that he was the right coach at the right time as we transitioned to the Big Ten Conference.''On behalf of the Huskies, we would like to welcome Jedd, Amber, Zaylee, Ashley and Kendall to Seattle. I can't wait to see what happens next. ”
Washington went 25-3 under DeBoer, and he grew with Michael Penix Jr. as the team's starting quarterback. The team lost to Michigan in the College Football Playoff National Championship on January 8.
Jed Fisch of the Arizona Wildcats watches the second half of a game against the Utah Utes at Arizona Stadium on November 18, 2023 in Tucson, Arizona. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
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Mr. Fish is expected to continue building on the foundation laid by Mr. DeBoer.
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