Instant reaction: Washington hires Jedd Fisch to replace Kalen DeBoer
Some early thoughts on what Fisch brings to the Huskies.
When Jedd Fisch walked in the door at Arizona, the Wildcats had just completed a pandemic-shortened, 0-5 season that concluded with a 70-7 loss to rival Arizona State. Kevin Sumlin had been fired after three losing seasons. And Arizona alumni were not entirely pleased with the selection of Fisch as his replacement.
Year 1, predictably, didn’t go well. The Wildcats won a single game, against a shorthanded California team. But some recruiting inroads and portal additions yielded a more encouraging 5-7 finish in 2022, and Arizona doubled that total in 2023, winning 10 games and defeating Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl. Redshirt freshman quarterback Noah Fifita became one of the Pac-12’s most promising young players. Star 2022 recruit Tetairoa McMillan and transfer Jacob Cowing gave the Wildcats a talented receiving duo (even if Dorian Singer left for USC after the 2022 season). The Wildcats improved dramatically on defense, too, allowing 21.1 points per game.
Their three losses — to Mississippi State, Washington and USC — came by seven points or fewer, two of them in overtime, and two of them on the road.
Now, Fisch will be tasked with a different kind of rebuild, taking over at Washington as the replacement for coach Kalen DeBoer, the school announced Sunday.