TUCSON, Ariz. — The ripple effect of longtime Alabama head coach Nick Saban's retirement has now hit Tucson as Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch is heading to the Pacific Northwest to become the head coach of the Washington Huskies, according to WildcatAuthority.com's Jason Scheer and The Athletic's Bruce Feldman.
Washington confirmed the move on social media on Sunday.
Fisch will take over for Kalen DeBoer, who left Washington to become Alabama's head coach earlier this week. DeBoer led the Huskies to a Pac-12 championship and the College Football Playoff National Championship game this season.
Fisch will be getting a seven-year deal worth an average of $7.75 million per year, according to Feldman.
Washington athletic director Troy Dannen also posted a video on X (formerly known as Twitter) of Fisch signing his new deal with the Huskies at Fisch's home in Tucson.
Fisch posted a letter to fans on X after his departure was announced by Washington.
"When I first arrived at U of A, I knew we could create something truly special — because of the people at this university and in this community," the letter read. "Today, I am broken hearted to leave not just Arizona, but the people who have given us so much and who believed so deeply in the magic we created.
"I absolutely have loved my time as a Wildcat and never thought my family and I would ever leave," the letter continued. "Unfortunately, that day has come. It was a gut-wrenching and agonizing decision. But, I am proud to leave everything in a better place than when I came."
You can read the full letter below or by clicking here.
Arizona Vice President & Director of Athletics Dave Heeke released a statement laying out the next steps for the Wildcats after Fisch's departure.
"I want to thank Coach Fisch for his tireless work and relentless dedication to rebuilding Arizona Football into a point of pride for the entire Wildcat Family," the statement began. "While we did not want to see Coach Fisch leave and made every effort to retain him by continuing our investment in the football program, we wish him the best as he begins a new chapter in his career.
"As for next steps, we have a shared vision for the program and our student-athletes. Arizona Football is well positioned for future success and championship excellence, and I am confident we will attract a new leader who will continue the positive trajectory of our nationally ranked football program. The national search for a new head coach is already underway, and I will refrain from any public comments until our next head coach is announced.
Washington will pay a $5.5 million buyout to Arizona in order to hire Fisch. That money will come from the $12 million Alabama paid Washington in order to hire DeBoer, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.
The moves comes at the end of a day that saw Washington tied to multiple candidates including Huskies offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb (now Alabama's offensive coordinator) and Kansas head coach Lane Leipold, who decided to stay at his current job.
Fisch will take over the program as the Huskies depart the Pac-12 for the Big Ten along with Oregon, UCLA and USC.
It had been reported by the Arizona Daily Star that Fisch and Arizona were close to agreeing on a new contract, but it was never made official. Fisch was under contract after agreeing to a five-year extension after the 2022 season.
Fisch is leaving a program that is on the rise, after completing a remarkable three-year turnaround. The Wildcats were seen as a contender for the Big XII title in their first season in the conference next fall.
He took over as the Wildcats head coach after the team finished the 2020 season 0-5, leading to the firing of Kevin Sumlin.
Fisch led the Wildcats to improvements in each of his three seasons with one win in 2021, five wins in 2022 and 10 wins this past season, including a win in the Alamo Bowl over No. 12 Oklahoma.
The Wildcats have also won back-to-back Territorial Cups over archrival Arizona State.
Arizona had one of the most explosive offenses in the nation in 2023 averaging 448 yards per game (20th) and 34.6 points per game (18th). Arizona had the 8th-best passing offense in the nation (308.3 yards per game) but just the 86th-best rushing attack (139.7 yards per game).
On defense, Arizona gave up 341.3 yards per game (37th), which included 229.6 yards per game through the air (73rd), 111.7 yards per game on the ground (22nd) and 20.8 points per game (28th).
The Wildcats finished the 2023 season on a seven-game win streak, which included wins over five ranked teams (Washington State, Oregon State, UCLA, Utah and Oklahoma). The Wildcats were an extremely tough team to beat in 2023 as their largest margin of defeat was just seven points (twice, to Mississippi State in overtime and Washington). That was tied for the longest single-season win streak in program history (1998). The five wins over ranked teams was the most ever in season in Arizona football history.
2023 was he first time Arizona had won double-digit games since 2014. It was just the fourth 10+ win season in school history.
Fisch was named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and the Dodd Trophy, which honors a coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) "whose program represents three pillars of success: Scholarship, Leadership and Integrity," according to the award's website.
Fisch has ties to the Pacific Northwest as he worked for the Seattle Seahawks as a quarterbacks coach under Pete Carroll in 2010 and his offensive coordinator at Arizona was Brennan Carroll, the son of his former boss.
Fisch began his coaching career in 1999 as a graduate assistant as his alma mater, the University of Florida.
He took a job with the Houston Texans in 2002 as a defensive quality control coach for two seasons. Fisch left to become an offensive assistant with the Baltimore Ravens in 2004 and held that position until 2007. In 2008, he was the Denver Broncos wide receivers coach but left after just one season to become the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Minnesota.
Fisch would only hold that job for one year before going back to the NFL as the quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks in 2010.
In 2011, Fisch left to take a job as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Miami, where he stayed for two seasons.
Then, it was back to the NFL, where Fisch was the offensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars for two seasons.
In 2015, Fisch became the quarterbacks coach, wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at the University of Michigan. After two seasons with the Wolverines, Fisch left and became the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UCLA. He also served as the interim head coach of the Bruins after Jim Mora was fired.
In 2018, Fisch went back to the NFL, taking a job with the Los Angeles Rams as their senior offensive assistant and assistant offensive coordinator.
His final role before becoming the head coach at Arizona was as the quarterbacks coach with the New England Patriots in 2020.
Fisch is from Livingston, New Jersey, and has three daughters with his wife, Amber.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale. The Coyotes play at Mullett Arena on ASU's Tempe campus.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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