Washington has found a new head coach.
According to multiple sources, Jedd Fisch has agreed to leave Arizona and become the 31st head coach in Washington program history, replacing Kalen DeBoer, who departed for Alabama following Nick Saban’s retirement.
Fisch leaves behind a program he helped mold into the 14th-ranked team in the nation. However, Arizona may not have done much to keep him around.
The two sides were engaged in contract negotiations following the team’s first 10-win season since 2014. Nevertheless, Arizona balked at the accelerated price tag for Fisch’s services once the Washington opportunity presented itself.
Per Brett McMurphy of the Action Network, a new deal for Fisch “wasn’t a priority” for the school.
Fisch’s exit is stunning, especially considering his recent comments. Less than two weeks before leaving Arizona, he said he had “no interest” in going anywhere else.
“I think right now we’re just working through schematics to get this deal done. I think we’re very, very close,” Fisch said on the Jan. 4 episode of ‘The Jim Rome Show.’ “We wanna be done here pretty soon, and we want to be a part of this program for a long time. I’ve moved a lot in this business to be able to be here today. To become a head coach of a Power 5 program, to win 10 games, to be a top 15 team — hopefully a top 10.”
Fisch will meet with his Arizona players on Sunday afternoon to announce his intention to leave for Washington, per Chris Low of ESPN.
While the Huskies’ fortunes may be looking up, Fisch’s exit might cause a ripple effect throughout the program.
Arizona was to return 18 of 22 starters in 2024, but that could change given Sunday’s development.