Since Chris Petersen stepped down as head coach following the 2019 season, Washington hasn’t had much success keeping a leader at the helm. Jimmy Lake was named the heir apparent, only to be fired after roughly two seasons. Next came Kalen DeBoer, the architect of many great memories, whose name now leaves behind a sour taste.
After two seasons, still sitting in an office overlooking the field at Husky Stadium is Jedd Fisch, a heavily criticized man who deserves credit for what has been an incredibly quiet offseason despite the noise generated by Demond Williams’ near-departure.
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It’s an unsettling silence. No media members are identifying him as the next head coach who could be fired if the season doesn’t go according to plan. At the same time, he isn’t being linked to hot boards to programs rich with resources that expect a poor campaign in the coming month.
Seemingly, Washington and Fisch are happily married as they head into the future. The Huskies are especially happy with that because Fisch would be an attractive bachelor if he were pursuing other opportunities.
He’s a proven program builder. There’s a reason Washington turned to him to stop the bleeding left by DeBoer’s departure and the mass exodus of transfers that followed. If Fisch could take a bottom-dwelling Arizona program to the Alamo Bowl, he can certainly get Washington back to the College Football Playoff. It hasn’t happened yet, but it feels likely. Fisch could take the progress he’s made at Washington, filter a message through his agent, and work to sell interested programs on what his ceiling would look like with more NIL funds at his disposal. Imagine what he could accomplish in a state with better weather or at a school whose fans sell out the stadium every Saturday.
Yet that isn’t happening. Perhaps it will down the road. This is college football, after all. But after the criticism Fisch faced for not fully committing to Washington when Florida rumors surfaced last season, he deserves credit for what he’s doing now, not speculation about what comes next.
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On the other side of the marriage, Fisch is one of many coaches benefiting from a transforming era in college football. If Washington were still in the Pac-12, conference championship game appearances would be the expectation by his third season. Instead, he can build the Huskies into a frequent College Football Playoff contender without the pressure of checking such a significant milestone off the to-do list.
We are in an era where reaching the College Football Playoff is easier than winning a conference championship. If there was ever a time to be a Power Four head coach, this is it.
After last season, media outlets will hunt for the next Indiana. They’ll have a hard time finding it. The pecking order will shift, but nothing will resemble the Hoosiers’ dramatic rise. On the surface, Indiana is an inspirational story, a Cinderella led by a head coach who exudes self-confidence. In reality, Indiana has a nationwide alumni network with an abundance of money to spend, a head coach who operates like it’s Sunday every week, and a transfer portal philosophy that prioritizes experienced, older players so the Hoosiers can win the physical battle and trust their scheme. Fernando Mendoza played like an NFL quarterback because he was old enough to be one last season, much like Michael Penix Jr. and former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix during their dominant senior campaigns.
Long story short, there is no finding the next Curt Cignetti. Because of that, Fisch is operating as a head coach under minimal pressure. Adding to his comfort is the reality that Washington will win a Big Ten championship when Washington spends like a Big Ten champion. Until that happens, Fisch can build at his own pace.
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Of course, Fisch will have to make the College Football Playoff at some point. My prediction is that, with the way he is recruiting, he will. But while there’s nothing about him that suggests he’s searching for the easy route, what coach in the FBS isn’t looking ahead to a potential 24-team postseason? Along with that could come the death of conference championship games.
It’s dumb. I hate it. But I admit conference title games have lost some of their luster because of the expanded playoff. If that change were approved, fans would long for the return of tradition while athletic directors and coaches would celebrate increased job security. For perspective, if conference championship games didn’t exist, James Franklin would still be coaching at Penn State. Without the consistent frustration of falling short of a conference title, Franklin would’ve had more time to keep building the program.
There’s a reason a potential 24-team CFP has so much support.
Fisch certainly benefits from the current era of college football. That isn’t a criticism, nor is it meant to discredit him. There is something to be said for people who appreciate their current situation and maximize the opportunity.
Fisch seems to be doing exactly that.
