Penn State will face a variety of head coaches this season, some that they are familiar with and some they may never have faced before or even heard of. This week, they will be facing a head coach who is new to the conference who is swiftly learning about the challenges it presents.
Here's more onWashington head coach Jedd Fisch.
Jedd Fisch, Washington Head Coach
Overall record: 37-36
Record against Penn State
: 0-1Record against ranked teams: 8-12
Record against Big Ten: 17-14
Jedd Fisch is someone who has certainly taken a highly circuitous route to get where he is. Very rarely has a coach transitioned from the NFL ranks to college so smoothly, but that's what makes Fisch so unique. With this Washington program, it has been a topsy-turvy journey... but one that started out with
tons of movement in its early stages.
Fisch's career began in the ranks of the Arena Football League before it really took off. While he was named a graduate assistant for Steve Spurrier's Florida teams in 1999 and 2000, it was in the NFL where he truly made his name. He had taken various positions with the likes of the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Seattle Seahawks. His most impressive stint came with the Denver Broncos as their WRs coach, where Brandon Marshall finished the season ranked third in receptions and seventh in receiving yards.
Another stint of note came with the New England Patriots as their QB coach, where he had to transition from a Tom Brady led offense to the likes of Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham. Still, his most impressive career achievement was an offense assistant to Sean McVay with the Rams when they went to Super Bowl LII. Some may say that if it weren't for Fisch's success in the NFL ranks, he most likely never would have had success in college.
With stints at Minnesota, Michigan, and Miami, Fisch proved that he could have staying power no matter what level of football he worked at. It was his time withUCLA that allowed him access to bigger jobs. Serving as offensive coordinator for Jim Mora in 2017, after Mora was fired midseason, Fisch was able to lead the team to bowl eligibility. Despite losing that bowl game, it gave Fisch a chance to finally earn what he believed he deserved.
In 2020, Fisch was announced as the 30th head coach of Arizona. What he ended up doing in that time was simply remarkable. In just a three-year span, Fisch led the Wildcats from 1-11 all the way to 9-3 in 2023. With a bowl win as well, Fisch oversaw the single best season in Arizona history, where they finished eleventh in the polls, their highest ranking in their history. Still, Fisch wanted a bigger task.
So in 2024, after the success of Kalen DeBoer at Washington leading to the Alabama job, Fisch became the head coach of Washington. In similar fashion, in his second season, he led the Huskies to a 9-4 record after finishing his first at 6-7. Now though, he is facing bigger challenges than ever before. After an offseason saga that nearly saw Demond Williams Jr. leave the Huskies, he has now overseen the first home loss to an unranked opponent in 2021, a first loss in LA to USC since 2011, and a dramatic quarterback change. And yet, the Huskies are still at 5-3 as a pesky opponent to anyone in their path. It's all down to Fisch's hard work and determination, which is why they still control their own destiny.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: A quick glance at Washington head coach Jedd Fisch
