Washington has officially named Jedd Fisch as its next head coach.

The move comes just days after Kalen DeBoer left his post to take the open job at Alabama. Washington moved fast, and reportedly made the former Arizona head coach a lucrative offer the Wildcats simply couldn’t match. Fisch will reportedly make $7.75 million a year on a seven-year deal with the Huskies.

“In seeking a new head coach, we wanted to move quickly but thoroughly and sought out a coach who would build on our foundation, bring energy to the program, has a track record of success, is an elite recruiter and was someone who young men wanted to play for,” athletic director Troy Dannen said in a statement. “We found all of those characteristics and more in Jedd Fisch. It became clear through our conversations that he shares our values and our vision for UW Football, and he is the right coach at the right time as we transition to the Big Ten Conference. On behalf of the Husky Family, I want to welcome Jedd, Amber, Zaylee, Ashlee, and Kendall to Seattle, and I cannot wait to see what comes next.”

Dannen was in Tucson at Fisch’s home to get the deal done and signed. He shared the moment on social media.

Fisch has spent the last three seasons with Arizona, during which he has methodically rebuilt the program from the ground up.

The Arizona Fisch inherited had crashed to the ground under Kevin Sumlin. The Wildcats went 0-5 in 2020 and had suffered 12 consecutive losses dating back to the 2019 season. In Fisch’s first season, that losing streak extended to 20 games and the UA went 1-11.

Arizona rebounded to go 5-7 in 2022 with a ranked win over UCLA on the road. In 2023, the upward momentum continued. The Wildcats closed out the season with seven consecutive wins and an Alamo Bowl victory over Oklahoma. He was named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and the Dodd Trophy.

“It is truly an honor to join The University of Washington and do my part in carrying on the tradition of a storied football program and world-class university,” Fisch said in a statement. “The unbelievable success of the Huskies the last two seasons demonstrates what UW is capable of and I cannot wait to compete for Big Ten and national championships with tremendous young men and an outstanding coaching staff that we will assemble. I am grateful to President Cauce and to Troy Dannen for their confidence in me and I’m thrilled to be a Husky. Our work has already begun.”

Fisch has been a journeyman throughout a coaching career that spans more than two decades. He was in the NFL from 2002-08, serving as an assistant for the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, and Denver Broncos. In 2009, he took over as the offensive coordinator and QB coach at Minnesota. A year later, he moved back to the NFL and joined Pete Carroll’s Seahawks staff as a QB coach.

From 2011-12, he was the OC and QB coach at Miami. From 2013-14, he was the QB coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. From 2015-17, he returned to the college game with stops at Michigan and UCLA. Then he returned to the NFL, where he stayed until 2021 when he took over as the head coach of the Wildcats.

Fisch has extensive experience both at the NFL and collegiate levels, but he has never spent more than four consecutive seasons at the same school. The Florida graduate holds a career 17-22 record as a head coach.