It was a matter of when not if as it pertained to Jedd Fisch leaving Arizona.
It was a matter of time.
The when came Sunday afternoon on a cool, clear, crisp day in Tucson. In fact, 69 degrees in Tucson and picturesque. In Seattle – at the same time – it was 29 degrees and partly cloudy.
Doesn’t matter in Tucson on this mid-January day. Tucson became doom and gloom after Internet word spread Fisch was headed northwest.
Fisch, the nomad, has found his next resting spot – the University of Washington. Hello, Big Ten!
Don’t tell me you are shocked. You knew something like this would happen. He’s a mover and now that he’s a winner, he’s a shaker and he’s officially shaken things up here in the desert.
What timing, right?
He moved Arizona into the relevant category in a mere two-plus years with a chance at a great future in the new Big 12. Now, Houdini – now you see him, now you don’t – will disappear.
No need to ask about how the trick works, it just seems to work every time. He’ll now move to another team – his 16th in the last 26 years. You’d think he was Shakira given all those moves.
Get that USPS change of address … again. Did he even have time to get his furniture settled in Tucson?
Now, it doesn’t really matter. He’s come and is now gone.
To his credit, he did an unbelievable job here, picking up a program from the dead – yes, dead at 1-11 – and moving it into a chance to be a major player in the Big 12 next year, maybe beyond. Well, that’s no more.
But, football did become relevant – finally – again in southern Arizona.
But the right domino fell. The right opportunity in the form of UW came around. Isn’t everything about timing and circumstances?
What a week it’s been to get us to this situation, right?
Alabama coach Nick Saban retired, and former UA Athletic Director Greg Byrne went to get Kalen DeBoer from Washington. UW tries to lure Kansas coach Lance Liepold, who declined.
Next up? Fisch, the sizzling (after a 10-3 record) and “It” coach at the moment.
And as he’s done so many times, Fisch struck while the iron was hot. He’ll pack up the flip flops and red-and-blue Wildcat apparel and start wearing the purple and gold. Where’s the yard sale?
Hey, wait, didn’t he recently – I use that term loosely because recently means five minutes to a week or two ago – say he was in Tucson for a long while?
“We want to be part of this program for a long time,” Fisch told Jim Rome on his show. “I’ve moved a lot in this business to be able to be here today to become a head coach in a power five program to win 10 games to be a top 15 team, hopefully a top 10 … we have 18 of our top 22 players coming back next year so I have no interest in going anywhere.”
Fisch tales!
Things change, and quickly. Not like you didn’t know this wouldn’t happen. Deep down you knew it would. And, well, here we are with Arizona – Dave Heeke and Bobby Robbins – now having to search for another coach.
They’re now on the clock. Better hurry because the transfer portal is quite appealing to players with no coach. And, at the end of the day, that’s what you really don’t want: very good talent looking for other places to play (yes, Noah Fifita, Tetairoa McMillan, et, al) .
Good luck to all involved. Again, the clock has started.
