Good luck to Jedd Fisch as he reportedly is leaving Arizona for Washington.
The coach who took the Wildcats from one win to a top-15 finish in just three seasons has done enough to get a bigger job.
It’s just the latest reminder that so many of the things we loved about college football are gone. These days, we can’t even pretend it’s not all about the money.
There was a time when programs were synonymous with their coaches.
Eddie Robinson. Bear Bryant. RC Slocum. Lou Holtz. Joe Paterno. Bo Schembechler. Bobby Bowden. Dick Tomey. Frank Kush.
Real college football fans read that list of names and knew the schools without having to look them up. (And really real college football fans are ticked off and emailing me over who I neglected to mention.)
These days, even a program like Washington goes through coaches like a large family goes through eggs.
Don James led the Huskies for 18 years, from 1975 to 1992.
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Now? Chris Peterson. Jimmy Lake. Kalen DeBoer. And Jedd Fisch, reportedly. That’s since 2019. (Plus, it ignores the three-game Bob Gregory era, because really, why rub it in?).
Are Kyle Whittingham, Mike Gundy and Dabo Swinney up next?
College football just doesn’t feel like the sport we fell in love with.
As if the constant player transfers weren’t bad enough?
As if NIL wasn’t confusing enough?
As if conference realignment didn’t ruin enough traditional rivalries?
Now, a program can’t even go from bad to good without having to start over.
I get it, I guess.
Fisch will explain his reasons soon enough. Who wouldn’t want more money and more resources and more prestige?
But is there a point when enough is enough? Are there things that matter as much? Are there things that matter more?
Happiness? Loyalty? Stability?
I guess, that’s just naive. It’s more realistic to assume that everybody’s got a price.
Good luck to Jedd Fisch, I guess.
He’s going to need it.
I don’t imagine anyone up in Seattle will be as patient as the fans in Tucson if he has to slog through a one-win season to get his program established.
College sports aren’t like that anymore.
Reach Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or 602-444-2236. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @SayingMoore.