From Indianapolis: 1-on-1 with Jedd Fisch

Personnel updates, facilities upgrades and more from Big Ten Media Days.

INDIANAPOLIS — Though Washington’s present circumstances little resemble those of 2023 — as proof, consider that I type this with my sneakers planted in the turf at Lucas Oil Stadium — the Huskies’ past accomplishments still mean at least something.

Jedd Fisch thinks so, anyway. During the coach’s eight-minute opening statement at Thursday’s Big Ten Media Days finale, he played some of the hits — roster turnover, staff changes, Arizona influence — but also nodded to UW’s breakthrough 2022 and 2023 seasons under former coach Kalen DeBoer.

“Washington football has beaten Oregon the last three times we've played,” Fisch said. “We've beaten Texas the last two times we've played. We've beaten USC the last two times we've played. And we're coming off winning 25 of our last 28 games.”

The coach also is the first to acknowledge Washington’s “true reboot” following the departure of DeBoer and nearly every starter from last year’s charmed run. He brought 21 staff members from Arizona, he said, and more than half of UW’s scholarship players were not on the roster last season. Preseason media polls predict the Huskies to finish either ninth or 10th in the 18-team Big Ten, though they might be the one team whose 2024 season is most difficult to predict.

“We respect our past,” Fisch said, “but we are excited about the future.”

I spoke with Fisch about that future on Thursday afternoon — Thursday morning, for those operating on Pacific Time — in a one-on-one conversation. Questions and responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Topics include 2025 recruiting, health updates, the o-line competition, facilities upgrades and more.