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ZoneRead: The Fisch Bowl Effect

Eric Sorenson
Arizona Sports News online

No Apology Needed

While the earthquake-sized impact of Jedd Fisch leaving for the University of Washington is nearly a week old, the aftershock originating within the fault harbouring the quake, in this case Fisch’s now former Tucson home, is still being felt, not only in Arizona, but around the country.

Make what you want of Fisch’s scripted goodbye tweet, which likely wasn’t produced by him, but let’s please make one item crystal clear: he owes no apology to the university, the administration, or UofA fans who feel they’ve been ghosted after an incredible post-holiday party on the Riverwalk in the Alamo City.

Much has been made of Fisch’s interview on Jim Rome’s show earlier this month where he, in real time, expressed his intentions to sign an extension which would keep him in Tucson. At that moment, few (outside of maybe Greg Byrne) knew Nick Saban would be retiring, and Kalen DeBoer would replace him – opening up the falling domino opportunity for Fisch at U-Dub.

While the job Fisch and his staff did in Tucson is beyond commendable, taking over a graveyard of a roster left behind by Kevin Sumlin and putting an exclamation point on year three with a double-digit win season by thumping blue blood Oklahoma in the well-respected Alamo Bowl, this was a no-brainer for Fisch…as it should be.

Washington checks every box UofA can’t.

Better money. Scratch that, much better money.

Better facilities.

Better fan base.

Better market.

Better tradition.

Better salary pool for his staff.

Better NIL deals to attract elite talent.

Better conference television media deal and subsequent annual payout moving forward.

While Arizona is still scrambling to figure out just how the University inexplicably mismanaged $240 million, Washington’s deep pockets happily covered Fisch’s $5.5 million buyout, then more than doubled his salary to lure him to the Pacific Northwest with all the fact chips listed above.

Was Arizona set to return a loaded roster and a Top 10-15 ranked team heading into the fall? Absolutely.

But let’s not be fooled into thinking the ‘Cats were simply going to walk into the Big 12, even with Texas and OU leaving, and claim a spot in the new 12-team playoff. Sure, it was possible, but there are far too many hidden unknowns throughout the 12-game roller coaster, especially in a new conference, to assume anything was a given.

Further compounded by the cold, hard fact Arizona hasn’t played in an elite-level bowl game in decades.

Fisch leaving wasn’t personal, it was just the best decision for himself, his family, and his ascending career as a head coach.

It’s easy to talk about “staying loyal” and not “chasing the money” but if you were in Fisch’s shoes, who would turn down that kind of security?

For Arizona, the smart play would have been a proactive, high-priority approach to getting an extension done weeks before the Alamo Bowl, thus assuring a bigger buyout if Fisch was lured away, and a larger check to write when hiring his replacement (Brent Brennan from San Jose State).  

As Ice Cube once rapped in his album, “Death Certificate.” “Now let’s play big bank take little bank.”

College football is a billion dollar business, and money always talks.

CFB’s PSA

For those who have ever worn eyeglasses, they may be familiar with the “fishbowl effect.” It can occur with new glasses and gives the unsettling feeling that your visual field is being bent along the edges.

Well, the “Fisch bowl effect,” as we’ll call it, has certainly skewed the vision of desired clarity for many current UofA players, as well as 2024 signees, and younger recruits who have been offered.

It was refreshing to see two of the Wildcats’ biggest young stars, quarterback Noah Fifita and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, defend their former head coaches’ brief goodbye to the team.

I applaud Arizona Athletic Director Dave Heeke for moving quickly in hiring Brennan, who has close ties to the university. Brennan’s brother, Brad, played for the legendary Dick Tomey, and Brent’s wife is an Arizona alum.

Brennan, who applied for the same position before Fisch was hired three years ago, is a nice fit. A young offensive mind with previous head coaching experience at San Jose State.

Is this hire a slam dunk? Absolutely not, but neither was Fisch. So let’s trust Heeke here.

One of the main objectives in the expedited hiring process was trying to keep Arizona’s core returning players in Tucson. Some have already decided it was needed after Fisch’s relocation to Seattle.

Reports say Fifita and McMillan are staying (both attended the USC-Arizona basketball game Wednesday) but, at the time this column was posted, nothing was official.

So, what about the others? You know, not the mega stars like Coleman, or 2024 Basha High star quarterback Demond Williams, Jr., who also entered the portal earlier this week.

Williams is expected to visit Fisch, and his new program, this weekend in Seattle. 

Fair or not, the clock is ticking for all the other current ‘Cats who sit at a crossroads with their football future.

Per NCAA rules, players have 14 days after the school semester starts to withdraw from school. If they don’t withdraw before that window expires, they’re essentially stuck. This NCAA rule is focused on transferable credits. Say a current UofA player is unsure if they want to remain with the program, they’ll need 12 spring credit hours to transfer and become eligible if they are picked up by another program in the portal.

Many are probably asking themselves how they fit into Brennan’s system, his culture, and the demands they already knew playing for, or being recruited by Fisch, and his previous staff.

That’s a lot for any teenager or young adult to digest in a shrinking window of now less than one week, considering UofA began their academic semester on January 10th.

In many ways, the stresses and hard deadlines mirror what high school recruits endure when deciding on a college – now slammed into a handful of days, not months, or in some cases, years.  

The portal offers no guarantees. Available players are college football’s version of free agents, but few are prized, and many are left waiting for an offer to essentially start the courtship (touring the school, meeting with coaches, etc.) all over again.

And to think, all of this because Saban decided to retire on a Wednesday night in early January.

 

 

 

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A Valley native, Eric has had a passion for the Arizona sports scene since an early age. He has covered some of the biggest events including Super Bowls, national championships and the NBA and MLB playoffs in his near 20 years in local media.

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