QB coach Fisch to become head coach at U. of Arizona
The Patriots are losing another assistant coach.
On Wednesday, Patriots quarterbacks coach Jedd Fisch was named the next head coach at the University of Arizona. This was Fisch’s first season in New England. He came to the Patriots from the Los Angeles Rams, where he served as the assistant offensive coordinator (2019) and senior offensive assistant (2018).
“Hey, this is coach Jedd Fisch and I am so excited, Wildcat nation, to be a part of your program,” Fisch said in a video taped outside of Gillette Stadium. “So excited to be named the next head coach at the University of Arizona and be a part of the Tuscan community. We are so excited as a family to get there, be a part of this program and get started.”
Fisch has been a career football coach since 1997. He has a world of experience having coached in the NFL for Houston, Baltimore, Denver, Seattle and Jacksonville, where he was the offensive coordinator. He also has plenty of experience in the college ranks with Minnesota (offensive coordinator), Miami (offensive coordinator), Michigan (pass game coordinator) and UCLA (offensive coordinator).
It was noteworthy when the Patriots hired Fisch as quarterbacks coach. That was a title that offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels held from 2012-2019. This year, McDaniels has just been the offensive
coordinator. The hiring of Fisch made it seem like the Patriots had a succession plan in place in the event McDaniels left to become a head coach. It remains to be seen if McDaniels will be in play for any of the recent NFL head coach vacancies in Houston, Detroit or Atlanta.
Fisch had a tough job this season as the Patriots attempted to replace Tom Brady with Cam Newton. The Patriots offense has struggled for the most part in 2020. The Patriots are currently ranked 30th in the NFL in passing and last in passing touchdowns. The Patriots offense is currently ranked 27th in scoring. This marks the worst scoring
offense in New England since they were ranked
25th in 2000 and 27th in
1992.
Fisch came to the Patriots after the organization lost assistant coaches Joe Judge (head coach of the New York Giants) and Brett Bielema, who followed Judge to New York. If they want to replace Fisch internally they could move McDaniels back to quarterbacks coach. Another option is Mick Lombardi, who was the assistant quarterbacks coach in
2019 and currently the Patriots wide receivers coach.
If McDaniels leaves, there will be wholesale changes on the offensive side of the ball for the Patriots in 2021.