Could Washington’s Jedd Fisch Be the Dark Horse UCLA Football Desperately Needs?

So, UCLA pulls the trigger on DeShaun Foster by Week 4, hands the reins to Tim Skipper, and suddenly the coaching carousel is spinning faster than ever. But here’s the twist—Washington’s Jedd Fisch, a guy with serious UCLA roots and a polished resume, is the underdog everyone’s whispering about. Sure, he’s only in year two with the Huskies, but Fisch’s deep ties to LA—plus a $10 million buyout—make this situation anything but straightforward. It begs the question: Can a man who spent just two games as UCLA’s interim head coach come back to steer the Bruins out of turbulence? Meanwhile, Skipper’s riding high with a 2-0 record since stepping in, fresh off a jaw-dropping upset of No. 7 Penn State. UCLA’s season? A rollercoaster, but hope’s creeping back fast. Now, the hunt is on—and it’s anyone’s guess who climbs out of the pack as the next head coach. Want to dive deeper into this brewing drama? LEARN MORE.

Since it fired DeShaun Foster during Week 4, UCLA has turned the program over to Tim Skipper, but has already started its search for the next football coach. With multiple names already in the conversation, Washington head football coach Jedd Fisch has suddenly emerged as a dark horse candidate.

Fisch is only in his second year at Washington, but he has an extensive history with UCLA. The 49-year-old coach spent the 2017 season as the Bruins’ offensive coordinator and served as the interim head coach for the final two games. His ties to Los Angeles have given him consideration for the vacant job since Foster’s firing, On3 Sports’ Pete Nakos reported.

“While former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron’s name has cooled off in the last 10 days, a new name has emerged in Westwood,” Nakos wrote. “Multiple sources have told On3 to keep an eye on Washington’s Jedd Fisch, who is a former UCLA offensive coordinator and interim head coach and spent two seasons with the LA Rams. Fisch is off to a 4-1 start to the season and has a $10 million buyout if he leaves Seattle. Deeper than his connections to Los Angeles, Fisch has ties to UCLA booster Casey Wasserman.”

Nakos also identified Dave Aranda and Brent Brennan as potential candidates, as well as Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi. Aranda graduated from California Lutheran, a nearby school, while Brennan played for UCLA from 1990 to 1993.

UCLA heating up since firing DeShaun Foster

UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) looks to pass during the first quarter against the New Mexico Lobos at Rose Bowl. — Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

UCLA is likely hunting for a big-name replacement for Foster, but Skipper is currently on a roll as the interim head coach. Since he took over, the Bruins are 2-0, and are coming off a monumental upset win over No. 7 Penn State.

UCLA is only 2-3 on the year, but it finds itself in an exponentially better position ahead of Week 6 than it was in two weeks before. The Bruins appeared to be dead in the water after their 35-10 loss to New Mexico, but they now have a new life after taking down the preseason Big Ten favorites.

Despite leading the team to the win, Skipper has yet to receive legitimate consideration for the full-time position. However, he has more than half of the 2025 season remaining to do so, beginning with a Week 7 road contest against Michigan State.

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