Coaching searches are always hectic. That's been the case so far in the search for Michigan football's head coach.
There have been crazy rumors flying around since Thursday. First, people were talking about Kalen DeBoer being a "done deal."
Then, Kenny Dillingham started to get popular. There were tons of rumors swirling. The oddsmakers even started to favor the Arizona State head coach.
However, reports surfaced of a contract extension being worked on between Dillingham and ASU. It still isn't signed, though and has been on the table since the end of the season. Some think Michigan football is still in the mix, but it needs to act quickly.
That's true regardless of Dillingham. Michigan needs to act quickly, but not be rushed. It cannot mess up this hire, which in a strange way, is an opportunity.
With the buzz that Dillingham might stay at Arizona State, and it being unknown if DeBoer would actually leave Alabama for Michigan, some other names have started to emerge. Eli Drinkwitz of Missouri is one.
That would be a disaster. The other name gaining traction is one that's been mentioned from the start: Jedd Fisch.
Michigan fans shouldn't fear the hire of Jedd Fisch
The Washington head coach polished off a 9-4 season on Saturday night with a 38-3 win over Boise State in the LA Bowl. That's now two different Power-4 programs Fisch has rebuilt into having nine-win seasons.
Arizona was a disaster when he took over. Yet, the Wildcats won 10 games in his third season after winning just one in the first. After taking a Washington program that was basically ripped down to the studs, following departures to the portal and the NFL draft, the Huskies won nine games this season, despite having to play Oregon, Ohio State, Illinois, and Michigan.
There was a bad loss to Wisconsin. I'll give you that. But Fisch just landed a top-15 recruiting class, and if you give him the resources of Michigan, he would do well. His work with quartebacks is also well-documented.
Fisch worked wonders with Wilton Speight when he was the Michigan football quarterback. In 2023, the Arizona Wildcats scored 34 points per game and averaged over 300 yards passing with two different quarterbacks. That's the second time, along with this past season, that he's had an offense score over 34 per game as a head coach. It's the third time in the past four seasons his offense has averaged at least 30 points a game.
I have not played for Deboer, but did for Jedd Fisch. I’ve seen the way he leads Washington and the way his players and staff talk about him.
— Jake Butt (@Jbooty88) December 11, 2025
• He’s one of the best football minds I’ve been around- both as a player and since entering the media space.
• He is a QB developer,…
Fisch hasn't had great defenses, but you could say the same about Dillingham. A strong defensive coordinator hire will be needed regardless of who is named the head coach, and no, it shouldn't be Wink Martdinale.
Fisch has worked under Jim Harbaugh (at Michigan), Nick Saban, and Bill Belichick. He's a proven QB guru and has been a successful play-caller for over a decade.
Jedd Fisch is a proven winner and has the endorsement of Jake Butt, who played for him at Michigan. He would be a great fit, and just from a coaching perspective, an upgrade over the past two seasons.
Like most Michigan football fans, my preference is Dillingham or DeBoer. If Fisch is the choice, that shouldn't be a reason to panic. Michigan football will be in good hands if that winds up being the decision, despite some of the angst out there.