A few days ago, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz predicted the Washington Huskies staff would undergo a significant offensive overhaul. As predicted by Zenitz, Jedd Fisch fired his longtime protégé and Huskies OC Jimmie Dougherty. Fisch has worked for 7 years with the Dougherty, going way back to his Arizona stint, and has now spoken out publicly about the OC’s firing.

“I have worked with Jimmie Dougherty for 7 years and am appreciative of his many contributions to our success as an offense and as a team,” Jedd Fisch wrote on February 18 on X. “I want to thank Jimmie and wish him all the best in the future.” Interestingly, Fisch or Washington hasn’t given any reason for Dougherty’s firing, especially when Fisch himself has been calling the plays for the past two seasons.

The firing comes after Fisch and Dougherty together compiled a 4th-ranked scoring offense in the Big 10 during the 2025 season. Moreover, the duo also led the team to a 5th-ranked total offense in the Big 10, averaging 34.1 points per game. Additionally, the Huskies finished 10th nationally in 3rd down conversions, boasting a 50.65% conversion rate. Despite a decent 2025 showing and Fisch himself calling the plays, the 47-year-old’s firing seems puzzling.

“It was an honor to represent the University of Washington, such a special place,” Jimmie Dougherty wrote on X after being fired by Washington. “To the city of Seattle, words can’t express what you mean to me and my family!!! Most of all, the players love you guys forever, thank you. Excited for what God has next!!!!”

Dougherty was with Washington for the past two seasons and also oversaw the development of QB Demond Williams. Especially since, apart from the coordinator duties, Dougherty also handled coaching the Huskies’ QBs. The Peoria, Illinois, native recruited Demond Williams and elevated him to QB1 late in the 2024 season, when he passed 944 yards. Coming back into the 2025 season, the 5’11” QB passed for 3,065 yards and rushed for another 611 yards under Dougherty’s guidance.

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Despite being fired, the former Missouri QB still has plenty of teams looking for his services. Before coming to Washington, Dougherty served as QBs coach and pass game coordinator at Arizona under Jedd Fisch from 2021 to 2023. There, he took the Wildcats’ total offense to 22nd nationally in 2022 and developed Jayden de Laura. The Arizona QB1 passed for 3,685 yards, ranking third in Arizona’s history. As for Washington, it has taken no time to select a replacement.

Washington finds an internal replacement for Dougherty’s role

2026 isn’t the first time Jedd Fisch was looking to replace his OC at Washington. Before that, when former OC Brennan Carroll joined the Raiders after the 2024 season, Fisch promoted Dougherty from QBs coach to OC. Following a similar blueprint now, the Huskies’ head coach has decided to promote his assistant coach to QBs coach internally to oversee Dougherty’s QB responsibilities.

According to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, Washington is “expected to promote” its offensive quality control coach, JP Losman, to QBs coach. Losman joined Jedd Fisch’s staff as offensive quality control coach in 2025. Despite Losman’s promotion, Rittenberg reported that Fisch has decided to “remain UW’s offensive play-caller. ” That alone shouldn’t make the coaching transition hard for Washington after Dougherty’s departure.

Losman joined the coaching world in 2017 as a Clemson student coaching intern after finishing up his NFL career with the Dolphins in 2011. The 44-year-old gradually climbed the Clemson coaching hierarchy and became the team’s senior offensive analyst in 2021. Thereafter, Oklahoma roped him in as a player personnel and football administration assistant in 2022. He spent two years in Norman and finally came to Washington, where he is now.

As a player, Losman played for Tulane as a quarterback, and the Bills roped him in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft. Losman’s promotion makes sense for Fisch since it will allow coaching continuity at the QB position. Moreover, Fisch will continue to call plays, bringing a similar scheme that we saw in the 2025 season.