Jedd Fisch wasted no time stirring up trouble after landing the job at the Washington Huskies in 2024. With the Huskies coming off a national title bid and starting a new Big Ten era, Fisch opened the checkbook hard. The program spent $850,000 to hire an experienced staff, making it clear that this was not going to be a slow rebuilding process. In fact, it appeared Fisch was attempting to put Washington directly into Big Ten contention.

But here we are, with the 2025 season looming, and the atmosphere in Seattle is a mixed bag at best. Of course, Washington had a couple of signature victories, beating Michigan (27-17) and USC (26-21) certainly got everyone’s attention, but ending the season with six wins and seven losses was not the plan. The class on the recruiting front was solid, sitting at No. 23 in the country, but something is off. Now, the questions are being asked: Is Fisch calling too many plays behind the scenes?

That’s what Locked on Huskies’ Roman Tomashoff and Lars Hanson discussed recently. Although they complimented the staff Fisch put together, there were some subtle cautions about how much rope he’s leaving his coordinators. “He’s kind of going to be that good balance between the two,” Hanson said in discussing new offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty. “That’s a pretty valuable trait.” But then the eyebrow-raiser: “I kinda wish Jimmie would get a little more assertive… A lot of it is Jedd… But I would love to see a little more input from Jimmie.”

Jimmie Dougherty is not some nobody placeholder. The man has experience. He coached with Steve Sarkisian at Washington, and he’s had some pretty good quarterbacks. But. At UW currently, it appears he’s being held to a tighter rein than most coordinators. “He has such a good voice. Such a good experience,” Hanson said. “I just need to see a little bit more out of him.” It’s not that they’re questioning Dougherty, it’s whether Fisch is willing to trust him to take charge.

And then there’s Ryan Walters, Washington’s new defensive coordinator. He’s got a resume that does the talking: top-10 defenses at Illinois, pressure schemes at Purdue and Missouri. Washington fans had every right to be excited about acquiring him. But once more, Tomashoff flew a flag. Walters, as laser-like on defense as one could be, might not have the sort of program-wide impact that a guy with his background deserves, unless Fisch takes a step or two back.

That’s where the issue truly begins. Fisch obviously has a dream for this team, and he’s got the resources to make it happen. But if he doesn’t treat each coordinator like a valued ally, but instead just a supporting assistant, it may hinder the team’s growth as a whole. Great coaching staffs are built on collaboration, and at present, it’s hard to tell how freely that’s moving within Husky HQ.

Will Jedd Fisch grant his coaches the freedom they deserve?

Jedd Fisch has the talent, the resources, and a high-enough ceiling to turn this team into something special. Talent, however, does not function unless applied the correct way, and that means coaching talent as well. If Fisch grants Jimmie Dougherty the freedom to create on offense or gives Ryan Walters complete autonomy over defense schemes, it will unleash something special.

And come on, the Huskies don’t need more name players. What they need is wise systems and self-assured decision-making. And that occurs when coordinators feel a sense of freedom. Allowing Dougherty to be audible more at the line or allowing Walters to modify blitz packages on his own? That’s the difference in turning a 6–7 season into something better.

But this isn’t only about the Xs and Os. It’s about establishing tone. If Fisch becomes too much of a micromanager, morale among the staff might suffer, and that’s something fans won’t notice until it’s too late. The top teams in college football run like finely tuned machines off the field. Washington’s engine still has some grinding gears at the moment, and that’s what they actually need when the 2025 season is already looming around the corner.