Washington coach Jedd Fisch continues to be linked to vacant UCLA head coach job

Washington fans have a scarring history when it comes to their football coaches leaving the program out of the blue. Whether it was Steve Sarkisian darting to USC before the 2013 season was even over, or Kalen DeBoer jumping ship to Alabama following a National Championship Game appearance, coaching departures tend to leave behind a sense of betrayal among Husky fans and players.

Could second-year coach Jedd Fisch be next on that list? Already with some buzz of returning to Florida, his alma mater, Fisch's name was dropped as a potential candidate for the head coaching vacancy at UCLA by On3.

Fisch was already one of the first names mentioned for the job when UCLA fired coach DeShaun Foster on September 14 after an 0-3 start, but this latest report is fueling the fire of a potential reunion between the Bruins and Washington's current head coach.

In the 2017 season, Fisch was the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at UCLA before becoming the interim head coach for the program after the firing of Jim Mora. Fisch was even asked about the potential connection weeks ago before the Apple Cup, but dismissed the question.

"Yeah, I'm focused on the fact that we're playing a team that beat us 24-19 and that is literally the only thing that I'm thinking about..." Fisch said before playing Washington State. "My mind is strictly on that. And a lot of players want to come here recruiting-wise. A lot of players want to be a part of our program. I don't worry about what other coaches say about what I'm going to do."

Fisch completely overhauled the program that DeBoer left behind as Washington was transitioning to the Big Ten, going 6-7 in his first season last year, but already making strides in recruiting and player development. He's done a great job of securing recruits in-state, while also tapping into California and even establishing a major pipeline in Arizona -- where he previously coached.

Washington and Fisch are off to a 4-1 start this season, with the only hiccup being a 24-6 home loss to No.1-ranked Ohio State. Quarterback Demond Williams Jr., still only a sophomore, is already one of the most-dynamic players at the position. Additionally, Fisch has already gotten great production from plenty of his freshman players, such as Dezmen Roebuck and John Mills, proving that the future is bright in Seattle.

On the other hand, UCLA is 1-4, although its only win was a recent upset over No. 7 Penn State. Still, the Bruins program is in a state of shambles. Fans aren't going to games, former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava has looked below average after transferring, and recruits are decommitting following the rough start to the season.

While UCLA may have more resources than Washington, it makes little sense why Fisch would want to completely rebuild a program again, especially with UW's future looking so promising. It's not Los Angeles, but it's not like Seattle is a small market and the university doesn't have a rich history and structure, either. Fisch's connection to UCLA simply feels like smoke at this point, and fans shouldn't be too worried about losing another coach in surprising fashion -- although that's probably proven to be false before.