Fisch and Chip — UCLA’s interim Head Coach Jedd Fisch has done a great job as Offensive Coordinator this year, but whether or not he is retained by the incoming Chip Kelly, UCLA will soon be scoring points in Chip-loads
Jedd Fisch will be just fine. Even if Chip Kelly does not keep him on the Bruin staff next season, Fisch will land on his feet, like a fish without a bicycle. He was up for the Head Coaching gig at Oregon State, but did not get that job. He will probably end up as a Head Coach somewhere, sometime soon.
He did a fine job as the Bruins’ Offensive Coordinator this year, as the UCLA Offense usually put up plenty of points to win. Of course, Fisch was able to do this thanks in part to having the best pure Quarterback in the Nation at his disposal. Just like Bob Toledo’s Offense was prolific with Cade McNown at the helm, and Jim Mora was successful with Brett Hundley at the controls, we’ll never know for sure how much of Fisch’s success this year was due to Josh Rosen’s ungodly talent. But what we DO know is that for the next five years (assuming Kelly stays for the length of his contract), UCLA will have no problem putting points on the board, with or without Rosen, who is expected to go Pro instead of coming back for his senior year.
Kelly’s Oregon powerhouses were less about the specific QB, and more about the SYSTEM. First of all, the speedy PACE kept defenses off balance throughout games. Second of all, Kelly recruited speedy, explosive players and got them the ball in space. Thirdly, the MISDIRECTION, fakes, and motions constantly confused defenses (and fans and announcers), who never knew who actually had the ball on any given play.
All this added up to consistent Offensive juggernauts. It didn’t work in the Pro’s, against NFL Defenses, but it worked against 99% of College Defenses, and is almost certain to work for UCLA.
Just like I hope the best for Fisch, I also hope everything comes up Roses for Jim Mora too. A friend of mine is touting Mora as the next UCLA Athletic Director. I don’t know if he has the administrative know-how of a Dan Guerrero, but he certainly knows Football, and he has the PASSION and commitment that you want in your front office. After he put his own money into UCLA over the last few years, I hate to see him shown the door so abruptly. It would be great if there was a long-term place for him in Westwood. I would welcome Rick Neuheisel and Troy Aikman into those offices as well.
One last thought: If Fisch gets to stay, I hope we find a Defensive Coordinator named something like Harvey Salt. Because if he is worth his salt, we could have an awesome coaching staff called “H. Salt, Fisch, and Chip.”
On that corny note, her are 51 more pics of the a-maize-ing UCLA Spirit Squad, from Saturday night.
