Keller's Korner - Jedd Fisch

Jedd grew up in Livingston, where he did not play high school football but excelled in Tennis at Hanover Park High School, earning all‑State honors. His father, Jeffrey, who played Rennis in college, was a major influence. When I was covering the Maryland vs. Washington football game in October 2025, Jedd told me he still plays Tennis today. Jedd credits his parents, Jeffrey and Deby, as they both emphasized education and athletics. After his parents divorced, his mother remarried high school football coach Bill Rocca and being around that football program sparked Jedd’s interest in coaching while he was still in high school.

Jedd added, “When I was a little kid I watched films all day long with Bill. It was cool being a ball boy for all the games when I was just eight years old and up. I really learned the love of the game.” Jedd also had a shout out for the University of Washington men’s and women’s Tennis teams for hitting balls with him at 7:00 a.m. as it helps him mentally to be on the court.

He told his father of his dream and Jeffrey suggested he go to the best school possible to help him become a football coach. Jedd chose the University of Florida in Gainesville because he admired Coach Steve Spurrier and wanted to be in the best environment to learn how to coach. He volunteered on the Gators’ staff starting as a sophomore, roomed with future Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, and graduated from Florida in 1998. He immediately continued in coaching for the Gators while earning a Master’s Degree in Sports Management, reflecting his parents’ emphasis on education.

By 2002, at just 26, Jedd moved to the National Football League (NFL) as a defensive quality control coach with the Houston Texans. Over the next few years he accumulated experience with several NFL franchises, including the Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Rams, and New England Patriots, while also holding college positions at Michigan and UCLA.

In 2017 he served as interim head coach for UCLA and guided the Bruins to a bowl game. In 2018, Jedd was on the Rams’ staff for Super Bowl LIII, a game notable for the Patriots’ Jewish wide receiver Julian Edelman earning MVP honors.

Jedd’s first major head‑coaching role came in 2021 at Arizona in Tucson, where he led the Wildcats for three seasons; his final season there saw Arizona nationally ranked and playing in a bowl. In 2024 he accepted the head coach position at the University of Washington in Seattle, stepping into the Big Ten’s elevated competition. In his first season with the Huskies, he led Washington to the Sun Bowl, and this season the Huskies are rolling again. Jedd engineered a second‑half comeback against Maryland - a bittersweet loss for me as a Terps alumnus, but one I quickly congratulated him on the field after the game.

Washington’s Director of Football Operations, Deborah Goldstein, is also Jewish and hails from southern California. Deborah has been with UW football for 16 seasons and added, “This is my fifth head coach I have worked for at Washington, and it has been great,” In a post‑game conference I could see why his players love him as Jedd expresses such enthusiasm. I asked Jedd whether he had encountered anti‑Semitism in football; he answered, “no.” I left the game at College Park, Maryland very impressed by Jedd, Deborah and the entire Huskies’ program and wished them continued success.

Neil Keller is a Jewish historian. To learn who is Jewish, visit his website: www.NeilKeller.com