Hour 1:  Washington Huskies HC Jedd Fisch, plus a Vikings’ Kyler Murray Decision Deep Dive

25:04Then we, you know, brought in, we had Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib. So when you're able to attract so much talent, they're obviously attracted for a particular reason. And the reason is his ability to connect with them. So, sure, Miles Gett and Jalen Ramsey going through the program as well a few years back. I mean, there's just such talent that constantly goes through the program. And his willingness and his ability to connect with the greatest players that's ever done it, the Aaron Donalds of the world, the Miles Garrett, the Matthew Staffords, the Cooper Cups, but also his ability to make everybody in the building, in the program, in the organization feel good is a trait that I hope to one day be able to achieve as well.

25:52Rich Eisen:Just real quick before we move on to you and your program in college football, what's your favorite Aaron Donald story of what you saw him do close up? I'll tell you, my favorite Aaron Donald story doesn't, it has to do with the fact, we had a practice squad right guard and I was running the look team. And for like three plays in a row, Aaron was in the backfield before you could even like look back up. And I just like, obviously I was messing around, but I just ripped this guy and I'm like, can you block this guy, please? I mean, what are we doing? Number 99 is in the backfield. And Aaron just looks at me and just smiles.

26:31He goes, he ain't blocking me. and I go I know but we got to pretend we're trying to block you otherwise we can't even get a playoff uh and he just he's such a good dude uh Aaron is and when I got the head job he was one of the first to text and I just always appreciate what type of person he is that's awesome Jed Fish here

26:51Rich Eisen:on the Rich Eisen show okay so where are you right now uh for the season here yeah so we're uh we We just finished our fifth practice, our third straight with pads on. Tomorrow we'll get back at it again with full pads, and then we'll take a softer day, and then we'll have our first scrimmage. And we're in a good spot right now, knock on wood. We have a very healthy team, a team that's really loving to be around one another. Our quarterback's in a great place. That's really what I like the best is where he's at mentally, where he's at physically. And then we have a lot of returning starters. We have 16 returning starters.

27:30We have one of the youngest teams in all college football. But with that being said, I really love the way our guys are playing, the energy they're playing with, and the passion they're playing with.

27:41Rich Eisen:Well, I mean, the place that your quarterback is physically as a returning starter, Jed, That is in and of itself kind of news, or at least it was back in January, in terms of DeMond Wilson and what he was doing to try and depart, then come back. And then lawsuits were being talked about from Washington's point of view. Clearly, pages are turned between then and now. But DeMond Williams. But the issue here, is there an issue anymore? No. No, it's just, you know, I kind of said in the Big Ten media days, like, I mean, this to me is like a one day or two day holdout in the NFL. Like, who cares? You know, keep it moving.

28:30He's in such a good place with the team, with the staff. You know, it was what I think like January 14th to January 16th or whatever it was. Right. You know, the way he's handled himself with the media, the way he's handled himself with our donors, the way he's handled himself with our players, with our coaching staff. I mean, he's in such a good spot. I just love watching right now the way he's playing. I think he's a different guy because now he's going into year three in our program. He's now going into year two as a starter. That's just different. He's got 16 starts under his belt. And, man, I just think we got a special kid that's going to do some really cool things if we do a great job of protecting them.

29:20And I got to do a great job of calling plays and putting him in position to be successful.

29:25Rich Eisen:Well, I'm glad to hear that, obviously, because the last thing you want is that. But I have to ask, certainly in this day and age, Jed, where NIL and Transfer Portal is so front and center and Congress may get involved and, you know, the SEC commissioner is saying this is not a ploy if we're thinking about taking our ball and going somewhere else. And the Big Ten commissioner and Tony Petiti is talking about 24 playoff teams and it just gets bigger and bigger and bigger and the dollars are right there front and center. but you're really at the cross section based even on that 48 hour period about contracts and what's enforceable and what's not.

30:02Rich Eisen:So you'd be a perfect guy to ask the question, what rules do you think need to be put in place here to move forward collectively? Well, I think, you know, the number one thing we have to do, and I've been saying this for years is we have to start with making coaches contracts enforceable. Um, when we don't have coaches contracts enforceable, we send such a bad message um now what we use is buyouts right we use buyouts but we don't have in the nfl they make it very clear you need permission to leave um and and then the next part of it is we have rules that in the nfl you have contracts that you you don't have an option to leave until you get to that option year um and then the the team decides whether or not they're going to move on from you earlier than your contract because you're getting paid.

30:49You're an employee. Now, I know we don't use the word employee. I know we don't use the word pay-for-play. But, you know, what these kids are doing is they're getting compensated for, you know, for what they're doing. And we've got to make sure that we are able to have some rules that we all abide by. Now, for some reason, the college athletic world has always been, well, how do we find a loophole rather than how do we abide um i think it would be nice if we could just say the university pays x um if there's some reason outside of the cap that some player needs to receive some other marketing deal it has to be approved by some version of a commissioner league office or whatnot but outside of that like just find a number we need we personally in washington We need someone to tell us what the number is because we don't spend enough.

31:45So if we're going to spend, if we get to a high number, then hopefully that would mean that we can get to that number as well. Because soon they're going to get to a point where if you're only using third party dollars and a small pool or a smaller cap, there's going to be too many different levels of separation. So we need to be at that spot where they let us, like Congress said, hey, you can, you know, X amount of 20 something million dollars for retention, X amount of million dollars for revenue share, X amount of million dollars for women's sports and Olympic sports. And then let's figure out how we can have some version of a competitive environment where it where there's some parity in what we pay.

32:26Rich Eisen:And again, I don't want to get politics involved here, Coach. None of us really want to stray in those lanes, but reaching and hoping Congress does something. I mean, the Senate just took a month long break with this bill sitting there to be voted on and then sent over to the House. And then you're going to that's a whole different ball of wax. So it's like waiting for Congress to do something might not be the answer, especially, again, when there's scheduling as part of all of this, too. By the way, kudos to your school for making the Apple Cup a week one game for the first time ever. I mean, that's not a that's that.

33:03Rich Eisen:I mean, to put those emotions on the line right out of the gate is gumption. That's for sure, to say the least. Yeah. But then then you got the Big Ten schedule right ahead. I mean, all of this together, I just find it interesting that you're like, OK, it's got to start with your profession, right? That the buyouts don't that somebody can't just come along and say, oh, your buyout's just eight million bucks. Somebody who's, you know, in the oil and gas industry, say, or something in the alumni base can pay that and off you go. So you're saying it all starts there. I think so, because I think that regulates a lot of movement.

33:40and it also sends the right message right that contracts do matter because i have a really hard time you know getting over you know getting on to kids about not being able to do something when we're able to do it right that doesn't make a lot of sense to me so if somebody wants to lead it like for example we were talking about sean earlier one of the other 31 teams can't just decide to go hire Sean, right? I mean, it doesn't work that way. So why do we allow one of the other 63 teams or whatever, 30 teams that can afford, you know, some of us to go just get hired? Like, why not have some version of we're telling these kids we're as stable as they are?

34:24And then we could go to the next line of regulation. But if it's not Congress, then who is it? You know, then it's probably gonna have to be a breakaway. It's probably going to have to be a couple leagues getting together it's going to have to be 36 teams getting together whatever it might be and figuring out how to have a great football you know league and have it obviously partially privatized and partially public and go from there but right now this is not work you know it's working because we're all having great teams and great games but if we're going to other people every day or going to other courts to ask for a ruling it's very hard to have a stable environment where you can at least know what to plan for next year

35:12Rich Eisen:yeah certainly if uh coaches go somewhere else and then try to poach someone else's quarterback yeah exactly don't want to stay out linger on that too long but um let's talk about some of the guys that are in the next level uh cleveland fans are nuts about denzel boston right now um what do you and and also uh jonah coleman in denver what can you tell me about again your these kids and maybe your role in making sure they're they're set up for the for the future yeah i'm so excited from the things that i've heard and read and uh what we've done is we we found a way to try to like demonstrate to our players like hey look at this article you know about Denzel finding his way with the first team or Coach Munkin talking about Denzel in a press conference and how prepared he's been or Coach Payton saying that Jonah Coleman doesn't come across as a rookie.

36:08You know, that all to me demonstrates that those guys embrace the be a pro standard here and the be a pro model. And it doesn't matter where they got drafted, second round, fourth round. What mattered was they came in there prepared to be a pro and then they're being rewarded for that. I think the same is going with Carver Willis in San Francisco, from what I understand. He's having a great camp. Takario Davis in Cincinnati, great camp. And I'm just so excited about the fact that those guys and, you know, Zach Durfee, I talked to Liam the other day down in Jacksonville, how he's doing. So it's pretty cool to have relationships with all these coaches that have taken on our former players.

36:53obviously so proud of T-Mac being the offensive player of the year you know we had him recruited him, coached him in Arizona from last season so I take great pride and I love all of our former player successes and it's been super cool to watch it certainly with Denzel and Jonah have gotten a lot of the headlines recently over the last two days.

37:14Rich Eisen:Yeah no doubt about that for real I mean for Sean Payton to say somebody has shown up like a pro doesn't look like a rookie that's a manhole cover being thrown around you know what i mean right oh yeah you know yeah i told him that too i told joan i said for coach payton to say that yeah uh keep doing what you're doing and then just keep doing it better yeah that's right and i assume liam uh cohen is the a rams connection right that yeah liam and i you know that hallway zach taylor shane waldren liam cohen chris shula um you know that was zach robinson those were like the seven offices in a row was a pretty sweet hallway to be in and uh wade phillips being across the hall joe berry uh i mean it was just a pretty special hallway that coach mcveigh was able to put together and i was fortunate uh to be there yeah liam did you hear what he had to say about nobody's talking about the jaguars i don't know if that filtered through your uh your world you saw that i mean i love that yeah i've seen 40 pictures of caleb williams on nfl on the nfl site nobody's talking about us he's something else this guy man he's great he is Liam is awesome he was uh we've worked together for two years uh he's awesome well good luck I mean again I I'm not just saying it Washington State Apple Cup week one that's some serious business certainly since you know you know they're gonna want an extra piece based on what happened with the with the Pac-12 right they're going to want a piece.

38:46The way the game went last year. We got to be ready. We got to be ready and we got to play our best. You got to start on a high note and to play the rival in week one and then play your rival in week 12. You got the rivalry sandwich going. We got to make sure we do a great job there in week one. Our team knows it.

39:05Rich Eisen:The defending champs coming in your final home game of the season as well. Oh, yeah. With Indiana and Cignetti coming in. before you visit Oregon at the end. So this ain't easy. It ain't easy. But hopefully maybe I'll run into you when you're down here in Los Angeles on that first weekend in October, Jed. That'd be awesome. Love to see you, Rich. It's always great connecting with you. Always great. Thanks, man. I appreciate you. You bet. Right back out there. Right there up in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Jed Fish, the Washington Huskies head coach right here on the Rich Eisen Show. How about that?

39:43Rich Eisen:Hey, let's take accountability as coaches first. You know, some rich alum just like, let's throw a few million bucks here and coach is gone. See you. Adios. Adios. And hey, if we, it's true. Every coach can be had in college football. Every coach can be had. That's a great point. No one gets mad when they change teams. Right. And then rosters get changed. Yep. I just took my shot there. Everybody thinks that the institution that came to DeMond Williams was from a certain spot in Baton Rouge. I don't mean Marshall's Southern University. Oh, got it. Because, you know, Marshall's just one of the coaches in Baton Rouge.

40:29Rich Eisen:Sure. Just the clear. I just want to throw that in. Schmane Liffin? Jed's got a good sense of humor. He can handle that sort of tweaking. but uh that's seriously uh washington versus washington state right out of the gate michigan used to play uh notre dame to start the season which was great until notre dame started warming up for by by getting somebody like right somebody i mean don't look past you can't look past that team because michigan's right around the corner that guy and then and then and then notre dame cuts and runs a couple years ago oh yeah by the way right over there that's what i suggested last week about what could happen to your big game which is well what michael ohio state michigan week one early on in the season never gonna happen i'm sure they said the same thing about the apple let me just tell you this uh and i'll ask you mike real quick because we got to take a break yeah would fox which has the game between michigan and ohio state every year would they want that game at seven at night or straight up at noon when would they want it if they had their druthers.

41:34Rich Eisen:If they had their druthers, would Fox want the game at night or right up straight up at noon? I have to think they'd want it at night. Correct. What do you think Michigan and Ohio State tell them every year? Not a chance. Because that's the way it's always been done. That's the way Bo and Woody did it. Yada, yada, yada. Those guys are dead. It's not up to them anymore. I'm well aware of that. I'm well aware of that. Let's take a break. 844-204-RICH number to dial. When we come back, Chris Brockman tells me who else is dead. Coming up. The Rich Eisen Show. The podcast.

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43:03Rich Eisen:Back here on the Rich Eisen Show. Hi, right. The first time at LinkedIn Hiring Pro. Get started by posting a free job at LinkedIn.com slash Eisen. Sean Gary is making his way to our studio. My power rankings of all the teams in the National Football League to crack the top 10 going into the preseason games. That's coming up. And my, I mean, there's a lot of Green Bay here in the air. It's a Green Bay four downs day, former Green Bay Packer, now Dallas Cowboy Rashawn Gary coming in. Nice. And Brandon in St. Louis is here on the Rich Eyes. Do you want to get this right? Brandon, you there? Hello.

43:44Rich Eisen:Hello. What's going on, Brandon? Hello. How's it going? I'm good. What's on your mind? Good. I wanted to do the Packers win-loss, But I just want to say before, Rich, I am a big fan of your book. I know you like the crap on it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Whoa. Okay. All right, Brandon. Thank you for that. That's old school right there. It's ancient. Yeah. The book's a little bit – it was a passion project, so thank you for saying that. You've made my day. And there's another one coming on the draft next year, by the way, my latest book. I actually went back to do that again. All right, so you want to do a Green Bay Packer.

44:28Rich Eisen:All right, I have the paperwork right now in front of me. Green Bay Packer, win-loss game right now. Brandon in St. Louis here on the Rich Eisen Show. What happens when they take on Kyler Murray in his new home digs in week one? What happens? That's going to be a win. Ah, then you visit the Jets. That's going to be a win. 2-0 on the road to start. Home opener, Thursday night football against Atlanta. That's going to be a win. 3-0 visiting Tampa. We're going to take a loss here. 3-1 home for the Bears. That's going to be a win. 4-1 home for the Cowboys. That's going to be a big win. Oh, big win.

45:08Rich Eisen:Should have you call back in when Rashawn Gary's sitting here to say that. 5-1 at the Lions. That's going to be a loss, too. 5-2 home for the Panthers on a Thursday night. That's going to be a win. That's now 6-2 at the Patriots. It's going to be a loss. 6-3, home for the Vikings. We've got J.J. McHandoff starting. That's going to be another win. J.J. McHandoff has been called. 7-3, off the bye now, at the Rams on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It's going to be a big loss. Big loss. Okay, 7-4 at the Saints. It's going to be a win. Back. We're back. 8-4, home for the Bills on a Sunday night.

45:54Rich Eisen:It's going to be another win. What a game that is. 9-4 home for the Dolphins. Win. Against the former coach there, right there. 10-4 at the Bears on Christmas afternoon. Oh, Bears. We're going to sweep the Cubbies. Oh, boy. Okay. So that's 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10. 11-4 home for the Texans on a Monday night. We're going to win. 12-4 home for the Lions. And we're going to finish up with a win. 13-4. Woo! Says Brandon St. Louis. That is a... And, Rich, I'm a Wisconsin fan, so pretty much every quarterback we've had, you could, you know, put McHandoff at the side. Okay. No disrespect. Okay, no disrespect.

46:39Rich Eisen:So just somewhere Scott Tolzien's like, what the hell just happened? Scott Tolzien driving. Thanks for the call, Brandon in St. Louis. There he goes. That's the only off-the-top-my-head Wisconsin quarterback. There's many other ones. Yeah, yeah, yeah. J.J. McHandoff? I mean, not inaccurate. Not inaccurate. What are you talking about? J.J. McHandoff. Ask the Washington Huskies fan base. Ask the Dallas Cowboys fan base. Ask the Bears fan base. He wasn't J.J. McHandoff on Monday night. Yeah, he was a proper quarterback. He was. Put some respect on his name. J.J. McHandoff. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast.

47:18you can watch and listen to the rich heisen show live weekdays from noon to three eastern

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