Jedd Fisch had a good thing going in Los Angeles. He was working as an assistant for Rams coach Sean McVay, one of the NFL’s brightest young minds. The two developed a close relationship; this past spring, McVay spoke at a coaching clinic Fisch organized on the Arizona campus.
Fisch’s family loved Southern California. He spent one year with UCLA and two with the Rams — a relatively long stint in his nomadic coaching career.
But when Bill Belichick calls, well, that’s an offer you can’t refuse.
“I had a great situation,” Fisch said Friday from a hallway leading into Arizona Stadium, where Belichick’s New England Patriots were conducting practice. “I love Sean. We’re extremely close, as everyone knows. But it was one of those opportunities that you don’t know if you’re ever gonna get in life to go work for a guy that’s won six Super Bowls. A guy that is arguably — not even arguably — the greatest coach of all time in football.”
In late January of 2020, the Patriots hired Fisch as their quarterbacks coach. He would spend the next 11 months learning from the man who has the third-most victories — and the most Super Bowl triumphs — in NFL history.
Why only 11 months? In December of ’20, Fisch accepted the head coaching job at Arizona. His apprenticeship in Foxborough, Massachusetts, served as a final training tool before taking the next step in his career.
“Every minute of the day you’re learning something new from the way that organization is run from top down,” said Fisch, who just completed his second season at the UA. “I got there, and it was Senior Bowl (week). It was evaluation of players, how you can learn how to evaluate players and do the best you possibly can in recognizing how people fit in your program.
“From there, it was the (scouting) combine and learning how to look at college draft choices and see the evaluation and how you want to handle that. It was free agency, watching pro players and having great discussions regarding people that are going from one team to another. That’s certainly helpful nowadays — looking at how people can fill a gap.
“And then how to set up a training camp, how to set up a practice schedule, how to (guarantee) you work every day to make sure you put the right plan in place. All of that you learn from Coach.
“Also his team meetings and how he addresses the team and what he hits on. We try to run a lot of things the Patriot Way here.”
Fisch has had many mentors during his coaching journey, including Steve Spurrier, Dom Capers, Brian Billick, Pete Carroll, Jim Harbaugh and McVay. No one can match Belichick’s résumé. No one, in Fisch’s experience anyway, approaches his job quite the same way.
“The part of Coach that I appreciated more than anything was his willingness to listen to everybody in the room,” Fisch said. “That’s one of the greatest traits that Coach has. He’ll ask a question, and he’ll want to know everybody’s opinion and everybody’s answer.
“When you’re as successful as he is, and you’ve won as many games as he has, it’s very easy just to dictate what it’s gonna look like. He’s the opposite. He’s always asking and always listening to other input and feedback before he makes a final decision. I hope people will say that about me one day.”
The relationship between Belichick and Fisch predated New England. The two had discussed draft prospects while Fisch worked in the college ranks. Belichick respected the thoroughness of Fisch’s assessments.
Jedd Fisch, left, coached the Patriots’ quarterbacks before coming to Tucson.
“Every time he was in college and I asked him about players, he knew everything about the kid’s family, his parents, his coaches, what kind of system they ran in high school,” said Belichick, whose team has spent the week in Tucson between road games against the Cardinals and Raiders. “So he was very involved with that — not just a recommendation about the guy’s skill set. It was way deeper.”
Belichick also found value in Fisch’s wide range of experiences. As mentioned, he has worked for many of the top coaches of the 21st century. He worked his way up from quality control to coordinator to head coach.
“He’s got a great background, knowledge base,” Belichick said. “He understands all things about football, not just the X’s and O’s. He’s a great teacher. He understands how to put a team together and all the things that go into that. We’ve had long conversations about that.
“He’s helped me a lot because he’s been with other organizations, seen other things at different points in his career, both college and professionally. It’s benefited me more than it’s benefited him because he’s got a good perspective on things, the places he’s been and some of the people that he’s been with. I’ve probably asked him more questions than he’s asked me.”
Fisch laughed when he was told what Belichick had said — that their relationship has “benefited me more than it’s benefited him.” But Fisch understood what Belichick was implying. Fisch didn’t come up through the Patriots organization, so he brought a fresh perspective into the building.
“Most coaches on his staff have been raised by him,” Fisch said. “Most of those guys have been Patriots or only coached (with) the Patriots.
“I’ve been on five or six other teams in pro football. So we were able to have some great conversations.”
“But there’s no question,” Fisch added, “that I learned more from Coach than Coach learned from me.”
Photos: New England Patriots practice at Arizona Stadium
A handful of Patriot fans celebrate as a player begins to make his way across the National Championship Drive to sign autographs and pose for selfies after New England's practice session at Arizona Stadium at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., December 15, 2022.
Head coach Bill Belichick patrols midfield as the New England Patriots get warmed up for their practice session in Arizona Stadium at the University of Arizona, continuing their week-long stay, Tucson, Ariz., December 15, 2022.
Local fans Daniel, left, and his sister Jaylene Grijalva show their allegiance to the team as they wait with a handful of fans outside the Cole and Jeanie Davis Sports Center as the New England Patriots practice at the University of Arizona Tucson, Ariz., December 14, 2022. The NFL team is using the U of A facilities as a base in between two consecutive west coast games.
Place kicker and former Wildcat Nick Folk warms up at the Dick Tomey Practice Fields as the New England Patriots prepare to workout at the University of Arizona Tucson, Ariz., December 14, 2022.
Former UA running back J.J. Taylor gets loose with the Patriots before Wednesday’s practice on the UA campus.
Johnny Stelmach IV winds up to make a throw as dad John watches outside the Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center while waiting for the New England Patriots to wrap up their afternoon practice at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., December 15, 2022. The Stelmachs, including younger son Brady, played hooky form work and school to make the three hour trip from Prescott to try to get autographs and meet players from the elder Stelmach's favorite NFL team, the Patriots.
With Patriots teammate linebacker Matthew Judon already center stage, center David Andrews peels himself out of some of his gear waiting his turn behind the microphones for post-practice media availability as New England continue their weeklong stint at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., December 15, 2022.
Former Wildcat and current Patriot placekicker Nick Folk signs autographs for a few dozen fans waiting outside Arizona Stadium as New England continue their stint at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., December 15, 2022.
Fan Dev Adams gets a selfie with Patriots receiver Nelson Agholor as a handful of die-hard fans get to meet the players following New England's practice session at Arizona Stadium at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., December 15, 2022.
Head coach Bill Belichick talks to an arc of reporters prior to the the New England Patriots first practice at the University of Arizona last December
