Michael Lev: Jedd Fisch’s new contract should’ve been done by now; what’s the holdup?

Arizona wants Jedd Fisch to be its football coach for years to come. Fisch wants to be the Wildcats’ leader for the long haul.

So why hasn’t his contract extension been finalized?

Arizona’s regular season ended Nov. 25. The Alamo Bowl was Dec. 28. I’m writing this on Jan. 9.

So where’s the deal?

The simplest answer is that these matters are not as simple and straightforward as you’d think — especially in our state.

Any extension for Fisch and/or pay bump for his staff has to be rubber-stamped by the Arizona Board of Regents. ABOR’s next scheduled meeting is Feb. 21. I’m told the group is unwilling to hold a special session in the meantime to approve the contract. It’s understandable, considering everything ABOR has had to deal with lately stemming from the UA’s so-called “financial crisis.”

But for UA football supporters — and, presumably, Fisch — it’s frustrating. It’s also a bit unsettling.

Although you can never dismiss any possible move when it comes to the coaching carousel, everything I’m hearing — from both sides of the negotiating table — suggests that Fisch wants to be here, stay here and create something special here. Fisch himself has said as much, recently telling Jim Rome: “We want to be a part of this program for a long time. ... I have no interest in going anywhere.”

That is exactly what you’d expect Fisch or anyone in his position to say, of course. Even if he were pondering a different opportunity, he has no incentive to declare that to the world. That would only cause harm to himself and the program.

I do believe Fisch is being sincere, though. FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd had Fisch on his show Friday, and the two discussed how Fisch had been eyeing the Arizona job for years.

“It was one of those spots — it reminded me of the SEC, but it was on the West Coast,” Fisch said. “It had everything we ever wanted in a college program. ...

“I just said hey, if I can get that Arizona job, and we have a chance to turn this thing around ... there’s no difference to me than going to any of these SEC schools.”

That’s true — to an extent. As you know, when it comes to athletics — and especially football — “it just means more” in the SEC. Which is another way of saying there’s less resistance to matters such as contract extensions and raises for coaches who deserve them. Every school/state has some version of ABOR, but it’s pretty safe to assume the ones in the SEC footprint are a tad more football-friendly.

That can lead to impulsive, imprudent decisions — see Texas A&M and Jimbo Fisher — but it also can provide peace of mind. Fisch could have opportunities down the road that Arizona can’t compete with, and we’ll get to those later. In the meantime, it’s reassuring to know your head coach and his staff — who’ve proved their worth in short order — are content.

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I feel pretty confident in saying that if Fisch went from 1-11 to 5-7 to 10-3 in three seasons at Mississippi State or South Carolina that the extension would be done by now. I’m told that the deal that’s being worked on is all but finished except for some minor details — that it’s in the red zone and marching toward the goal line.

When it becomes official — and it’s definitely a “when” and not an “if,” despite the delays — Fisch will be closer to the top of the Big 12 salary scale than the bottom.

As things currently stand, Fisch’s salary in 2024, $3.4 million, would make him the second-lowest-paid head coach in the conference. I couldn’t get exact numbers for the new deal, but I’m told it would put him in the upper third of the league — or, at worst, the upper half.

Using 2023 figures for public schools — no BYU or TCU — as reported by USA Today, the highest-paid coach in the new, 16-team Big 12 is Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy at $7.625 million and the seventh-highest is Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire at $4.1 million. So that should give you some idea of what Fisch’s raise will look like.

At this point, you might be wondering a couple of things: How can the supposedly strapped UA afford this? And why does this need to be done at all when Fisch got a new deal just 13 months ago and it runs through 2027?

The answer to the first question is simple: It comes from a different pool of money. Private money. Donor/booster money. Fisch getting a raise doesn’t mean someone in the psychology department will be laid off.

As for the second question, it’s a sound and necessary investment. If you want to be good at football — one of two sports, along with men’s basketball, that generates revenue for athletic departments — you have to invest in football.

Arizona has shown a greater commitment to that under Dave Heeke and his administration than any prior to it. The football “front office” has expanded exponentially. The literal offices in which they work have been refurbished.

Does all that come at a cost? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Just look at the results on the field this past season and the buzz around the program heading into the next one. Preseason Top 10? Let’s go!

Hopefully, Fisch’s contract situation will be resolved by the time spring ball starts. In the interim, we wait and we worry.

About what exactly? For one, an NFL owner who believes Fisch is The Next Big Thing. College coaches with far less impressive résumés — and fewer NFL connections — have gotten that call. It’d have to be the right situation, and the interest would have to be mutual, but it’s not impossible.

At least one college coach is likely headed to the NFL this cycle. If/when Jim Harbaugh leaves Michigan, it could have a ripple effect. Maybe UM just promotes from within and elevates Sherrone Moore. Or maybe it goes after Kalen DeBoer or Brian Kelly ... or Jedd Fisch, who coached under Harbaugh in Ann Arbor in 2015 and ’16.

The average annual salary for an NFL head coach is almost $7 million. Harbaugh made over $8 million in 2023. If an NFL team or a Michigan wanted Fisch, Arizona couldn’t match that money.

So why bother redoing his deal then? Because he’s earned it, and it’s the right thing to do. This is as much about goodwill and reciprocation as it is dollars and cents. Fisch has poured his heart and soul into UA football. The least the school can do is pay him back for it — even if it’s taking longer than it should.