Washington Football Feature: Revamping the program | Inside College Football

all right this season marks a major change in the Big 10 of course as four new members enter the conference but for the Washington Huskies joining a new conference is just the tip of the iceberg after kayin deor left for Alabama half the roster departed for the NFL or entered the transfer portal and the huskys were the first team since 1951 to start a season unranked after finishing top two the year before [Music] [Music] hey here we go you know myself CFA a bunch of the 2019 class of guys um we've been through a lot I've been through four head coaches three different defensive schemes and I feel like I've seen it all we're following breaking college football news ESPN and the Associated Press reporting that kayin dor the current head coach of Washington has agreed to a deal to become Alabama's next head coach what if I told you you're going to be in a national championship game you're going to lose and then all of a sudden within a week our coach is gone that was all such a wh run I don't need the microphone for this please welcome our next jet football coach J F when coach fish was hired he met with the team and he addressed all the elephants in the room and really kept it real with us on that level when the head coach leaves the portal opens for that one program it was a huge challenge for us to be able to figure out how are we going to feeli the team it was a battle up until through may we have 40 something scholarship players after coach fish took the job and you know we had to obviously bring in transfers incoming freshman there was only one maybe two returning starters on the team so you're talking about having to replace 20 starters while you're trying to build this team it's never been done before we are definitely in Uncharted Territory hey Drew last six prps you been hey Drew it's a falcon said all right Falcon all of a sudden now we have such a Melting Pot of so many fresh transfers Arizona guys it's been a really unique challenge we have guys that have started with zo Cam fabiculanan and with Carson Bruner but now we're talking about relying on these guys to be full-time starters every snap you're your con your coning he's locked being a vet my role has changed tremendously I'm a leader now once you carry it past 10 yards drop it so then the safety so I got to be that example for the younger guys set the tone let them know what Washington culture is about with Coach fish obviously he has a really clear direction of where he wants this program to go we want University of Washington to be thought of in those top programs in the country year in and year out we really have a great challenge because right now all of the fans tasted success so you've got to find a way to be able to continue to have success but we got some really good players on this team we're all getting to know each other together and I think we can build it up together make sure you study your plays and get in the film room you on three 1 2 3 and look this is also big opportunities suddenly maybe coming sooner for the guys who were there and the guys that jedf fish of course had to bring in through the portal Jed fish been there before is Jed fish a droll kind of guy jedf fish uh and I work together at the Baltimore Ravens I'm a big fan of jeds uh and he did a wonderful job at Arizona kind of resurrecting a program that had been down uh 1 and 11 5- seven and then the monster year last year where they beat in the almobile he knows how to do this he's got a lot of NFL experience he knows exactly how to do it and we are in an NFL age of how you add to your roster unfortunately the downside of this and what we don't talk about nearly enough is how you're moving players out of your program because there's a nudge there's a way to move people out you coaches don't want us to talk about that that's been a well kept secret and and I just think that somehow some way given the amount of money that's involved in college sports right now that we if the kid wants to stay even though he may not be on the team should be given an opportunity to stay with a scholarship because you do choose the school as well uh in this case the school chose Jed fish he chose a bunch of players to now come try to come in as reinforcements for a program that again was at the tippy top a second ago well he he dipped his toe into this new normal when he was at Arizona that's how he rebuilt that program he had to bring some transfers in to uh up upgrade the the level of Talent on the roster and that's where we are you hit all the right notes coach as you usually do this is the new normal it's NFL free agency and those who uh endear themselves to it the the quickest are going to benefit from it the most now what started this and what has everyone hoping that they can see success immediately was Mel tuer the former coach at Michigan State that one year he brings in a Kenneth Walker about different guys ly the year after at SC and these guys have immediate immediate success now there was no Foundation built then that's the key you've got to have some foundation and once you have that built now I can go and just pluck a few here and there to fill voids you want to talk about things that aren't talked about in public when does this whole process start if you're smart it starts in November November is when the FCS transfer port opens that's when you start building your roster for next year so as you're finishing your current season you're already trying to push people out and attract people in it's it's kind of the Wild Wild West and it's interesting but it's all year to year you talk about you know how long have you built this you build it one year at a time e