[msqueri]

I've got a soft spot in my heart for Arizona to win the Pac-12 in its final year.

So do I, and I hope they win for another practical reason. Virtually everybody at Arizona believes Fisch is gone at the end of the season. He will get hired at a more "successful" football school for more money. If Fisch leaves, the whole team will go into the portal to follow him. However, everybody in the market wants the new coach ASAP to stabilize recruiting and the portal. If Arizona plays in the championship, Fisch isn't going to be able to avoid coaching in it. If they win, they get an NY6 bowl. Will Fisch be able to say no to coaching in that game? Some say no. That could possibly prevent him from getting hired away. Slim hope, but maybe all their is.

Arizona can't offer Fisch a raise, even if they get  money from "donors", because of the $240 million shortfall and the subsequent hiring freeze/ 2% budget cut. This is on top of an athletic department that owes the University $50 million and that has a "systemic budget deficit". Politically impossible.

Fisch has done a hell of a job but it is extraordinarily speculative to think he is going to leave for a bigger opportunity elsewhere. There are only a handful of jobs a year bigger than what he has now, and he's not the only excellent coach at a mid-tier power program (Jonathan Smith, Lance Leipold, Chris Kleiman, Mike Elko). And the programs bigger than Arizona may or may not hire from among this group, they could just as easily go for even splashier names/poaching/NFL guys/up and coming coordinators/etc. I think the best bet is that Fisch will still be coaching Arizona next year. Just not that many good jobs open per year. Sure he's a great candidate but so are the others I mentioned and others.

[msqueri]

I've got a soft spot in my heart for Arizona to win the Pac-12 in its final year.

So do I, and I hope they win for another practical reason. Virtually everybody at Arizona believes Fisch is gone at the end of the season. He will get hired at a more "successful" football school for more money. If Fisch leaves, the whole team will go into the portal to follow him. However, everybody in the market wants the new coach ASAP to stabilize recruiting and the portal. If Arizona plays in the championship, Fisch isn't going to be able to avoid coaching in it. If they win, they get an NY6 bowl. Will Fisch be able to say no to coaching in that game? Some say no. That could possibly prevent him from getting hired away. Slim hope, but maybe all their is.

Arizona can't offer Fisch a raise, even if they get  money from "donors", because of the $240 million shortfall and the subsequent hiring freeze/ 2% budget cut. This is on top of an athletic department that owes the University $50 million and that has a "systemic budget deficit". Politically impossible.

Fisch has done a hell of a job but it is extraordinarily speculative to think he is going to leave for a bigger opportunity elsewhere. There are only a handful of jobs a year bigger than what he has now, and he's not the only excellent coach at a mid-tier power program (Jonathan Smith, Lance Leipold, Chris Kleiman, Mike Elko). And the programs bigger than Arizona may or may not hire from among this group, they could just as easily go for even splashier names/poaching/NFL guys/up and coming coordinators/etc. I think the best bet is that Fisch will still be coaching Arizona next year. Just not that many good jobs open per year. Sure he's a great candidate but so are the others I mentioned and others.