Gophers Offensive Coordinator Jedd "Gone" Fisch-ing?

Another offseason, another Golden Gopher coordinator search?  Rumors have been swirling for days that Tim Brewster may be looking for a new coordinator once again if his current O.C. bolts for a job in the NFL.

By my count, Jedd Fisch's name has surfaced for at least three possible openings on NFL coaching staffs this season. Fisch was thought to be a candidate for the vacated Bears offensive coordinator job, probably due to his history with Bears QB Jay Cutler.

When Mike Shanahan was announced as the new head coach in Washington, D.C., Fisch's name quickly surfaced as a possible addition to his offensive staff.

Both of those destinations seem to have fizzled out, but the latest one seems to have some legs.  It appears more than likely that Jedd Fisch will join new coach Pete Carroll as his quarterbacks coach.  Which leads me to ask one little question: Does anyone in the NFL really watch college football?

I understood it when the Miami Dolphins hired Nick Saban away from LSU.  I got it when Jimmy Johnson left the University of Miami for the Dallas Cowboys.  It didn't work, but I could see the reasoning behind bringing Steve Spurrier to the Redskins. 

But Jedd Fisch?  What exactly has this guy done to warrant so much attention? His resume is pretty impressive.  For a guy that didn't play organized football in high school or college, Jedd has done quite well for himself.

There's a reason 99 percent of college and professional coaches are former players.  There's no better way to learn about a game than immerse yourself in it.  Jedd Fisch is the exception to that rule.  He's a former tennis player.

So why does it seem like all these NFL coaches want Jedd Fisch? What has he proven to warrant all the praise and accolades?  From my viewpoint, not a thing.

Maybe this is just one of those things I'm not supposed to understand. Like Shakespeare, algebra and why the watermelon-smashing comedian Gallagher isn't still a comedy superstar.

I get that you don't have to play a sport to be an expert in it, but it sure doesn't hurt. It'd be so much easier to understand the allure if the guy had proven anything in his first year as offensive coordinator.  But he didn't.  Nothing.

The Gophers offense was more than adequate in one game.  They were miserable down the stretch, managing one offensive touchdown in the final three games.

If the offense had started poorly and improved, it would be one thing, but that's not how the season went.  The Gophers regressed from below average to bottom of the barrel.

It's even more baffling to me that they'd want Jedd Fisch to work with an NFL quarterback. Adam Weber was a second team all-conference performer before the Boy Wonder entered the picture. Now as a senior who's made 38 collegiate starts, his job is on the line this spring.

Is that the kind of influence you want to have on an NFL quarterback?  Matt Hasselbeck struggled this year.  After Fisch works with him, it's entirely possible that he'll make JaMarcus Russell look like Dan Marino.

No matter what happens, the Gophers are going to have a lot of work to do on offense before September 2, 2010. Maybe Fisch sticks around, the players benefit from extra time in his system and things turn around.

Or maybe Tim Brewster spends a portion of his offseason looking for yet another coordinator.  Hiring his seventh coordinator prior to his fourth season would be a good thing if everyone was after the Gophers coaches due to their overwhelming performances.  Unfortunately, I don't think that the branches on the Brewster coaching tree are quite as sturdy as the trees of Walsh, Holmgren and Belichick.