Arizona football is still processing the news that Jedd Fish will no longer be their head coach after he abruptly made the leap to Washington over the weekend. The excitement and confidence that pervaded Tuscon after a momentous 10-3 season has quickly been displaced by heartbreak and uncertainty.

But life goes on. A new, strong leader is needed to ensure that the program can build on the success Fisch achieved in his three-year tenure. Many Arizona players believe the top candidate should be someone who actually helped spark the big turnaround.

“Pretty much every player on the defensive side of the ball for Arizona has tweeted #HireNansen in support of bringing former defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen back as the program's next head coach,” AZ Band Cat Sports posted on X.

Offensive lineman Rhino Tapa'atoutai and Wendell Moe are also voicing their support for the Texas Longhorns DC. Nansen joined Fisch's staff ahead of the 2022-23 campaign before reuniting with his old friend Steve Sarkisian in Austin (coached together in Washington and USC).

Players can be tough to ignore, but the head coaching search just got underway. The university will likely consider multiple candidates. While no one can presently gauge Johnny Nansen's level of interest in the vacancy, this is undeniably a huge opportunity for him to earn his first head coaching job.

There will be considerable pressure on athletic director Dave Heeke to find a worthy replacement for Jedd Fisch, so that Arizona football can remain on the rise when it arrives at its new home, the Big 12 Conference, later this year.