Report Suggests Dougherty, UW Will Part Ways

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated Feb 17, 2026 8:40 PM ET

A national report on Tuesday suggested the University of Washington and Jimmie Dougherty, the Husky offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, are going to "part ways," without offering any details for why this might happen.

This CBSSports reveal was news to leading UW donors contacted later in the day. The sports information director who deals with football is on vacation.

However, with the way Jedd Fisch's coaching staff is set up -- with Fisch calling all of the plays on game day and making the OC job title really nothing more than a label -- it wouldn't be that much of a surprise if the two sides went in different directions.

The timing still seems a little odd, with the Huskies opening spring football in just over five weeks.

Plus, Dougherty and Fisch have coached at four schools together in Michigan (2016), UCLA (2017), Arizona (2021-23) and now Washington (2024-to date).

The current expectation is that Washington and offensive coordinator Jimmie Dougherty are going to part ways, sources tell @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/cVo92jRwhN
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) February 17, 2026

Yet former NFL quarterback JP Losman has been given more and more responsibility as of late, including going out and recruiting high school quarterbacks this winter.

Wherever he's been, Fisch has served as the offensive play-caller for much of the past 13 years, including five as the head coach at Arizona and the UW, and said it would be tough for him to give up that responsibility

"Right now, I can say I can't envision that," Fisch said this past season.

Fisch came to the UW with with Brennan Carroll holding the title of offensive coordinator, but he, too, deferred to Fisch and mostly dealt with his duties as offensive-line coach.

Dougherty was named as Carroll's replacement when the latter joined his father's Las Vegas Raiders coaching staff. The Carrolls, of course, are out of work now.

In Dougherty's 20-plus year coaching career, he previously served as an offensive coordinator for San Diego (2006) and San Diego State (2013-14).

Asked this season if he wanted more offensive responsibility, Dougherty replied affirmatively, that it would be something for him to pursue in the future.

His head coach, however, doesn't appear ready to give up his play-calling chores, feeling the need to keep going and simply trust his own instincts in guiding the Husky offense.

"I don't think you would never say never," Fisch added. "But pretty close to never."

This article first appeared on Washington Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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