TUCSON, Ariz. – Arizona Football Head Coach Jedd Fisch today was named one of 14 semifinalists for the 2023 George Munger College Coach of the Year Award, which is presented yearly by the Maxwell Football Club.

Coach Fisch makes his first appearance on the Munger College Coach of the Year Award list after leading the Wildcats to an impressive turnaround in his third year as Head Coach, and bowl eligibility for the first time since 2017. Since Coach Fisch took charge of the program before the 2021 season, Arizona has improved in wins over the last two seasons. The Wildcats improved from 1-11 in 2021 to 9-3 in 2023, marking an eight-win improvement which is the largest in program history. Fisch is one of two Pac-12 Head Coaches among the George Munger Coach of the Year Semifinalists.

Arizona capped the 2023 season with a dominant 59-23 win over rival Arizona State, marking the second straight win over ASU for the first time since the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The Wildcats have been led by impressive improvement on both sides of the ball over the last two to three years.

The improvement began on offense with the Wildcats jumping from 101st in total offense in 2021 to 20th in 2022 and then 18th in total offense in 2023. Arizona moved from 124th in the nation in scoring offense two seasons ago to 22nd in 2023, jumping from 17.2 points per game in Coach Fisch's first season to 34.3 points per game this past season.

Defense saw a rise in performance over the past two seasons, moving from 124th in total defense to 36th nationally on the defensive side of the ball. The defense was solid in the red zone in 2023 finishing 11th in the nation in red zone defense compared to 97th in 2022. The Wildcats surrendered far fewer points in the 2023 season compared to 2022, moving to 26th (20.8 ppg) nationally in scoring defense this season, compared to 125th (36.5 ppg) nationally in allowing points a season ago.

Under Coach Fisch's leadership, the Wildcats finished third in the Pac-12 and are heading to the Alamo Bowl, making an appearance in a bowl game for the first time since 2017. This is the highest finish in the conference for the Wildcats since winning the South Division and making an appearance in the Pac-12 Championship game against Oregon in 2014.

Over the past two seasons, Arizona has had one of the most explosive offenses in college football, finishing tied for 14th in the regular season with 72 plays of 20-plus yards in 2023 and finishing 9th in college football with 84 plays of 20-plus yards in 2022.

No. 14 Arizona is back in action on Dec. 28 against No. 12 Oklahoma in The Valero Alamo Bowl at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

George Munger College Coach of the Year Semi-Finalists

Nick	Saban	Alabama
Jedd	Fisch	Arizona
Mike	Norvell	Florida State
Curt	Cignetti	JMU
Jamey	Chadwell	Liberty
Jeff	Brohm	Louisville
Lane	Kiffin	Mississippi
Eli	Drinkwitz	Missouri
Jerry	Kill	New Mexico State
David	Braun	Northwestern
Rhett	Lashlee	SMU
Steve	Sarkisian	Texas
Barry	Odom	UNLV
Kalen	DeBoer	Washington

 
The George Munger Award will be formally presented at the 87th Maxwell Awards Gala which will be held on Friday, March 8, 2024, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia. Event tickets will go on sale on December 15th.

The George Munger College Coach of the Year Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org to learn more about the association.

ABOUT THE MAXWELL FOOTBALL CLUB
The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football organization of its kind in America. The Club recognizes excellence in performance at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels of the game. The Maxwell Club is also deeply involved and fully vested in the community through programs to promote academic excellence, community volunteerism, and leadership. High school student-athletes around the country have an opportunity to participate in MFC Showcase events, free of charge, through the generosity of our corporate partners, The Bradley Law Firm, Montage Mountain Resort, the Edward T. Coombs Foundation, and the Run Around Inc. To learn more about our story visit www.maxwellfootballclub.org.