Matt Cavanaugh Is Coming to UW and Your Huskies Football Brain Should Already Be Spinning
Washington football just made a major move on the coaching staff, and it is the kind of hire that screams "we are getting serious about quarterback development." Head Coach Jedd Fisch brought in Matt Cavanaugh, a legendary NFL offensive mind with 14 seasons as a pro player and decades of coaching experience at the highest level. This is not some random coordinator shuffle. This is Fisch tapping into real championship pedigree.
Who Is Matt Cavanaugh and Why Should Huskies Fans Care?
Cavanaugh played quarterback at Pittsburgh and was drafted in the second round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He played 14 seasons professionally with four different teams: New England, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and the New York Giants. The guy lived the professional football life, and now he is bringing that experience to College Station. Sorry, to Seattle. He is bringing it to the UW quarterback room. As an NFL assistant coach, Cavanaugh worked as both an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under some of the biggest names in football history. We are talking Buddy Ryan, George Seifert, Dave Wannstedt, Brian Billick, Rex Ryan, and Marc Trestman. His last stop was with the New York Jets under Robert Saleh. This is resume gold.
The Connection and the Contract Details
Here is the thing that makes this hire even better for Huskies fans: Fisch and Cavanaugh have history. They coached together at Baltimore under Brian Billick in 2004, with Fisch as an offensive assistant and Cavanaugh in his final year as Billick's offensive coordinator. They also both have a connection to Sean McVay. Cavanaugh was the quarterbacks coach when McVay was the offensive coordinator at Washington under Jay Gruden, before McVay took the Los Angeles Rams job and brought Fisch on as a senior offensive assistant in 2018. These guys know each other. They speak the same language.
The contract was signed on March 20th and began on March 16, running through January 31, 2027. Cavanaugh will make $40,000 per month, working out to $420,000 total under the terms of the deal. Performance incentives match other UW assistants, including up to $25,000 for a Big Ten Championship win and up to $125,000 for a National Championship win. With spring practices starting March 31st and culminating in the Dawgs After Dark spring game on May 1st, Cavanaugh jumps right in. The EDGE room still needs to generate more pressure this season, but now your quarterbacks have a pro coach in the building. That matters.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.