Washington football announces two new coaching staff changes

In June 2024, the NCAA did away with the limit on the number of on-field coaches a program can have. On Thursday, Jedd Fisch seemingly finalized his Washington staff ahead of his second season at the helm, announcing two internal promotions.

Aaron Van Horn was promoted from quality control to outside linebackers coach, while offensive analyst Michael Switzer was promoted to assistant offensive line coach.

Aaron Van Horn

Van Horn will be a crucial part of new defensive coordinator Ryan Walters‘ scheme change, which utilizes two standup outside linebackers. He’ll also take a lot of work off of defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi’s plate, who will now have an opportunity to focus on the interior players.

After spending four seasons at Michigan as a defensive student assistant, Fisch hired Van Horn at Arizona in 2022 as a graduate assistant before bringing him with him to Seattle. Some prospects in the 2025 cycle had high praise for his ability on the recruiting trail.

“I think I have the best relationship with any coach at any school with Aaron Van Horn, who has been recruiting me since his time at Arizona,” Utah signee Christian Thatcher told Huskies Wire during the recruiting process.

Thatcher praised Van Horn’s ability as a recruiter, stating that he had as strong of a relationship with Washington’s staffer as he did with any coach from the 34 schools that had offered him.

Michael Switzer

A former offensive lineman who spent some time with the Buffalo Bills after going undrafted in 2011, Switzer has a long history in the coaching world. He started his career as a graduate assistant at Eastern Michigan before taking an offensive assistant job at Michigan in 2014, where he first met Fisch.

After three years with the Wolverines, he spent the 2017 season at John Carroll University as the team’s offensive coordinator, before moving to Indiana State. Switzer was hired as the offensive line coach in 2018 but was quickly elevated to offensive coordinator in 2019, and spent three seasons in the role before taking an offensive analyst position on Fisch’s staff at Arizona in 2022 before following him to Washington.