Hired as an operations intern during Fox's first season as Carolina's coach, Washburn watched Fox lead a team that had finished the previous season with a 1-15 record improve to 7-9 in 2002 and then reach the Super Bowl in 2003.
"Coach Fox left a huge impression on me at an early age," Washburn said. "It was a tough situation he came into. They were 1-15 the previous year. He ran a really disciplined camp, a tough camp, and the way he was with that team and how he flipped the culture in Carolina, it was really a big deal for me as a young guy in this league just to see how it's done.