As of 2005, Fisher has the second-longest tenure as head coach with any one team, only behind Pittsburgh's Bill Cowher. He is also one of the winningest active head coaches in the League, with a 101-85-0 (.543) record.

A native of Southern California, Fisher starred as a high school All-American wide receiver for Taft High School in Woodland Hills.

He later went on to star as a University of Southern California Trojan under coach John Robinson. During his collegiate career (1977-1980), he played alongside such defensive stars as Ronnie Lott and Joey Browner. Fisher and the Trojans won a national championship during the 1978 season, and in 1980 he was honored with a Pac-10 All-Academic selection.

Drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1981, Fisher spent five years in the Windy City as a cornerback and kick returner. In the 1985 season, his playing career was ended due to a broken leg he sustained on a kickoff return, inflicted by later NFL head coach Bill Cowher. Not content to be idle, the injured Fisher began to assist Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, and the Bears went on to win the Super Bowl that season.

Realizing his playing days were over, Fisher was promoted to defensive coordinator at the age of 30, being the youngest one in the league at that point. Fisher found great success despite his youth, as the 1989 Eagles defense led the NFL in interceptions (30) and sacks (62). The 1990 squad led the League in rushing defense and was second in sacks.

In 1991, Fisher headed west to be reunited with his college coach John Robinson, serving as the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator for one season. The next two seasons, he served as the defensive backs coach for the San Francisco 49ers. On February 9, 1994, Fisher again became a defensive coordinator, this time for the Houston Oilers under Jack Pardee.

On November 14, 1994, Pardee was fired as head coach by the Oilers, and Fisher was promoted to replace him for the last five games of the season. Following the 1994 campaign, the Oilers drafted quaterback Steve McNair and decided to retain Fisher's services as head coach. The new coach did not disappoint, leading the team to a 7-9 record in 1995, tied for second place in the division. The following year, which saw the debut of Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George for the Oilers, they achieved an 8-8 record. However, lagging interest from fans caused owner Bud Adams to relocate the team to Tennessee for the 1997 season.

In the 1997 and 1998 seasons, the franchise were unable to break through the .500 plateau, going 8-8 both years. This led to criticism from fans that Fisher was incapable of ever achieving anything more. The 1999 season, and the renaming of the team to the Tennessee Titans, proved the doubters wrong, however, when Fisher led the Titans to a surprising 13-3 regular season record, leading them deep into the playoffs (thanks to the Music City Miracle) and all the way to Super Bowl XXXIV. Ranked among the greatest championship games of all-time, Fisher's team fell to the St. Louis Rams, 23-16, when wideout Kevin Dyson was tackled one yard short of the end zone with no time remaining. Tennessee achieved the same record the next year, but were again defeated in the playoffs by an eventual world champion, this time, the Baltimore Ravens.

The 2001 season was a disappointing one for the Titans, as they could only muster a 7-9 showing. The beginning of the next season proved to be even worse, with the franchise starting off with a 1-4 record. Following one home loss, owner Bud Adams made the comment to reporters that perhaps the Titans "were getting outcoached". This provided a spark the team needed, and they finished the season with a 11-5 record and made it to the AFC Championship Game.

The 2003 season saw more success, with yet another trip to the playoffs and McNair winning the League Most Valuable Player award. Again, they lost to an eventual world champion, the New England Patriots, but the team's progress did not go unnoticed. The 2004 season, however, was plagued by injuries from the start, and Fisher's worst record as head coach (5-11) was the result. Following the season, many veteran players were cut in an effort to comply with the strict salary cap. The relative youth of the team resulted in a disappointing 2005 season as well, but team owner Adams maintains that Fisher's job is not in jeopardy. Before the 2005 season, Fisher hired Norm Chow out of USC to be his offensive coordinator.