Petersen surprisingly steps down as Washington coach
In a stunning announcement, Washington coach Chris Petersen will step down following the team’s bowl game and will assume “a leadership advisory role for Husky Athletics.”
In the news release, Washington athletics director Jennifer Cohen said current defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake will take over as the new head coach for the Huskies.
“It has been a privilege and a professional dream fulfilled to be part of this world-class institution,” Petersen said Dec. 2 in a statement. “The football program and Husky Athletics across the board will continue to prosper – and do it the right way – with Jen Cohen’s leadership and the University administration’s commitment to excellence. I’ll be a Husky for life, but now is the right time for me to step away from my head coaching duties, and recharge.”
Petersen coached the team for six seasons and led the Huskies to Pac-12 titles in 2016 and 2018, reaching the College Football Playoff in 2016. His 39 victories between the 2015 and 2018 seasons were the most in school history during a four-year stretch.
That mark will be exceeded, if Washington wins its bowl game, which would give the team 40 victories from 2016 to 2019.
“Chris has been transformational for not only our football program but our entire athletic department,” Cohen said. “It has been such a privilege to watch how he has been so committed to the development of our young men, not just on the field, off.”
Petersen’s record sits at 146-38 (.793), and his winning percentage ranks second among all active coaches with at least five years of Bowl Subdivision experience.
Petersen also coached eight seasons at Boise State before he took over the Huskies’ job in 2014. Petersen compiled a 9212 record with the Broncos, including victories in the Fiesta Bowl in 2007 and 2010.
Lake had served as a Husky assistant in 2004 but returned to the program as a defensive backs coach for Petersen’s first season in Washington in 2014. He was promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2016 and eventually became the sole defensive coordinator in 2018.
Washington’s defense ranked first in the Pac-12 in total defense and scoring from 2015 to 2018. but more importantly