Chris Petersen’s sixth season as Washington’s head football coach will also be his last.
Petersen will step down following UW’s impending bowl game, the program announced on Monday. Second-year Husky defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake has been named the program’s new head coach by UW athletics director Jen Cohen. Petersen will transition into an advisory role for UW Athletics.
“It has been a privilege and a professional dream fulfilled to be part of this world-class institution,” Petersen said in a release. “I will forever be grateful, honored and humbled to have had the opportunity to coach our fine young men on Montlake for these past six seasons. I thank each of them, as well as our coaches and administrative staff for the incredible commitment they’ve made to Husky football during my tenure.
“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.”
“Chris has been transformational for not only our football program, but our entire athletic department,” Cohen said in a statement. “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, but more importantly off. I can’t thank him enough for his service and leadership, and I look forward to having him stay on staff in a leadership advisory role, so he can continue to impact individuals across our department and the entire campus.”
I think this year took a massive toll on him, despite his previous accomplishments. Losing to Colorado and Stanford (as well as UC-Berkeley at home) must’ve been frustrating.
Punahou Football: 12-1, 2008 ILH and State Champions! 11-0, 2013 ILH and State Champions, a team for the ages!
