Washington coach Chris Petersen will step down after the Huskies’ bowl game and be replaced by defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, the school announced Monday. As part of the shocking announcement, the school said Petersen, 55, will transition into a “leadership advisory role” within the athletic department.
A source close to Petersen told ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg that Petersen is healthy and has no family issues. The season really wore on him, the source said. Peterson will be in an administrative role working with leadership development for coaches and players Petersen arrived at Washington prior to the 2014 season and led the Huskies to a pair of Pac-12 titles and a berth in the College Football Playoff in 2016. His career record of 146-38 includes eight seasons at Boise State, where he famously led the Broncos to a pair of Fiesta Bowl victories and four top-10 finishes in the AP poll.
Lake has been on Petersen’s staff since 2012 at Boise State, was promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2016 and has been the Huskies’ sole defensive coordinator the past two seasons. He previously coached defensive backs for six years in the NFL with the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Washington went 7-5 during the regular season and 4-5 in conference play.