Washington’s Chris Petersen Resigns, Jimmy Lake To Take Over
Dec 2, 2019, 12:14 PM | Updated: 3:25 pm
Head Coach Chris Petersen of the Washington Huskies reacts in the fourth quarter against the Utah Utes during their game at Husky Stadium on November 02, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE (AP) — Washington coach Chris Petersen says he is stepping down six seasons at the school, with defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake promoted to head the program.
Petersen’s decision was shocking coming off a season where the Huskies went 7-5 in the regular season and are bound for a sixth straight bowl game under his leadership.
BREAKING: @UW_Football head coach Chris Petersen to step down, according to the school. Jimmy Lake is the new head coach.
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) December 2, 2019
The school said Petersen, 55, will transition into a “leadership advisory role” within the athletic department. Petersen was 146-38 combined during his time as the head coach at Boise State and Washington. In a statement, Petersen says he’ll be a “Husky for life, but now is the right time for me to step away from my head coaching duties, and recharge.”
Press Release: Petersen To Step Down, Lake Named New Huskies' Head Coach
>> https://t.co/xqO4iG8saY pic.twitter.com/rrCfkH9QEe
— Washington Football (@UW_Football) December 2, 2019
Lake, 42, has turned down several other coaching opportunities in recent years and has seemed to be the successor to Petersen whenever he did decide to step away from coaching.
