The Washington football program is set to undergo a major change. On Monday, December 2, Huskies head coach Chris Petersen announced that he will be stepping down as head coach at the University of Washington.
Petersen was immediately replaced by Jimmy Lake, who served as the team’s defensive coordinator.
The 55-year-old has been at Washington since 2014 and is 146–38 as a head coach.
“It has been a privilege and a professional dream fulfilled to be part of this world-class institution,” Petersen said in a statement. “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.”
Washington went 7-5 in 2019.
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
“Chris has been transformational for not only our football program, but our entire athletic department,” UW Director of Athletics Jennifer 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, 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.”
The 42-year-old Lake, who has also been at Washington since 2014, previously served under Petersen at Boise State.