Washington football announced that Chris Petersen will step down after the Huskies’ bowl game. Here are three reasons why Petersen isn’t done coaching.
The Monday between the end of the regular season and the conference championship games has always been a time to watch the coaching carousel in college football. Vacancies exist around the country, as programs change course and look to go in a new direction after the disappointment of a season gone counter to expectation.
We have seen openings already open up at Ole Miss, Arkansas, Boston College, and a slew of other programs across the FBS. The biggest switch, however, will take place with a transition plan already in place.
Over the past six seasons, Chris Petersen has helped Washington return to prominence in the Pac-12. The former Boise State coach took the Huskies to a New Year’s Six bowl game in each of the past three seasons and won the Pac-12 two out of those three years. In 2016, Petersen and his squad went all the way to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Even after a disappointing season in Seattle, there was nothing to indicate that Petersen would be on his way out of the program. On Monday, however, the school put out a press release that Petersen would step down after the bowl game and hand over the reins to defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake.
In the release, Washington announced that Petersen would stay at the school in a leadership advisory role. Don’t expect that to last long, however, as the 55-year-old remains one of the top college football coaches in the entire country. Here are three reasons why Chris Petersen is not yet done coaching.