A former Boise State assistant is out at Washington. Another will serve as interim coach
Washington has fired football coach Jimmy Lake six days after suspending him for a game because of a sideline altercation with a player, the university announced on Sunday.
Lake, who coached defensive backs at Boise State in 2012 and 2013, went 7-6 in two seasons as Washington’s head coach. The Huskies were limited to four games because of COVID-19 last season, and they’re 3-4 in Pac-12 play this fall.
Lake was suspended for Washington’s 35-30 loss to Arizona State on Saturday after a physical altercation on the sideline with linebacker Ruperake Fuavai was caught on camera during the Huskies’ loss to Oregon on Nov. 6. The university announced his suspension last Monday.
“Making a head coaching change in any sport is difficult, recognizing that the decision impacts coaches, staff, student-athletes and their families,” Washington Athletic Director Jennifer Cohen said in a statement on Sunday. “However, as the steward of UW Athletics, I must always act in the best interests of our student-athletes, our department and our university.
“No one wanted Jimmy to succeed more than I when I hired him in 2019, but ultimately, this change is necessary for a variety of reasons, both on the field and off. I am grateful for Jimmy’s service to Washington, and we wish him the very best of luck moving forward.”
Linebackers coach Bob Gregory, who was Washington’s interim head coach on Saturday, will serve in the same role for the rest of the season. He was Boise State’s defensive coordinator in 2001 and returned to coach linebackers from 2010 to 2013. He also served as the Broncos’ interim head coach for the Hawaii Bowl after former Boise State coach Chris Petersen left for Washington in 2013.
Lake took over at Washington after Petersen stepped down following the 2019 season, which ended with the Huskies beating the Broncos in the Las Vegas Bowl. He followed Petersen to Washington as a defensive backs coach in 2014 and spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons as defensive coordinator.
Washington (4-6) is coming off back-to-back losses to Pac-12 teams, including a 26-16 setback against Oregon on Nov. 6. The Huskies opened the season with a 13-7 loss to Montana — a program that competes at the FCS level. They’re on the road at Colorado on Saturday.
