Washington fired coach Jimmy Lake on Sunday, athletic director Jen Cohen announced, following a one-game suspension for an altercation with a player during UW’s Nov. 6 loss to Oregon.
"Making a head coaching change in any sport is difficult, recognizing that the decision impacts coaches, staff, student-athletes and their families," Cohen said in a statement. "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."
Lake was terminated without cause, meaning UW will owe his full buyout of $9.9 million — paid in monthly installments through January 2025, when his contract expires — minus any new compensation he earns during that time, sources told The Athletic. Defensive coordinator Bob Gregory, who served as interim coach during Saturday’s 35-30 loss to Arizona State, will remain in that role through the end of the season.
The Huskies visit Colorado next week before hosting Washington State in their regular-season finale. At 4-6, Washington needs to win its final two games to avoid missing a bowl for the first time since 2009. UW’s record includes a season-opening defeat to Montana, the school’s first-ever loss to an FCS opponent. Lake, who was promoted to head coach in December 2019 after spending the previous six seasons on the staff of former coach Chris Petersen, leaves the school with a 7-6 record overall.
In the first half of the Oregon game, Lake appeared to give a one-handed smack to the facemask of walk-on linebacker Ruperake Fuavai, who had been jawing with an Oregon player near the sideline. Lake said after the game he "went in to separate them and push him back" and did not strike Fuavai, but later posted a statement of apology to his Twitter account.
Cohen concluded after a 24-hour investigation that Lake’s actions were not “intentional or deliberate,” but still merited a one-week suspension without pay. “We have high expectations of conduct for our coaches,” she said in a statement, “and we will not shy away from those expectations.”
The sideline incident came at the worst possible time for Lake. He also made waves leading into the Oregon game when he said UW recruits versus schools that "have academic prowess like the University of Washington" in response to a question about the school's recruiting rivalry with UO.
On the field, the Huskies' four wins this season are against teams with a combined record of 9-30. Washington is 0-5 against FBS teams with winning records. The offense has been the biggest issue. The Huskies rank near the bottom of the Pac-12 in scoring, yards per rush and passing efficiency. Lake fired offensive coordinator John Donovan the day after the Oregon game, in which UW managed only seven first downs and 166 yards.
(Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
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How big of a surprise was this?
Christian Caple, Washington beat writer: Before the season, it would have been a tremendous surprise. By the time it actually happened, it was a foregone conclusion.
UW didn’t fire Lake because of the sideline incident against Oregon — that was merely the flashpoint amid a largely miserable season that essentially forced the school to make a change. It just wasn’t working. From poor performance on the field (especially by the offense) to regrettable comments in the media to the nationally televised incident with Fuavai, all signs pointed to UW moving on.
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Are there any obvious candidates for the job?
Caple: Not particularly. California coach Justin Wilcox obviously knows the league and was defensive coordinator at UW for two seasons under Steve Sarkisian, but Cal has taken a step back and Wilcox still hasn’t put together a successful offense. Mountain West coaches Jay Norvell (Nevada) and Kalen DeBoer (Fresno State) come to mind. Billy Napier at Louisiana also is a hot name at the G5 level, but it remains to be seen whether UW could pull a highly regarded coach from another region.