Chris Petersen’s decision to step down Monday as the University of Washington’s football coach was so stunning and seemingly incongruous that my first inclination was to wonder if the school’s press release was a hoax or a hack.
Why in the world would a successful coach such as Petersen, still relatively young at age 55 with highly acclaimed recruiting classes on the way, walk away from one of the best jobs in college football?
Certainly, a disappointing 7-5 season in 2019 has been a blow to everyone in the program, based on the high expectations that Petersen has forged during his six years at Washington.