No one cared what clothes or what shoes Chris Petersen was wearing when he began his coaching career at UC Davis in the late 1980s. He chuckled at the memory of wearing San Francisco 49ers gear to practice back then, which he often did.
“No one said a word, and it was awesome,” he said.
People care now. They care very much.
So, yes, Petersen said he “absolutely” heard reaction from players and recruits Tuesday after the University of Washington announced its new 10-year apparel deal with Adidas, beginning July 1, 2019. The deal, as first reported by The Seattle Times, is expected to be worth north of $120 million over the life of the contract.