The Washington Huskies showed a lot of confidence in defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake by immediately naming him Chris Petersen’s permanent successor after Petersen’s surprising decision to step down on Monday.
That confidence is made even clearer when looking at the details of Lake’s new deal with the school. He was immediately granted a five-year deal with a pretty hefty salary.
Jimmy Lake signed a five-year deal, through the 2024 season. He will be paid $3 million in 2020, per his MOU, with that figure increasing by $100,000 each year after, plus standard performance incentives.
— Christian Caple (@ChristianCaple) December 2, 2019
Date on the MOU is Dec. 1 (yesterday). If he leaves for another job before Jan. 31, 2021, he would owe the school $6 million. That figure drops to $3 million the next year, then $1.5 million, then $500k.
— Christian Caple (@ChristianCaple) December 2, 2019
Ultimately, Lake’s deal isn’t entirely surprising. This is a coach who was courted by multiple SEC schools, but turned them down. Part of this is down to Washington giving him a significant raise in 2018, but it’s also likely that he knew that Petersen didn’t plan to coach for much longer and he would be his successor. Lake also knows the lay of the land, and he’s highly touted as a coordinator — and Washington fans already love him for his willingness to openly throw shade at Mike Leach and Washington State. All told, this looks like a solid deal for everyone.
