What’s the most underappreciated aspect of the Chris Petersen era for UW Huskies?
Jan 14, 2019, 1:51 PM | Updated: 2:44 pm
Washington HC Chris Petersen's Huskies have led the conference in defense 4 out of his 5 seasons. (AP)
(AP)
When Chris Petersen took over as head coach of Washington football in 2014, the program hadn’t seen a season with 10 or more wins since 2000. Since 2016, the Huskies have won at least 10 games each season, and in 2018 they made their first return to the Rose Bowl in 18 years.
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There’s been no shortage of praise for Petersen’s ability to revamp Washington football, but there has been one aspect of his coaching that has gone underappreciated.
“(That aspect is) how unbelievable he’s played defense,” 710 ESPN Seattle’s Brock Huard said during his Blue 42 segment of Brock and Salk, “and this is where Chris doesn’t get the credit.
“West Coast CFB tweeted this: Chris Petersen’s teams have led their conference in defense 11 times of the 13 seasons he’s been a head coach. He’s been a head coach at Boise State and the University of Washington for a combined 13 seasons, and his defenses have been No. 1 11 times. I don’t think he ever gets credit for that, nor does his staff get that kind of credit.”
That underappreciated aspect of Peteresen’s coaching received a boost this weekend when cornerback Myles Bryant announced he would return for the 2019 season.
“Realizing how important it is for the way (Petersen) wants to play his brand of football, getting Myles Bryant back in the fold will help them at least have a shot at that in 2019,” Huard said.
Huard answers three football questions every weekday morning at 7:45 on 710 ESPN Seattle’s Brock and Salk. Hear Monday’s Blue 42 segment, featuring questions about the Seahawks and Huskies, in the audio clip embedded in this post.
