Two UW Huskies named to College Football Hall of Fame

Former UW Huskies head coach Chris Petersen and center Olin Kreutz were among the 22 players and coaches who were named to the College Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2026, the National Football Foundation announced Wednesday.

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Petersen was hired to lead UW in 2014 and guided the Huskies to a 55-26 record, their first College Football Playoff berth and two Pac-12 titles (2016, 2018) over six seasons.

The Huskies finished with a winning record in all six seasons Petersen was at the helm, including racking up double-digit wins in each season from 2016-18.

UW’s 2016 squad went 12-2, including 8-1 in Pac-12 play, on its way to a conference championship and CFP semifinal clash with Alabama in the Peach Bowl. The Huskies won 10 games apiece in 2017 and 2018, earning berths in the Fiesta Bowl and Rose Bowl, respectfully.

Petersen retired after the 2019 season.

Incredibly deserved.

Former @UW_Football head coach Chris Petersen is heading to the College Football Hall of Fame.

📰 https://t.co/OG3Gv92TeQ#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/RWbZ5eySKt

— Washington Athletics (@UWAthletics) January 14, 2026

Before arriving at UW, Petersen went 92-12 over eight seasons at Boise State, where he turned the little-known program into the country’s top mid-major. Petersen guided the Broncos to 10 or more wins in seven of eight seasons, including unbeaten campaigns in 2006 and 2009.

Boise State won one Mountain West and four WAC titles under Petersen. It also won the 2006 Fiesta Bowl over Oklahoma, one of the most memorable games in college football postseason history.

Petersen is the sixth UW coach to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the first since Don James in 1997.

Kreutz lettered in each of his seasons with the Huskies and was a standout on the offensive line during his three years (1995-97) on Montlake.

An all-time Husky great.

Center Olin Kreutz has secured his spot in the College Football Hall of Fame.

📰 https://t.co/OG3Gv92TeQ#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/vhjm2P80XW

— Washington Athletics (@UWAthletics) January 14, 2026

A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, Kreutz started all 12 games for the Huskies during the 1996 and 1997 seasons, earning first-team All-Pac-10 honors both times. He was named first-team All-America in 1996 and won the Morris Trophy that same year, which was given to the Pac-10’s top offensive lineman.

Kreutz went on to be a third-round pick of the Chicago Bears where he proved to be a durable anchor on the offensive line and one of the best at his position in the NFL. He spent 13 seasons in Chicago, including 12 as a starter, before playing his final year with the New Orleans Saints in 2011.

Kreutz was a two-time All-Pro (2005, 2006) and earned six straight Pro Bowl nods from 2001-06. He had a string of 137 consecutive starts 2002-11, including starting all 128 games for the Bears from 2003-10.

After his standout NFL career, Kreutz was one of two centers named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s.

He is the 12th UW player to be named to the College Football Hall of Fame and the first since offensive tackle Lincoln Kennedy in 2015.

The College Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2026 will be inducted at a ceremony in Las Vegas on Dec. 8.

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