SEATTLE — Washington coach Chris Petersen has signed a two-year contract extension keeping him tied to the Huskies through the 2020 season, the school announced on Thursday.
Petersen originally signed a five-year contract in December 2013. Petersen will be paid $4 million per season in 2019 and 2020, the same as he is scheduled to make in 2018, the final year of his original contract.
“Coach Petersen has demonstrated tremendous integrity and is building a program that Husky fans can be proud of, both on and off the field,” Washington athletic director Scott Woodward said in a statement. “This extension is well-deserved and we hope Coach Petersen is a Husky for a long time to come.”
There was no word regarding extensions for Washington’s assistant coaches that signed two-year contracts when Petersen took over.
Washington was the school that was finally able to pry Petersen away from Boise State after others had made their pitch only to be turned down by the coach. Petersen left behind his unprecedented success Boise State and inherited the Huskies program after the 2013 season when Steve Sarkisian left Washington for the job at USC.
Petersen led the Huskies to a 8-6 record and a spot in the Cactus Bowl in his first season on a roster filled with defensive talent but lacking offensively. With a young team this year, the Huskies (5-6) have been inconsistent and need a victory over rival Washington State on Friday to reach bowl eligibility. There have been bright spots with the development of two star freshmen — quarterback Jake Browning and running back Myles Gaskin — but also the mistakes that come with inexperience.
The Huskies have a chance at bowl eligibility thanks to last week’s 52-7 rout of Oregon State.
Petersen is 105-24 in his career as a head coach, including a 92-12 mark while at Boise State, and is a two-time Bear Bryant winner as national coach of the year.
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