Jimmy Lake's rapid descent at Washington will be discussed in coaching circles for years.
Head coaches can overcome bad coordinator hires, like the one Lake made on offense with John Donovan. They can live down foolish comments about their biggest out-of-state rival. But they can't appear to strike a player on the sideline during a game and then try to explain it as something else.
Washington fired Lake on Sunday, a week after he was suspended for smacking the facemask of walk-on linebacker Ruperake Fuavai, who was barking at an Oregon player near the Huskies sideline during a Nov. 6 game at Husky Stadium. Lake told reporters he merely attempted to separate the players, but the video appeared to show otherwise and, after a week, Washington moved to make a stunning change.
The transition from Chris Petersen to Lake, Washington's dynamic and successful defensive coordinator, made complete sense after the 2019 season. Lake was on the radar for other head-coaching jobs and had upgraded the program's talent level, producing several NFL draft picks on defense. Lake went 3-1 during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and Washington entered this season ranked No. 20 in the AP poll.
But the Huskies opened with a 13-7 loss to FCS Montana, the team's first defeat by the Grizzlies since 1920. Washington's offensive woes continued in a loss to Michigan and the team never really got on track despite four wins. Recruiting has also dipped significantly, a surprise given Lake's prior success on the trail as an assistant. The Huskies are currently outside ESPN's list of top-40 recruiting classes.
Still, no one expected a change in Seattle this year.
The Washington job remains one of the best on the West Coast, boasting a great location, beautiful facilities, strong fan support and long-term tradition. While Oregon undoubtedly has lapped the Huskies on the field, winning 15 of the teams' past 17 meetings, Washington can probably catch up with the right hire. Athletic director Jen Cohen has been in her role since 2016 and has been at Washington for 23 years.
Washington is likely to focus its search on those with previous head-coaching experience and backgrounds on offense. An interesting subplot is the potential for candidate crossover with in-state rival Washington State, which also is conducting an unexpected coaching search.
Here's a look at who Washington could consider to replace Lake.