Report: Washington Huskies extend Chris Petersen’s contract through 2023

Washington Huskies head coach Chris Petersen will remain in the Evergreen State until the next decade.

Good news for the 2016 Pac-12 champions and third-year head coach Chris Petersen as both have mutually agreed on an extension, according to Sports Illustrated’s Pete Thamel. The talks arose late Monday night via Thamel, in which discussed the terms. As the contract progresses, Petersen is scheduled to reel in almost $4 million per year once he previous deal dissolves. After that, the California native’s annual paycheck will increase another $1 million.

With this news about Petersen’s pay increase, it also bumps him up on the highest paid list. In terms of Pac-12 college football head coaches, Petersen now outranks Stanford’s David Shaw. According to numbers from last year, Shaw’s salary topped $4 million. Shaw, as some know it, has single-handedly turned the program around, averaging 11 wins over six seasons. Like those at Stanford, the University of Washington hopes that much from Chris Petersen over the next six years.

Since beginning his life as a Division I football coach, Chris Petersen would become well-acquainted with winning. Throughout a majority of his years taking the helm at Boise State, Petersen would lead the Broncos to seven postseasons (5-2 record). It wouldn’t be until his last year that Petersen would “derail” as a head coach. That season, the Broncos would finish with an 8-4 record, losses to Fresno State and San Diego State and would not be bowl eligible.

Bryan Harsin would eventually replace Petersen at Boise State, who went 12-2 the next season without him. That wouldn’t hurt his feelings, since he would have to worry about a new agenda in Seattle. Steve Sarkisian would start to lose his grip on the Huskies, though that grip would always be non-existent. Over the span of five years, Sarkisian wouldn’t make any contributions to the program, going 36-29 with a 2-2 record in bowl games.

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But Washington’s past doesn’t matter now that it’s in the capable hands of Chris Petersen. He may have struggled in his first two years, but that, too, is in the rearview mirror. It would take Petersen and the Huskies 10 weeks before being handed their first loss to a pesky Southern Cal roster.And although Washington lost at the mercy of Alabama at the Peach Bowl, the Petersen extension is still a sweet and savory victory.