Washington fired head coach Jimmy Lake before the end of his second season at the football program’s helm, Yahoo Sports and The Athletic reported Sunday.
Lake was suspended for one game after a sideline altercation with one of his players, Ruperake Fuavai, on Nov. 6. That game, a 26-16 loss to then-No. 4 Oregon, turned out to be Lake’s last game in charge of the program.
Reports said Lake was terminated without cause and Washington therefore owes him a $9.9 million buyout.
Lake appeared to strike Fuavai in his facemask as a scrum between Washington and Oregon players was subsiding. Lake also was seen on the national television broadcast pushing Fuavai.
“I didn’t strike him. I separated him,” Lake said after the game, but he later posted an apology to social media.
Washington athletic director Jen Cohen said the university investigated the incident and determined that Lake’s actions weren’t “intentional or deliberate,” but still thought his conduct required a suspension.
Lake was a defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator for six seasons at Washington before being elevated to head coach before the 2020 season. The Huskies went 7-6 under Lake, including 4-5 this season (not counting Saturday’s loss to Arizona State, when Lake was suspended).
–Field Level Media
