Washington hires Kalen DeBoer from Fresno State: Huskies nab coach with championship pedigree to lead program

Washington has hired Kalen DeBoer of Fresno State as its next head coach, the school announced Monday. DeBoer led the Bulldogs to a 12-6 record in two seasons with the show. He replaces Jimmy Lake, who was fired from Washington shortly before the end of the second season.

“My family and I are grateful for the opportunity to lead a program of such magnitude and be part of this prestigious organization,” DeBoer said in a statement. Throughout this process, UW is committed to competing at the highest level. This is the perfect choice for me and I want to thank Jen Cohen and Chairman Cauce for their trust. We couldn’t be more excited to get to Seattle and get to work. “

At DeBoer, Washington has one of the more attractive prospects in the coaching market. He was appointed head coach at NAIA Sioux Falls in 2005 and led the program to three national championships and a 67-3 record. DeBoer then worked his way up the ranks through Southern Illinois, Eastern Michigan and as a Fresno State offensive coordinator before taking a job as a Power Five coordinator in Indiana.

During DeBoer’s two years as offensive coordinator under former Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford, the Bulldogs improved from 1-11 to 22-6 aggregate. He helped Tom Allen lift the Hoosiers from 5-7 to 8-5 before returning to Fresno State as head coach. In short, he won everywhere he coached.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Kalen and his wonderful family to the University of Washington,” said Washington AD Jennifer Cohen. “We set out to find the best fit for Husky football and we found an individual who epitomizes all that this program stands for. Kalen is winner and champion, clear and simple. He’s been successful at every stop because he does it the right way and is committed to building a culture of Husky student-footballer excellence. with our faculty, university, and community will make all of the Husky Nation proud.”

Now, DeBoer’s winning pedigree will be tested as he takes over a situation in Washington that has bottomed out two years after legendary head coach Chris Petersen retired. Lake led Washington to a 3-1 record on his pandemic-shortened debut but went all the way to 4-5 before being fired after a strange mess with a player on the sidelines during the loss to Oregon. . The Huskies finished 4-8, their worst record since Tyrone Willingham led the show with a winless campaign in 2008.

Fresno State won 9-3 in 2021, including a dramatic 40-37 win over UCLA. Washington transfer central defender Jake Haener was a superb center back for the Bulldogs, throwing 3,810 yards and 32 touchdowns under DeBoer’s tutelage.