Examining Chris Petersen's Legacy at Washington: On the Dawgfather’s List

Over the next week Husky Maven/Sports Illustrated's Mike Martin will look at Chris Petersen’s legacy at the University of Washington. Part 1 shows how close Chris Petersen was to becoming a Husky assistant coach in the early 1990s. Petersen caught the eye of Don James.

At the Chow Down to Washington event in March 2014 at the Dawg Days in the Desert dinner, a room packed with Washington alumni members and friends listened intently to newly hired football coach Chris Petersen describe how he was going to help the players in their private lives. 

Petersen spoke little about how he was going to take Husky football back to the top. He talked more about how he was going to look after the players as he would his own children and create a family atmosphere in the program. 

Sitting in the back of the room was Carol James. She noticed how Petersen's words echoed those of her late husband and former Washington coach Don James.   

Petersen said he would create a family atmosphere, push education, and prepare them for life after football.

“Don always said, ‘I have the kids for four years but I want to prepare them for the 40 years after football,” Carol James said. 

Petersen's words that day moved her to move through the crowd and go up and give the new UW coach a hug without saying a word.   

"He was probably wondering, 'Who is this lady giving me a hug?' '" she said, laughing. "I introduced myself to him and welcomed him to the Husky family." 

But she didn't need to introduce herself to him. 

Petersen was one of those young position coaches looking to rise through the ranks, and he'd been noticed by the UW legend.  

"When Don was coaching, he was always looking for bright up-and-coming coaches,” she said. “In his filing cabinet, he had a list of five names of coaches that he felt would fit in well at Washington.” 

At the top of the list was a young Chris Petersen.

He was the receivers coach at the University of California Davis when he caught James' eye in early 1990s. After a year in Pittsburgh, Petersen returned to the West Coast, joining Portland State as its quarterbacks coach. 

“Don followed Chris’ rise through the coaching ranks,” Carol James said. “He always thought very highly of the type of program he ran at Boise State.” 

Don James passed away on Oct. 20, 2013, a month and a half before Steve Sarkisian stepped down as UW coach and Petersen was hired as the replacement. 

Had her husband been asked, Carol James said, he would have recommended Chris Petersen for the Huskies job.