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Inside The Huskies

Former UW Football Coach Jimmy Lake Rejoins Rams

The one-time Huskies leader was fired for the second time in four seasons before resurfacing in L.A.
Dan Raley|
Jimmy Lake stands next to UW quarterback Patrick O'Brien (10) in 2021 as the Huskies celebrate a win over Arkansas State.
Jimmy Lake stands next to UW quarterback Patrick O'Brien (10) in 2021 as the Huskies celebrate a win over Arkansas State. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Jimmy Lake, after getting fired for the second time in four seasons, has retraced his steps to find another football coaching job.

No, he's not returning to the University of Washington, rather he's rejoining the Los Angeles Rams, where he worked in 2023.

Lake, 48, will become a senior defensive assistant for Sean McVay' staff after getting dismissed in January following one season as the Atlanta Falcons' defensive coordinator.

On Monday, the Rams announced six new coaching additions, a group that included Lake and former UW offensive-line coach Scott Huff.

Jimmy Lake lets the officiating crew know of his displeasure, which came during his last UW game against Oregon.
Jimmy Lake lets the officiating crew know of his displeasure, which came during his last UW game against Oregon. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

All of this comes, of course, after Lake was terminated as the Huskies head coach in 2021 after just 13 games in charge over two seasons -- the shortest UW football coaching stint since 1956, when Darrell Royal stayed just one season before leaving for Texas.

Lake's downfall in Montlake began with him angrily shoving a player during the UW-Oregon game in Seattle and having this moment captured for all to see on a national TV broadcast.

The Spokane product previously had been a UW secondary coach and defensive coordinator for six seasons for Chris Pertersen before hewas promoted to head coach once Petersen retired.

After taking a year off following his firing, Lake joined the Rams in 2023. He forged a relationship with then defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and accompanied him to Atlanta as his DC once Morris was hired as head coach.

However, their time in the southern city together ended abruptly after just one season when the Falcons finished 8-9 and had plenty of defensive issues.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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