Washington Huskies: Latest incident should be final strike against Jimmy Lake
Not just game management
Oregon came into Saturday’s game ranked fourth in the BCS poll. They are an excellent football team, and intentionally or not, antagonizing them is the wrong way to go.
Any hope the Ducks might get caught looking past UW went out the window when early in the week Lake said they recruit against “more academically prowess teams” than Oregon does. In effect, he slammed the school and said his players were more intelligent because that’s who he recruits.
Lake later backtracked, saying the media took his comment out of context. By then, the damage was done. He poked the bear, and the bear was even more focused on winning the game.
#Washington coach Jimmy Lake, asked today if #Oregon is a recruiting rival. Woo boy pic.twitter.com/7vHFQi96yp
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) November 1, 2021
Sticking with Donovan for as long as he did was wrong. Loyalty is admirable, but it was apparent from the first game that Washington’s offense didn’t work. A change in play-callers should have been made earlier.
Don’t forget about Saturday’s incident. It looked like Lake was trying to move Fuavai away, not hit him in the facemask. Even so, it was overly aggressive, and Lake himself said it reflected poor judgment on his part. Athletic Director Jen Cohen reviewed the video and suspended the head coach for a week without pay.
He’s taking his one-week punishment as he should. The players say they support him, but by drawing the suspension, his credibility is damaged.
Finally, the Huskies 2020 season was cut way short due to COVID-19. Washington won the North Division with a 3-1 season, but a breakout forced them out of the Pac-12 Championship Game. The disappointment is understandable. But announcing they wouldn’t accept a bowl invitation was wrong. The team deserved a reward for sticking it out through very difficult circumstances.