Bruce Feldman breaks down Washington coaching search, lists eight names to watch

The 2021 coaching carousel is spinning quickly with less than two weeks left in the college football season. There are eight candidates to watch, according to Bruce Feldman, to fill the newly-open head coaching role at the University of Washington. The team parted ways with Jimmy Lake on Sunday.

The Huskies are competing with several other programs that are also already on the hunt for new talent to lead their team. LSU, USC, TCU and Washington State could all be after similar candidates. However, the Huskies can get away with a more up-and-coming type, while LSU and USC really need to wow.

Here’s a look at the top candidates to take over for Jimmy Lake at Washington:

Kalani Sitake, BYU head coach

While coaching at his alma mater BYU, Kalani Sitake amassed a 19-3 record since the start of the 2020 season. The 46-year-old, Polynesian, former fullback is uniquely positioned to fit in with the Washington Huskies. Familiar with the recruiting territories and he’s 4-0 versus the Pac-12 this season. Sitake signed an extension this summer with BYU that keeps him there until 2025.

Jay Norvell, Nevada head coach

Nevada head coach Jay Norvell has led the Wolf Pack to three bowl games and they’re eligible again this season with a 7-3 record. Norvell has beat two other coaches on this shortlist this season and lost to another.

Kalen DeBoer, Fresno State head coach

Fresno State head coach Kalen DeBoer is 78-9 as a head coach, even if that record includes four years at Sioux Falls. DeBoer is coaching one of the top quarterbacks in the country in Jake Haener.

Justin Wilcox, Cal head coach

Cal head coach Justin Wilcox’s name has come up often since troubles started between Washington and Jimmy Lake. The 44-year-old head coach was the defensive coordinator at Washington from 2012 to 2013. However, the Cal Golden Bears are currently dealing with drama of their own over a COVID-19 outbreak.

Jeff Choate, Texas inside linebackers coach/co-defensive coordinator

Jeff Choate may coach in Texas now but he has a long history of coaching on the West Coast. The former Montana State Bobcats head coach was a linebackers coach at Washington State in 2012 and 2013. He also coached at Boise State and Washington for multiple years in the last two decades.

Joe Moorhead, Oregon offensive coordinator

Oregon offensive coordinator and former Mississippi State head coach Joe Moorhead is going to be on everyone’s shortlist during this coaching search cycle. The Ducks have a top-25 scoring offense, led by their No. 10 rushing game.

Brent Brennan, San Jose State head coach

San Jose State head coach Brent Brennan has the Spartans sitting with a 12-7 over the last two years. Brennan has spent his whole career on the West coast and knows all the major players for recruiting.

Chip Kelly, UCLA head coach

Bruce Feldman lists UCLA head coach Chip Kelly as his wildcard candidate for Washington. The Bruins are 6-4 on the year but sitting in third place in the Pac-12 South. Feldman says Kelly is in an “awkward” situation with the Bruins.

Huskies part ways with Jimmy Lake

Washington relieved Jimmy Lake of his duties in less than two full seasons. He had mediocre on-field results, a sideline incident with one of his players, and off-the-field media distractions. During the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Lake led the Huskies to a 7-6 record overall. 

Assistant coach Bob Gregory is serving as the interim head coach for the remainder of the 2021 college football season. This year was the first year for Gregory as the team’s new defensive coordinator. Previously, he’d had 15 years of experience as a defensive coordinator at a variety of schools across the country.

More details came out over the weekend about why he was fired from Brett McMurphy. A source told him that Lake “had to go” despite being the head coach for less than two full seasons.

“The recruiting was worst it’s ever been,” the source told McMurphy. “We were fearing we’d revert back to the (Ty) Willingham days. He had very few allies here.”

The Huskies’ 2022 recruiting class is currently No. 31 in the country, according to the On3 Team Recruiting Rankings. The class has just nine members.