At introductory press conference, Chris Petersen said the time was right for him to leave Boise State
Chris Petersen looked fondly on his time as Boise State's head coach, but said that it was time to move on from the team he led to a 92-12 record in eight seasons and become Washington's coach.
Petersen: "People keep asking me, 'Why now?' ... Timing and fit. It was just time. Every place has a shelf life. ... It was just time."
— Adam Jude (@A_Jude) December 9, 2013
Petersen was mentioned initially as a candidate for the USC head coaching job, but quickly withdrew his name. He said Monday at his introductory press conference that he was a "Northwest guy," another reason why Washington fit the bill as the place to go. Though we're sure that the $3.2 million guaranteed for next season is a big reason too.
Another reason the timing is right may have been the impending college football playoff. Not long ago, Boise State was maneuvering to become a football member of the Big East to play in a conference with a guaranteed BCS spot. But the Big East fell apart and became the American Athletic Conference and with the playoff, that automatic BCS bid is gone.
That makes it even tougher for a team like Boise State to not only run the table, but to run the table significantly enough for a claim at the national championship. At Washington, there are newly renovated facilities and the Rose Bowl.
But we'll always have this from the Chris Petersen Boise State era.
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is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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