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Washington fired coach Jimmy Lake on Sunday, less than two years after he was chosen to succeed Chris Petersen.
Lake's departure consummated a stunning fall with a team that was ranked in the AP Top 25 and fell to painful defeats that sparked fan anger.
Athletics director Jen Cohen said she will pay the $9 million stipulated by the of Lake's contract.
"No one wanted Jimmy to succeed more than I did when I hired him in 2019, but ultimately, this change is necessary for a variety of reasons, both on and off the field," Cohen said in a statement.
This change is necessary for a variety of reasons
What were the reasons?
Lake was suspended without pay for Saturday's 35-30 loss to Arizona State after groping and shoving one of his players the previous week against Oregon.
The incident generated more pressure on Lake as the Huskies decided to punish him.
Including Saturday's game, the Huskies went 7-6 under Lake.
Defensive coordinator Bob Gregory will serve as interim coach for the remaining two games, including the Apple Cup rivalry against Washington State.
Lake's head coaching tenure end with a 7-7 record (including Saturday's game he was suspended for) and no Apple Cup appearance, as the 2020 rivalry game was cancelled due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Washington State program.