Update >> Lake has officially been fired and a search for the next leader of the program will begin immediately.
Here's an excerpt from the school's release.
"Making a head coaching change in any sport is difficult, recognizing that the decision impacts coaches, staff, student-athletes and their families," said Cohen. "However, as the steward of UW Athletics, I must always act in the best interests of our student-athletes, our department and our university. No one wanted Jimmy to succeed more than I when I hired him in 2019, but ultimately, this change is necessary for a variety of reasons, both on the field and off. I am grateful for Jimmy's service to Washington, and we wish him the very best of luck moving forward."
Washington is expected to fire Jimmy Lake, Pete Thamel reported Sunday. Sources confirm to FootballScoop this is happening today. Bob Gregory is expected to remain on as interim head coach.
Lake was suspended for the Huskies' 35-30 loss to Arizona State on Saturday night after he was suspended for striking a Washington player during the club's loss to Oregon last week.
That suspension means the last image of the swift and disappointing Lake era will be of him making contact with one of his own players during a nationally televised game.
Lake will be paid his contractually-obligated buyout, according to the report, subject to an offset from his next job. That figure is close to $10 million.
Sources: Washington is expected to fire coach Jimmy Lake today. The school will not fire him for cause and plans to pay out the remainder of his buyout, which is subject to offset.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 14, 2021
Lake will exit Washington with just a 7-6 record. Washington won the Pac-12 North with a 3-1 mark last season, although they did not play for the Pac-12 championship or in a bowl game. This year's team went 4-5 under his direction, including a loss to Montana to open the season.
Jimmy Lake’s Washington tenure was so brief and so weird that he never coached in an Apple Cup.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) November 14, 2021
Lake was with the program continuously since 2014 and was essentially Chris Petersen's hand-picked successor after working at his side for eight seasons and as his sole defensive coordinator for two.
With the move, Washington becomes the 10th FBS school to make a head coaching change during the 2021 season. U-Dub will be the third Pac-12 school among that group, joining USC and Washington State.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.