Jimmy Lake - Football Coach - University of Washington Athletics

UC Davis

Sep 6 (Sat)

8:00 p.m. PT

Jimmy Lake

Title:
Defensive Backs Coach

When former Husky head coach Chris Petersen surprised the UW community by announcing that he would step down following the 2019 football season, there was no hesitation as to who best to replace him. In fact, it took nearly no time for Jimmy Lake to be offered the job.

On Dec. 2, 2019, the announcement was made of the change, with Lake taking over the program immediately following Washington's victory in the 2019 Las Vegas Bowl.

In his first season, a tumultuous fall during which the sports world was affected from top to bottom by the worldwide pandemic, the Huskies went 3-1 and won the Pac-12 North Division title. Four Huskies – two each on offense and defense – earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and the Huskies led the conference in total defense.

While Lake became head coach for the first time in 2020, you'd have been hard-pressed to find a better résumé for an new Husky head coach.

In his six prior seasons at Washington – two as defensive backs coach, two as co-defensive coordinator and the last two as defensive coordinator – Lake has earned a reputation as a teacher, recruiter and tactician, helping the UW become one of the strongest and most consistent defensive teams – and specifically one of the top secondaries – in the nation.

Year after year, the Huskies, who have five or more defensive backs on the field the majority of the time, play aggressive and precise defense and turn out highly-regarded professional prospects.

In 2019, his last as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach, Lake molded another strong unit despite the loss of nine defensive starters from the previous year. Starting as many as three true freshmen in the secondary, his unit limited opponents to 19.4 points per game. Elijah Molden earned second-team All-America and first-team All-Pac-12, while Myles Bryant was a second-team all-conference pick. Freshman DBs Trent McDuffie and Cameron Williams each earned Freshman All-America.

In 2018, his first year as the UW's defensive coordinator, Lake continued the Huskies' reign as the top defense in the Pac-12 Conference. For the fourth year in a row, Washington led the league in both scoring (15.5 points per game) and total (301.8 yards per game) defense. The Huskies were also second in the conference in rushing defense, passing yards defense and pass efficiency defense.

Washington produced four, first-team All-Pac-12 players on Lake's side of the ball: All-America defensive backs Taylor Rapp and Byron Murphy, All-America linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven and nose tackle Greg Gaines. Burr-Kirven was named the Pat Tillman Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year (second year in a row for the UW) as well as the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for football, while Gaines was the second Husky in a row to win the Morris Trophy, given to the best offensive and defensive linemen in the conference, as voted by opposing players.

Along with Rapp and Murphy, who both earned first-team All-America from at least one outlet each, Rapp also coached three other All-Pac-12 honorees. Bryant was a second-team selection, alongside Molden, who was honored as a special teams player. Senior safety Jojo McIntosh also earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 in 2018.

In 2017, the Huskies led the Pac-12 in both total defense (eighth nationally) and scoring defense (fifth nationally) and were the national leader in fewest yards allowed per completion (9.42), thanks largely to the defensive backs unit coached by Lake. Rapp earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors. Another Husky DB, Zeke Turner, went on to sign with the Arizona Cardinals following the 2017 college season, and earned a spot on the NFL All-Rookie team.

In 2016, Lake helped coach a Husky defense that once again topped all Pac-12 defenses as the Dawgs went 12-2 and earned a trip to the College Football Playoff. The Dawgs led the conference in both total defense (316.9 yards per game, 12th in the nation) and scoring defense (17.7 points per game, eighth) in the nation, while also leading all FBS schools in turnover margin (1.29 per game) and takeaways (33). Washington was also first in the conference in first downs allowed and third down conversion defense, while finishing second in red zone defense, rushing defense and sacks.

The UW secondary helped the Dawgs lead the conference and finish eighth in the country in interceptions. Budda Baker and Sidney Jones both earned first-team All-Pac-12 while Kevin King earned honorable mention. Baker, who earned a trip to the Pro Bowl as a rookie with the Arizona Cardinals in 2017, was a consensus All-America pick while Jones was a scout.com first-team All-America and a second-team selection from the Football Writers and Sports Illustrated. Additionally, Rapp was the Pac-12's defensive freshman of the year, the MVP of the Pac-12 Championship Game and a freshman All-America.

In 2015, the Husky defense led the Pac-12 in scoring defense, total defense and red-zone defense and finished second in both pass efficiency defense and rushing defense. Two Husky sophomores Baker and Jones, both earned first-team All-Pac-12. Jones led the conference in passes defended and was in the top five in interceptions, fumbles forced and fumbles recovered.

In his first season at the UW as a member of Petersen's 2014 staff, Lake took on the challenge of coaching a secondary that frequently included three true freshmen and a true sophomore in the four starting spots. In the end, he helped Baker earn freshman All-America honors while helping the UW to a No. 9 national ranking in turnover margin and a top-40 marking scoring defense.

Lake joined Petersen’s staff from Boise State where he was in charge of the secondary and was the defensive pass game coordinator in 2012 and 2013.

In 2013, the Broncos ranked second in the Mountain West in points allowed (24.8) and interceptions (16), third in total defense (413.4) and pass efficiency defense (129.7) and fourth in sacks (30). They also tied for the conference low allowing just 17 touchdown passes.

Lake mentored sophomore cornerback Donte Deayon, who earned 2013 second-team All-Conference honors after finishing second in the league with six interceptions and fourth with 15 passes defended.

In his debut season with the Broncos in 2012, Lake led a secondary that was fifth nationally in both pass defense (169.5) and pass efficiency defense (101.4). The team also ranked eighth nationally in scoring defense (15.8) and 12th nationally in total defense (315.6). The Broncos also picked off 18 passes to tie for the 12th-most nationally.

Three of his four starting defensive backs earned All-Mountain West honors following the season, including first-team selection Jamar Taylor at cornerback. Cornerback Jerrell Gavins was named second-team all-league, and safety Jeremy Ioane was honorable mention

Taylor went on to become the second-highest drafted cornerback in school history, taken in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft - No. 54 overall - by the Miami Dolphins.

Before joining Boise State, Lake worked in the National Football League. He spent 2010-11 as defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 2008 as DB coach for the Detroit Lions. He also served as the assistant defensive backs coach for Tampa Bay from 2006-07.

While with the Buccaneers, Lake's defensive backs finished seventh in the NFL in pass defense in 2012, a group that was anchored by five-time Pro Bowl selection Ronde Barber.

Prior to coaching in the professional ranks, Lake coached the secondary at Montana State in 2005. The Bobcats' defense finished the season ranked No. 1 in the Big Sky Conference, and his secondary allowed a conference-low 165.6 passing yards per game. Also on the Montana State staff in 2005 was UW defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski.

Lake spent one season coaching defensive backs at Washington in 2004 under Keith Gilbertson. That Huskies' secondary helped the team rank first in the Pacific-10 Conference and 17th-nationally in pass defense.

From 2000-03, Lake coached the secondary at his alma mater Eastern Washington.

Lake was honorable mention All-Big Sky as a strong safety and was also an academic all-conference selection. He graduated with a business administration degree in 2000.

Lake was born in Walnut Creek, Calif., but moved around as a child thanks to his father's service in the U.S. Air Force. He also lived in Turkey and the Philippines, among others, before completing high school in Spokane, Wash., at North Central High. He and wife, Michele, are the parents of three children: Jimmy, Jr., Faith and Bronson.

• 2020 – Washington – Head Coach
• 2018-2019 – Washington – Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs
• 2016-2017 – Washington – Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs
• 2014-2015 – Washington – Defensive Backs
• 2012-2013 – Boise State – Defensive Backs/Passing Game Coordinator
• 2010-2011 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Defensive Backs
• 2008 – Detroit Lions – Defensive Backs
• 2006-2007 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Assistant Defensive Backs Coach
• 2005 – Montana State – Secondary
• 2004 – Washington – Defensive Backs
• 2000-2003 – Eastern Washington – Secondary
• 1999 – Eastern Washington – Undergraduate Assistant