re: UW Coaching Updates - Petersen Interviewing Tonight

Greg Biggins

Posted: Today 12:27 PM
Re: Peterson interested?


A week ago, I talked to a close friend of Petersen's who coached with him at BSU and still talks weekly with him. I asked specifically about the USC job when rumors swirled that he was a leading candidate for it.

He told me Petersen never gave it a serious look and had zero interest in it. Said Petersen is unlike any other coach out there in that he's so grounded, money means nothing to him nor does having the opportunity to coach in a BCS conference or compete for national titles every year. He makes 2 mil a year and said that's way more than he can ever spend and adding 5-6 mil a year doesn't do anything for him. He simply coaches because he loves it, not because he has this overwhelming desire to win a BCS title. He also said he has never been around a coach that despises doing interviews or media requests more than Petersen. He said the L.A limelight would drive him crazy.

At BSU, Petersen only does one media appearance a week, closes all practices and tries to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible. When I asked about the feeling that his window of opportunity could be closing at BSU to continue to win big and the USC job might be the last big opportunity he gets, he just laughed and said Petersen truly doesn't care about that at all. He loves what he does, his son is now in HS and the family loves living where they do. He said the only job he would leave for would be Stanford because culturally and socially, he could coach in the same kind of low key atmosphere without the glaring spotlight he despises. Just a FWIW
Greg Biggins
FoxSports/Scout.com
National Recruiting Analyst
twitter.com/gregbiggins