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University of Washington Huskies Football

Washington Huskies fire offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan

Washington offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bush Hamdan, left, stands on the field during warmups before an NCAA college football game against Colorado, Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, in Seattle. (Ted S. Warren / Associated Press)
Associated Press

SEATTLE – Washington fired offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan on Sunday following a season where the Huskies’ offense failed to match expectations.

It’s the first major move by new coach Jimmy Lake, and it came less than 24 hours after the Huskies closed out Chris Petersen’s tenure by routing Boise State 38-7 in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Washington also announced that tight ends coach Jordan Paopao also would not be retained. Paopao has been in that role since 2013.

“I’ve really enjoyed working alongside Bush and Jordan and appreciate their contributions to Husky football,” Lake said in a statement. “These decisions are extremely difficult, but I believe it’s in the best interest of our program to make these changes to align with the vision we have for our team moving forward. I wish them both nothing but the best.”

Hamdan arrived in 2018 after previous offensive coordinator Jonathan Smith took the head job at Oregon State. Hamdan became an easy critic for fans as Washington’s offense slumped following Smith’s departure and seemed to lack innovation.

This season, with Georgia transfer Jacob Eason at the helm, Washington had several games where its offense was the issue leading to losses, and play calling at times was a significant problem. Including the bowl game win, Washington averaged 32 points per game this season. Its average last season was 26.8. In 2016, when the Huskies reached the College Football Playoff, they averaged 41.8 points per game.

Hamdan was previously on Washington’s staff in 2015 and 2016 before leaving to be the quarterbacks coach with the Atlanta Falcons for the 2017 season.