The University of Washington football team will make its 38th bowl game appearance Dec. 30, when the Huskies take on Penn State in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz.
The Huskies (10-2) were ranked No. 11 in the final College Football Playoff rankings while the Nittany Lions (10-2) were No. 9.
The game, which kicks off at 1:00 p.m. PT and takes place at University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, will air on ESPN television. The invitation marks the UW’s first-ever trip to the Fiesta Bowl game and the Huskies’ third-ever meeting against Penn State, the first since they met in the 1983 Aloha Bowl.
The Huskies have earned a bowl berth for an eighth consecutive season. Among Pac-12 programs, only Stanford can claim a longer active streak than that. The berth is also the eighth consecutive different bowl to which the Huskies have been invited, with no repeats over that eight-season span.
BUSH HAMDAN HIRING
The Huskies also announced the hiring of Bush Hamdan as the teams new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Hamdan was on the Huskies coaching staff in 2015 and 2016.
Hamdan, is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Atlanta Falcons and will return to Seattle once the Falcons’ season comes to an end. Hamdan spent the 2017 season coaching the Falcon’s Matt Ryan, one of the NFL’s top QBs.
“I’m very excited that Bush is coming back to join our staff,” Petersen said. “He’s part of the family, and he’s going to do an outstanding job for us.”
Hamdan served as the Huskies’ wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator in 2016, during which the UW broke numerous offensive records and wideout John Ross III earned All-America honors, catching 81 passes for 1,150 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also coached Dante Pettis, who scored 15 receiving TDs in 2016, making he and Ross the most prolific scoring receiver duo in Pac-12 history.
A two-time former offensive coordinator, Hamdan’s résumé includes a wide variety of successful experiences over a relatively short period of time.
Hamdan originally joined the Husky staff prior to the start of the 2015 season as an offensive quality control assistant, reuniting him with Petersen, his former college coach.
Hamdan spent the 2014 season as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Davidson, where he coached starting QB J.P. Douglast to a 66-percent completion percentage and a 130.41 pass efficiency rating. Wide receiver William Morris caught 98 passes for 1,224 yards, a Davidson record. The Wildcats had five players earn postseason honors from the Pioneer Football League, including running back Jeffrey Keil, the offensive freshman of the year.
In 2014, Davidson increased its scoring average nearly 10 points from the previous year and its total offense average by 40 yards per game.
Prior to his time at Davidson, he held the title of co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arkansas State, helping to lead the Red Wolves to the 2013 Sun Belt championship and a berth in the GoDaddy.com Bowl, a 23-20 win over Ball State.
In 2012, Hamdan helped coach Florida to an 11-2 record and a berth in the Sugar Bowl as the Gators’ wide receivers coach. He was promoted to the position by Gators head coach Will Muschamp just prior to the start of the season and coached four players who have played in the NFL – Frankie Hammond (Chiefs); Solomon Patton (Buccaneers, Cardinals and Broncos); Andre Debose (Raiders); and Quinton Dunbar (Redskins).
Prior to his time in Gainesville, Hamdam coached tight ends at Sacramento State in 2011 and was an offensive intern at Maryland in 2010. During his season with the Hornets, he was part of an historic upset of Oregon State in the season opener.
At Maryland, he worked with freshman quarterback Danny O’Brien, who broke nearly every freshman passing record at Maryland, earning ACC Rookie of the Year honors. Hamdan was part of a Ralph Friedgen staff that made one of the biggest turnarounds in recent college history, posting a 9-4 record after having gone 2-10 in 2009.
Friedgen promoted Hamdan to quarterbacks coach for the 2010 Military Bowl (a win over East Carolina) after James Franklin left to take the head coaching job at Vanderbilt.
Hamdan began his coaching career as a student assistant at Colorado in 2009, where he worked with offensive coordinator Erik Kiesau, who went on to serve in the same role at Washington.
Hamdan played quarterback at Boise State, earning three varsity letters in 2006, 2007 and 2008. He won the Bronco Excellence Award following his senior season. His last three seasons, all played under Petersen, the Broncos posted a 35-4 overall record, including a perfect 13-0 mark and a win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl in 2006. He earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from Boise State in 2008 and received his master’s in athletic administration from Idaho State in 2009.
• 2017 – Atlanta Falcons – Quarterbacks
• 2016 – Washington – Wide Receivers/Pass Game Coordinator
• 2015 – Washington – Offensive Quality Control (promoted to WRs coach for bowl game)
• 2014 – Davidson – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
• 2013 – Arkansas State – Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
• 2012 – Florida – Wide Receivers
• 2011 – Sacramento State – Tight Ends
• 2010 – Maryland – Offensive Quality Control (promoted to QBs coach for bowl game)
• 2009 – Colorado – student assistant
