Offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan, TE coach Jordan Paopao out as UW announces changes
After Washington’s victory over Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl, new head coach Jimmy Lake said he would revisit the topic of staff changes in the coming days. As it turns out, he needed less than 24 hours.
On Sunday afternoon, UW announced that offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan and tight ends coach Jordan Paopao would not be retained for the 2020 season. Next year will be the first at helm for Lake, who took over after Chris Petersen coached his final game against the Broncos on Saturday.
“I’ve really enjoyed working alongside Bush and Jordan and appreciate their contributions to Husky football,” Lake said in a release. “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 was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the past two seasons under Petersen, and he served on the Huskies’ staff twice for a total of four seasons. He was the quality control coach in 2015 before being promoted to wide receivers coach/pass game coordinator in 2016. After spending a season as the quarterbacks coach for the Atlanta Falcons, Hamdan returned to serve as as UW’s offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach from 2018-19.
This season, UW ranked eighth in the Pac-12 in total offense (395.4 ypg), fifth in scoring offense (31.5 ppg), ninth in passing offense (245.1 ypg) and seventh in red-zone touchdown percentage (58.3%). In 2018 — Hamdan’s first as offensive coordinator — the Huskies were fifth in total offense (414.6 ypg), eighth in scoring offense (26.4 ppg), eighth in passing offense (238.4 ypg) and 10th in red-zone touchdown percentage (56.4%).
The Huskies started the season with the goal of fielding a more explosive offense but finished with just 24 plays of 30 yards or more. In three of their five losses, the Huskies scored fewer than 20 points.
Jacob Eason — the former Lake Stevens star and five-star recruit who transferred from Georgia — took over as UW’s starting quarterback this season. In Pac-12 play, he completed 169-of-284 passes for 2,021 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. In the next few days, Eason will decide whether to return to UW next season or declare for the 2020 NFL Draft.
“I know Coach Lake is going to do an outstanding job,” Eason said of the offense’s future after the Las Vegas Bowl. “We got a lot of guys coming back. We’re losing a few guys, but I know these young guys have started to make their mark this season, and they’re going to continue to do that next season. There’s a lot to look forward to at the University of Washington and it could be fun.”
Paopao originally was hired by the Huskies during the Steve Sarkisian era as a graduate assistant and was the only holdover from that staff when Petersen took over. He was promoted to his role as the tight ends coach in 2013.
Junior tight end Hunter Bryant, who recently declared for the NFL Draft and didn’t play in the Las Vegas Bowl, starred under Paopao. Bryant caught 52 passes for 825 yards and three touchdowns this season. Next year, the Huskies will return sophomore Cade Otton, who finished with 32 catches for 344 yards and two touchdowns. Four-star tight end Mark Redman and three-star tight end Mason West both signed with UW’s 14th-ranked 2020 recruiting class last week.
Paopao was coaching on a one-year contract this season while UW owes Hamdan about $800,000.
Lake will now set out to replace the newly opened spots. At his introductory press conference in early December, he was asked what he wanted his offense to look like.
“I know what I don’t like facing,” he said. “I know what creates problems. I know what’s easy from a defensive standpoint. And we’ll continue to research what will be the best style. But I do know this: It’s going to be physical, it’s going to be bruising, it’s going to be attacking and it’s going to be aggressive.”
This story was originally published December 22, 2019 at 12:20 PM.
