Two of the most respected names in Washington football history are headed to college football’s highest honor.
Former University of Washington head coach Chris Petersen and former Husky center Olin Kreutz have been selected for the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, with induction scheduled for Dec. 8 in Las Vegas.
“The University of Washington is proud to have two inductees in the 2026 NFF College Football Hall of Fame class,” said Pat Chun, UW Director of Athletics. “On behalf of all Huskies, we congratulate Olin Kreutz and Coach Chris Petersen, who represent excellence at every level of the game. From dominant performance and longevity to leadership, integrity, and lasting impact, their careers helped set the standard of excellence with Washington Football. We look forward to celebrating their inductions this year.”
“On behalf of Washington Football, we are incredibly proud of Olin Kreutz and Coach Petersen on this well-deserved honor,” said UW head coach Jedd Fisch. “Olin set the standard for the toughness and physicality that Washington football is built on. Coach Petersen is one of the best coaches of the modern era and led this program with elite standards, integrity, and consistent success. Congratulations to both on an outstanding achievement.”
Petersen’s Legacy: Elite Standards, Big Wins, Lasting Impact
Petersen’s coaching career is defined by two things: consistent winning and program culture.
Before arriving at Washington, Petersen built Boise State into a national powerhouse, compiling a 92–12 record across eight seasons (2006–2013). His 2006 team went 13–0 and capped the season with the legendary 43–42 Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma, a game still remembered as one of the sport’s all-time classics.
After the 2013 season, Petersen came to Seattle and quickly elevated Washington into a national contender again. In six seasons at UW (2014–2019), he posted a 55–26 record, went a perfect 6–0 in the Apple Cup, and delivered one of the most important stretches of Husky football in the modern era.
The high-water mark came in 2016, when Washington won the Pac-12 Championship, finished 12–2, and earned the program’s first-ever College Football Playoff berth, facing Alabama in the Peach Bowl semifinal. Petersen later led UW to another Pac-12 title in 2018, finishing that season with a trip to the Rose Bowl.
“The main reason I love college football is that it is truly the ultimate team game, “Petersen said. “If a team plays well, the head coaches tend to get a lot of credit, but there’s no chance they’re going to be successful unless they’re surrounded by great people and great places.
“That’s been the great blessing in my career – the journey I’ve had, the people I’ve come across, and the places I’ve been,” he continued. “This is the ultimate team award for all those great administrators, coaches and players at the University of Washington and Boise State University.”
“Congratulations to Chris, Barb and the entire Petersen family,” Chun added. “Coach Pete continues to have a profound and lasting impact on the University of Washington and the sport of college football. He is simply an extraordinary coach, leader and person. We look forward to celebrating his induction this year.”
Petersen retired following the 2019 regular season and finished his Washington tenure with a bowl win over Boise State in the 2019 Las Vegas Bowl. Across his full head coaching career, Petersen’s record stands as one of the best of his era.
Kreutz: The Standard for Toughness in the Trenches
If Petersen represents Washington’s modern-era culture builder, Olin Kreutz represents the traditional backbone of Husky football: toughness, leadership, and physical dominance up front.
Kreutz arrived at UW from Saint Louis High in Honolulu, Hawai’i, where he was also a state wrestling champion. He made an immediate impact in Seattle, earning a letter as a true freshman on the 1995 team and winning the program’s Travis Spring Outstanding Freshman Award.
He then started every game at center in 1996 and 1997, earning first-team All-Pac-10 honors in both seasons. In 1997, Kreutz reached rare air: consensus first-team All-American, winner of the Morris Trophy as the Pac-10’s top offensive lineman, and recipient of UW’s Guy Flaherty Most Inspirational Award, one of the program’s most prestigious team honors.
Following the 1997 season, Kreutz entered the NFL Draft and was selected by the Chicago Bears in the third round in 1998. What followed was a long, decorated pro career: 13 seasons as the Bears’ starting center, six Pro Bowls, and multiple first-team All-Pro selections. He later played briefly for the New Orleans Saints before retiring, and he remains one of the most respected linemen of his generation.
“Being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame is an honor I could have never imagined growing up in Hawai’i. I carry Hawai’i with me in everything I do,.” Kreutz said. “Washington laid the foundation and shaped me as a player and a person. Being recognized alongside Coach Petersen, representing Washington, makes it that much more special. Thank you to my coaches, teammates, family and everyone who supported me along the way.”
“”Olin Kreutz represents the very best of Washington football,” Chun said. “His time as a Husky set the standard for toughness, preparation, and leadership in this program. Olin’s legacy is not just measured by awards or longevity, but by the respect he earned from teammates and coaches. We congratulate Olin, Wendi, and the Kreutz Family on this much-deserved honor.”
What It Means for Washington Football
Washington has always been a program built on elite coaching and dominant line play, and this Hall of Fame announcement hits both pillars at once.
Petersen’s induction is a national validation of what Husky fans already know: his era wasn’t just successful—it was built with a level of discipline, integrity, and consistency that set the bar for the entire program.
Kreutz’s induction reminds everyone that Washington’s identity has long been forged in the trenches, where the best Huskies didn’t just win matchups—they imposed their will.
For Husky fans, it’s a proud moment—two different eras, two different roles, and one shared result: Washington excellence recognized on college football’s biggest stage.
