Marcel Yates’ connections to the current Washington coaching staff run deep.
Arizona’s first-year defensive coordinator worked under Huskies coach Chris Petersen when both were at Boise State. Yates worked with UW defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski at Boise State and Montana State. Several other Huskies coaches were on the same Broncos staffs as Yates.
Hard as it is, though, they have to cast aside their personal feelings for one another this week. They have a football game to win Saturday night.
“It’s always tough,” Yates said. “You root for those guys. I spent all those years with those guys. You know their families, you know their kids.
“But the competitive side of you wants to win the game. When you talk after the game, you want to be the guy that’s on top.”
Although the coaches know one another exceptionally well, it’s unlikely that familiarity will give either side an advantage. Petersen said Yates’ defense at Arizona looks “a lot different” from what he ran at Boise State. The Broncos defeated the Huskies in Week 1 last season.
“You evolve into what you have,” Yates said. “Our defense isn’t the same as what I ran against those guys. It’s different personnel. You have to look at what you have and do what you think is best for what suits you.”
Petersen was the head coach at Boise State from 2006-13, compiling a 92-12 record. Yates’ first stint as an assistant coach at his alma mater stretched from 2003-11.
