Chris Petersen Speaks Out About His Reason For Retiring

Leadership is a funny thing. We all have different ideas of what it takes to be a leader. Some picture a punitive figure that drives a team by orders and commands. Others look for servant leaders--who lead by example and carry just as much, if not more weight, than their team members. Spend enough time working jobs or playing sports and you will experience all types of leadership. Truly, there is nothing worse than being under someone who doesn't understand what leadership is.  Have you worked someplace like this? Where there is minimal communication, expectations that are never shared, a looming fear of what is next by everyone on the team, and more than anything-- a LACK of awareness by the leader. These types of situations are toxic--they're the worst--but sometimes you meet or see someone of the opposite mindset. Someone like Chris Petersen or "Coach Pete" as our town so lovingly knows him.

Coach Pete not only got a football team and an entire university to "buy in"--but he got an entire community and fanbase to "buy in", too. In what world does a successful football coach LEAVE a team that loved him or her so much, and STILL have fans following them to the next stop?  Coach Pete had that effect on our city. After he left us here in Boise for the University of Washington, it seemed that every Boise State fan became a Huskie fan--as long as the teams weren't playing one another. That's the kind of leadership Coach Pete exemplifies.

Football fans everywhere were shocked and heartbroken to hear about Coach Pete retiring from coaching all together. How can someone so successful just "leave it all behind" when the future is so bright still? Perhaps he, as a leader, was just that self-aware--that selfless.

In a recent interview that has all of the Treasure Valley talking, Coach Pete opens up about his success at Boise State, his time at the University of Washington, and his decision to retire.

You have to check out the interview for yourself, but the anecdote flying around Twitter is pretty inspiring. Coach Pete talks about how one page of book is what flipped that light switch for him-- he needed to be selfless and make a decision best for him and the program he was ahead of.

You can check out the snippet, above. There's also a link in that tweet that can take you to the full interview.

By the way, the book that Coach Pete references comes with great reviews. I ordered it myself--and you can do the same HERE.