Football

Chuck Petersen is in beginning his fourth season with the Mean Green as safeties coach and recruiting coordinator. Petersen’s work in the defensive secondary helped the Mean Green to the top-ranked passing defense in the Sun Belt Conference in 2009.

The last two seasons, Petersen two different sets of safeties to breakout years in the Mean Green secondary.  Petersen mentored junior college transfer Kylie Hill and true freshman Darien Williams in 2008 and the two finished the season ranked third and fourth respectively on the team in total tackles, while in 2009, DaWaylon Cook and Ira Smith ranked second and fifth respectively on the team in total tackles.

In four years as a recruiting coordinator, Petersen has helped North Texas land some of the most talented classes in school history.  He was instrumental in the recruitment of the entire 2008 signing class, which was ranked by ESPN as one of the sixth-best in the Football Bowl Subdivision among non-BCS schools.  

Prior to North Texas, Petersen spent 17 years at Air Force. While with the Falcons, Petersen served as offensive coordinator for seven seasons and quarterbacks coach for 10 seasons. He also coached wide receivers from 1991-1996.  He was awarded the honor of assistant coach of the year for Division I in 2003 by the American Football Coaches Association, the highest honor that an assistant coach can earn.

While offensive coordinator, he oversaw the Falcons as they captured the school’s first national rushing title in 2002 while leading the conference in scoring.  As quarterbacks coach, Petersen helped mold some of the most successful quarterbacks the Air Force Academy has ever seen. Blane Morgan finished his career as Air Force’s winningest quarterback and was named 1998 WAC Mountain Division Offensive Player of the Year. Petersen guided Mike Thiessen to the same honor in 2000 as he set option-era records by throwing for 1,687 yards and 13 touchdowns. In 2002, it was Chance Harridge that became only the fifth Falcon to ever rush and pass for over 1,000 yards in a single season. Harridge set an NCAA record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 22.

A Fort Worth native, he attended Eastern Hills High School where he lettered in football and baseball.  Petersen and his wife Roya have two sons, Chase and Brady, and a daughter – Natalie.