Prior to his tenure with Real Salt Lake, he was head coach of the New York Red Bulls, leading them to the Supporters' Shield in 2013.

Petke attended St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School in West Islip, New York,[1] where he was selected as an All-American, before moving on to play college soccer in Southern Connecticut State University.

In 1997, he was named New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Defensive Player of the Year and was a consensus NSCAA/Umbro First Team All-America selection.

Petke gained notoriety on August 20, 2000, four days after Tampa Bay Mutiny forward Mamadou Diallo broke the ribs of MetroStars goalkeeper Mike Ammann.

Petke, a three-time MLS All-Star, was traded to D.C. United with a draft pick and an allocation for Eddie Pope, Jaime Moreno, and Richie Williams.

[5] In the 2013 MLS season, Petke guided the Red Bulls to their first major trophy, clinching the Supporters' Shield with a final matchday 5–2 win over the Chicago Fire.

[6] Petke once again led the Red Bulls to relative success in the 2014 MLS season, as the team made the playoffs and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, losing there to the New England Revolution.

Just over three months later, on March 29, 2017, Petke was named the new head coach of the Monarchs' parent club, Real Salt Lake, replacing Jeff Cassar.