Washington State Hires Mike Leach as head coach

[Tridentdawgpound 1,043]

Following up on reports from earlier Wednesday, and confirming rumors that have swirled since the weekend, Washington State officially announced via a press release that they have hired Mike Leach as their new head football coach.

 

The release states that Leach has agreed in principle to a five-year contract and, while the financial figures were not divulged, a source close to Leach confirmed to CFT that it will be worth slightly north of $2 million annually. For comparison’s sake, Paul Wulff, who was fired Tuesday after four years at his alma mater, earned just over $600,000 in 2011.

 

Leach will be introduced at a 3 p.m. ET press conference Tuesday, Dec. 6.

 

“I asked athletic director Bill Moos to select the best head football coach in the country and I am convinced that he has done exactly that,” said WSU President Elson S. Floyd.

 

“This is an exciting day for Washington State University and Cougar football,” said athletic director Bill Moos. “I have spoken about the need to re-energize our fan base and take Cougar football to the next level. I believe the hiring of Mike Leach accomplishes both of those goals. His credentials speak for themselves.”

 

Those credentials include an 84-53 mark at Texas Tech from 200-09 on the field and one of the highest graduation rates in college football off of it. Leach was fired following the 2009 regular season due to an incident involving Red Raiders receiver Adam James, son of ESPN college football analyst Craig James, and a subsequent smear campaign reportedly engineered by the father.

 

A subsequent lawsuit filed by Leach against Texas Tech for wrongful termination likely played a significant role in Leach being out of the coaching game the past two seasons. While that suit is still winding its way through the legal system, Leach — along with every other college football fan in the nation — is clearly happy that he’s back where he belongs: on the sidelines.

 

“First off I would like to express my appreciation to Paul Wulff for all his efforts and dedication to Washington State and wish him the best in the future,” said Leach. “It’s an honor to have the opportunity to work with Bill Moos, who is a legend in this business. To have the opportunity as a coach to work with someone like that is an experience few head coaches get. Along with Bill and Dr. Floyd, I’m excited about being a part of the future of Washington State.

 

“I have always admired the tradition of Washington State. It’s a university on the move that is experiencing growth. I’m excited about what they are doing with the facilities and it’s a team that has battled through some hard times and shows great promise in the future. I’m proud to be a part of this team.”

 

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/11/30/wazzu-confirms-mike-leach-hiring/

 

This is great news. He's a great coach who was dealt a shit sandwich at Texas Tech. I wish him the best of luck at Wazzu.

[FartWaffles 1,857]

It's going to be interesting to see what he can do with this program. Obviously he won't be getting the same talent he got while with Texas Tech, but he is an offensive mastermind at the college level and I fully expect him to be successful at Washington State.

 

Great hire.

[KeVo 176]

Fits right in with the PAC 12. I look for him to have the same offensive success there, if given time, that he developed at Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Kentucky when he coached Tim Couch.

[Guest Phailadelphia]

Bet he wishes he'd waited another couple of days. Mike Leach + Texas A&M = got damn.

[KeVo 176]

Bet he wishes he'd waited another couple of days. Mike Leach + Texas A&M = got damn.

Now that would be something to see, especially with A&M coming to the SEC.