Seven hundred days after being fired by Texas Tech, the quirky Mike Leach is a head coach again. Leach was hired Wednesday afternoon by Washington State and will lead the Cougars in 2012.
While this technically isn’t Canes-related news, the fact that a portion of Miami’s fan base has spent the past few years clamoring for The Pirate to lead ‘The U’ back to prominence, makes it Cane-worthy.
Some took it a step further, chastising president Donna Shalala and then-athletic director Kirby Hocutt for passing on Leach, implying that Miami’s top brass was clueless and that others, if given the opportunity, would’ve lured Leach up from Key West and given him the keys to their program.
For those playing this game and keeping score, a list of schools that passed on Leach the past two years:
Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas State, Ball State, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Colorado, Connecticut, East Carolina, Florida, Florida Atlantic, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Kent State, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisville, Marshall, Maryland, Memphis, Miami, Miami (OH), Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, Notre Dame, North Texas, Northern Illinois, Ohio State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, San Diego State, South Florida, Southern Cal, Stanford, Temple, Tennessee, Toledo, Tulsa, UCLA, UNLV, Vanderbilt, Virginia, West Virginia and Western Kentucky.
Who took a chance with Leach today? Washington State, the Temple of the Pac-12 and a bottom dweller that went 9-40 over the past few seasons under Paul Wulff.
Translation? Just about anyone was a step up from the last guy.
The Cougars could afford to take a chance on Leach. A major program could not. Here’s hoping he gets it done in Pullman … and here’s also hoping that those in the Miami camp screaming “Hire Leach” finally see the light as to why ‘The U’ was one in dozens of schools in the nation that passed on him. – C.B.
I hope he does very well there and ends up wreaking having in the Pac-12, a truly sorry conference compared to the Big 10, the SEC or maybe even the ACC. In fact, I’m not sure there’s a better conference for him to start over in. There are plenty of weaklings to beat up on with his dizzying schemes.
Being a native Texan and having lived in the Texas Panhandle for decades, I can tell you that it was Mike Leach that made Tech relevant, and his leaving cut that program’s heart out. They were a perennial doormat before his arrival but the unconventional game plan he brought with him ruined more than one season for the Longhorns, Aggies and Sooners.
Sure his schemes were as bizarre as he was, but going to a school that doesn’t have the cool, attractive environs that Austin and College Station offer or the big $$$$$ that UT and A&M have forced him to do something to compete. And he did.
I hope he does the same in The Evergreen State and makes WSU relevant again, if for no other reason than to prove what a mistake it was for Tech to dump him. Yeah, he’d of been a rotten fit at The U, but some coaches and schools just go together like parrots and swashbucklers, and Tech and Leach were made for each other. The new guy certainly hasn’t impressed anyone.
I think time has shown he was the best coach Tech ever had, but the frosting on the cake will be if Texas Tech has the stones to schedule a game against the Cougars and settle it on the field. I doubt they will, but I hope so.
Good luck, Pirate man! I hope you pillage the Pac-12 and wreck a few seasons for some Trojans, Bruins, Golden Bears, Ducks, Beavers, Buffaloes, Huskies, Wildcats and Sun Devils! And may you find your buried treasure on the field of the Rose Bowl!
Arrrggghhh!
Texas Raider, you nailed it with this: Sure his schemes were as bizarre as he was, but going to a school that doesn’t have the cool, attractive environs that Austin and College Station offer or the big $$$$$ that UT and A&M have forced him to do something to compete. And he did.
Leach’s schtick isn’t going to work at a big time, big money school with high expectations, orthodox ways, a rigid administration and as CEO where he has to run the show, cater to boosters and play the game. Leach is tailor made to be a big fish in a little pond. Not the other way around. Austin. Gainesville. Columbus. He’d get run out of town in two seasons whereas Lubbock and Pullman will be thrilled to welcome him. Good for Mike. Wish him well.
You’re right the PAC teams are score crazy, which fits his world view perfectly. Who needs a defense when you have a nut ball scheme that can hang 41 points up regularly? If nothing else, and I do hope he gets a Rose Bowl birth someday, the games will be enjoyable as Hell, as I think we’ll regularly see games with 80+ point over/unders. And Heaven knows that boring West Coast conference could use some personality, and Leach will definitely bring that!
WHERE’S CANESINCEDAY1 ?? HOW DID WE LET THIS GUY GET AWAY ?? NOW LOOK !! WASHINGTON STATE WAS THE ONLY SCHOOL NOT SCARED TO MAKE THE RIGHT CALL. THE U AND EVERYONE ELSE REALLY BLEW IT !! 2 TO 3 YEARS, THAT’S ALL IT WILL TAKE. JUST LIKE KIRK HERBSTRIET SAID ABOUT OHIO STATE. 2 TO 3 YEARS. THEY’LL BE ALTERNATING NC’S WHILE EVERYONE ELSE SITS BACK AND WATCHES AND SUBURBAN MEYER WILL DO IT WHILE PUTTING FAMILY FIRST (HE PROMISED HIS KIDS). THERE’S NOTHING ANYONE CAN DO. IF THE U IS GOING TO BE ON PROBATION, THIS WILL BE THE BEST TIME, BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH THESE POWERHOUSE PROGRAMS, NOR WILL ANYONE ELSE !!
… yup, four dozen other schools were wrong and the brilliant folks at Washington State — the ones who employed a coach the past four years who went 9-40 — THEY know what they’re doing and everyone else is wrong.
You do know I was kidding, right?
Willis, now that you say it, but with so many that drank the Leach Kool-Aid I have a hard time keeping track. Respect.
Congrats to WSU for having the balls to pull the trigger. Years from now when they are celebrating a Rose Bowl title they will be happy.
… two Rose Bowl berths since 1931 for Washington State. It’ll take more than Leach’s high-flying offense to get that program a Rose Bowl berth. Plus, how will he fare against Pac-12 teams that put up a shit-ton of points?
Either way, dude wasn’t a fit at Miami – or the other four dozen schools that didn’t ring him up.
Doesn’t really take “balls” to pull the trigger when you’re 9-40 the past four seasons. Anybody would’ve been an upgrade from Wulff.
ADMIN……YOUR JEALOUS??? LMAO
… jealous that you can’t spell, are in love with a Pirate and that Miami landed Golden, re-upped him and passed on a guy four dozen other schools snubbed, too? Nah, I’m just fine.
Here’s a link for you so you can aim northwest and set sail with Captain Mike.
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Pullman_WA?source=web
I am very happy for the pirate!
Mike Leach is a heck of a coach he is an innovator of offensive scheme and he has a great grasp of team discipline. I read his book and he makes a heck of a point of the following: Texas Tech was pissed about having to pay Leach so much money and certain members of their administration still felt as if they were bent over a barrel during the negotiation process. Also ESPN had no choice but to stand by Craig James after he and his son tried to use a youtube.com video to smear Leach. As of right now Tech is looking forward to having to settle big money settlement to clear Leach’s name.
Great piece, CB. I think Mike Leach is a good coach, but never saw him as a fit at Miami and am amazed that so many of our fans are as ignorant as they are, believing that he was ever UM material.
Great offense, wild personality, no defense and not exactly the face of a big program. He’s a second tier kind of guy and while he might find some success at WSU (like you said, nine wins in four years shouldn’t be hard to top), there is a reason that bigger programs shied away. You are not going to invest a boat load of cash into this guy if you are Miami or Tennessee or even Maryland (though the Randy Edsall hire wasn’t much better.)
Washington State could easily roll the dice on a hire like this in a way that bigger schools couldn’t. It’s as simple as that. The city of Miami would’ve swallowed Leach whole and all those fans who complained that Randy was bad with the media and boosters, Leach would’ve been in the same camp.
Mike is a different bird. Good guy. Great offensive mind. Not a head coach at a major university, though. There’s a reason he was in west Texas and is not going deep into the pacific northwest.
COUGARS MAKE GOOD HIRE!!!!!!! PROUD OF THEM FOR NOT PLAYING POLITICS!!!