Wazzu just landed a coach that took a Big 12 program to 10 straight bowl games, went 84-43, earned national coach of the year honors in 2008 and is considered one of the greatest offensive innovators in the sport.
The Cougars just scored their biggest win in years.
Mike Leach's two-year exile from coaching is over because a moribund Pac-12 program was able to do what Maryland and so many others could not: It got past the baggage. As a result, the Cougars won't be moribund much longer.
Like it's hard to go to a bowl game in the Big 12. With all the bowl agreements the Big 12 has, all you have to do is schedule wins over three or four non-conference patsies, win three conference games and you're going bowling.
In Leach's best season at Tech, they finished in a three-way tie with UT and OU for the South Division title. Tech edged a weary Texas* team on a miracle play and got hide-tanned by OU, 65-21. They were clearly the third-best of the three.
There's a lot to admire about Leach, but let's not overstate his achievements. For all his genius on offense, he completely ignored the defense, which ultimately kept his teams from truly competing for Big 12 titles. He did a lot of good things considering the recruiting disparity with UT and OU. But Spike Dykes took Tech to bowls, including the Cotton Bowl and a shared SWC championship, and he didn't have near the advantages in facilities and media exposure Leach has in the era of multiple ESPN platforms and 30-plus bowls.
When you throw in all of Leach's craziness, there's a reason better programs didn't pursue him when he was at Tech, and why it took so long for him to get another job - even at an outpost like Washington State.
Still, I'd rather have Leach than a lot of other stick-in-the-mud coaches. At least he makes it fun.
*Texas played No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 11 Missouri and No. 8 Oklahoma State in succession the three weeks leading up to the trip to Lubbock. That was a tired Texas team that was outscored 22-6 in the first half at Tech and still rallied back to lead in the final minute.
wow, sounds sorta like the Junes story at SMU. 6 bowl tie ins w/ CUSA so many opportunities, split share of conf titles, etc.
we love what we've got b/c we sucked FOREVER.
most people (save for a few good ole boys) loved what they got at tech b/c they sucked FOREVER
WSU will absolutely LOVE leach b/c they have sucked FOREVER. he'll be a god if he's winning 6-8 games a year and going to one of the Pac's many bowl tie ins.
Ok this is getting ridiculous...I agree with Dutch on THIS ONE POST by him totally
Dutch wrote:wow, sounds sorta like the Junes story at SMU. 6 bowl tie ins w/ CUSA so many opportunities, split share of conf titles, etc.
we love what we've got b/c we sucked FOREVER.
most people (save for a few good ole boys) loved what they got at tech b/c they sucked FOREVER
WSU will absolutely LOVE leach b/c they have sucked FOREVER. he'll be a god if he's winning 6-8 games a year and going to one of the Pac's many bowl tie ins.
WSU is NOT SMU
The Cougs haven't been in the conversation since Mike Price left but sucking FOREVER might be a bit too long in this case!
Dutch wrote:wow, sounds sorta like the Junes story at SMU. 6 bowl tie ins w/ CUSA so many opportunities, split share of conf titles, etc.
we love what we've got b/c we sucked FOREVER.
most people (save for a few good ole boys) loved what they got at tech b/c they sucked FOREVER
WSU will absolutely LOVE leach b/c they have sucked FOREVER. he'll be a god if he's winning 6-8 games a year and going to one of the Pac's many bowl tie ins.
WSU is NOT SMU
The Cougs haven't been in the conversation since Mike Price left but sucking FOREVER might be a bit too long in this case!
in their minds it's an eternity.
Ok this is getting ridiculous...I agree with Dutch on THIS ONE POST by him totally
Tech didn't "suck forever' prior to Leach. Spike Dykes put competitive teams on the field. They went to bowl games. They occasionally beat Texas or a then-strong Texas A&M. Just like they did under Leach.
Rice sucked forever. TCU sucked forever. Baylor sucked forever prior to Grant Teaff and after joining the Big 12. We sucked forever after the DP. Tech was always a second-tier SWC/Big 12 program, but it hardly falls into the category of "sucked forever."
And there are a LOT of similarities between Leach and June. Except Leach's offense put up huge numbers - numbers we have yet to see under June. And June plays a tougher non-conference sched than Leach, who once scheduled two I-AA teams in the same season.
It's those huge offensive numbers that drew a lot of attention, at least initially, to Tech. But Spike Dykes got pretty much the same results.
And under the present criteria, both Mike Cavan's 6-5 team in 1997 and Phil Bennett's 6-6 team in 2006 would have received bowl bids. How would SMU football history have changed if we had been able to call ourselves a bowl team then?
I have serious doubts whether or not any coach, let alone Leach, can be truly competitive at WSU. First, there are precious few D1 caliber players in WA, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Nevada so you cannot sustain the program from recruiting regionally. There are a few players in the Seattle and Portland area, but Oregon and UW usually get first choice and you are bumping heads with Utah/Colorado for kids in that state. You are essentially relegated to recruiting prospects more than rated kids. Hence, most recruiting has historically been done in Cali where you are getting whatever is left after the big programs take the cream. Second, if one has never been to Pullman, WA it is a tough town to sell. The nearest viable airport is 90 miles north in Spokane (limited direct flights) ( I know a landing strip airport in Moscow, Idaho) so you have at least that far to drive just to get to the school on a mostly one lane highway. Pullman is a small agricultural town surrounded by the university. I mean small. There is literally nothing to do in Pullman but study, drink and whatever else you can seize upon to do and try to stay out of trouble. It is a real tough sale. Leach had all of West Texas somewhat locked up plus access to the rest of Texas giving him great kids to recruit at TT. The ball game really changes for him at WSU and it will require his Texas pipelines to try to sustain a program. Question is how tarnished is his reputation and does he still have recruiting support in Texas???? WSU has tended to get the kids who are left after everyone else divides the pie. It will be interesting to see how he does at WSU when the kids he needs are far away and his Texas connections are uncertain.
I heard him speak to a group of Tech boosters when I was on a business trip to San Angelo one time. He has a droll sense of humor and I think he has the instincts of a pretty good salesman. Not bad qualities for any coach. Unfortunately for WSU, he is a loose cannon and the next time someone thinks he has gone too far the school will have hefty legal fees to handle the situation. Like Jones, if he can get his hands on a decent quarterback he will win some games. Unlike Jones, he shoots his mouth off too much. He is usually among the smartest guys in the room but he is too stupid to keep quiet about it.
