** All of these pre-February 2016 blog posts are reposts from my last website.  Each repost has a quick update or note in bold at the start of each post! **

Hard to believe Mike Leach was hired at the end of 2011.  We’re four seasons in.  2 bowl games, 1 win.  Does that fit with what your expectations were when he was hired?

Originally published November 30th, 2011

Prepare to be boarded!  The pirate references will fly over the next few days as Washington State University has truly taken college football’s spotlight this last week.  (And how cool is that logo?!)  I was really torn on Coach Wulff’s firing.  For as much as I thought he deserved another year, I completely understand why Bill Moos made the move.  It’s tough seeing someone that lived and breathed Cougar football be shown the door after showing some great progress, but at the same time it’s hard to argue w/making a move to get a big time coach that a lot of teams wanted.  If Moos didn’t make the move this year, Leach would have certainly been off the table.

There are some key things about Mike Leach: 

• #1 — The guy is off. It’s pretty obvious that Coach Leach is one strange dude. In a way, he almost seems like a bizarro Pete Carroll. (And believe it or not, I mean that as a compliment.)  It will be awesome having a coach w/a contageous energy and enthusiasm for winning. I’ve looked at past articles, Leach doesn’t pull punches in losses, and looks to hold the team accountable at every turn.  He’s going to energize fans — We haven’t had a coach w/this kind of visual passion since Mike Price.
• #2 — He likes to score.  A lot.  How many teams have put up 70 points against Nebraska?  Three 5,000 yard QBs?  What kind of impact can Coach Leach have at WSU, a school known for QB success?   Quarterback U is about to get crazy.  Bill Moos said he wanted a coach that would “fling it”, he has that in Leach.
• #3 — History of success.  84–43 in 10yrs at Texas Tech is terrific.  I would be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned by his conference record though.  47-33 is a lot more average than the rest of his record, but it’s still encouraging when you think about playing Oklahoma and Texas every year.

Coach Leach could be, scratch that, must be a game changer for Washington State.  “You get what you pay for.”  Wulff was the lowest paid coach in the Pac 12.  He did a great job w/what he was given.  I’m proud of Coach Wulff’s effort and I appreciate his loyalty and pride in WSU.  I know it was his dream job, and I feel bad for him, his family, and his coaches.  At $2 million a year, Coach Leach’s expectations will be infinitely higher. 

WSU is going to have an edge heading into 2012.  How cool is it to look at the breakdown of the Pac 12?  3 schools will be in transition.  UCLA, ASU, and Arizona are in a vastly different position than WSU.  (It’s too bad WSU isn’t in the South division!)  UCLA’s players have looked uninspired and lazy during the year.  ASU is graduating the majority of their team.  Arizona was blown out in games and turned over coaches midyear.  Stanford loses their QB to the #1 pick in the draft.  Oregon State is coming off of two straight disappointing years, for as much as I like Coach Riley, next year could be a make or break year.  UW loses their RB, but looks strong at WR and TE.  Washington State is on the upswing. The players are young and improving. We were a bowl team this year — It didn’t work out record wise, but the talent was there.  2012 is truly the year that WSU turns the page and becomes a force in the Pac 12.   

I’m excited and out of my mind optimistic about our program’s future!  Funds are already coming in.   We’re getting a ton of media coverage.  What will our TV schedule look like next year w/a top tier coach at Washington State?  It’s a great time to be a Coug!

Go Coug-ARRRS!