Could the unthinkable be true?

[Cougsocal]

Mike Leach was a relatively respectable 9-14 in his first 23 games at the helm. Virtually everyone thought that he was righting the Costa Concordia, that was Cougar football. Since that time he has been 3-12, capped by the piece de resistance of losses to Portland State. There is a correlation between the depletion of Wulff recruits and his/our decline. Could it be that Wulff and his disastrous recruiting was actually better than Leach's? If not, how else do you explain our decline since the days we went toe to toe with Auburn and beat USC?

The Rutgers game will go a long way in determining whether Leach has surpassed Wulff as the worst recruiting coach we have ever had, or whether the recent decline, and PSU loss, were just a false correlation, much like ice cream consumption and sex crime.

 

[Coug1990]

Mike Leach was a relatively respectable 9-14 in his first 23 games at the helm. Virtually everyone thought that he was righting the Costa Concordia, that was Cougar football. Since that time he has been 3-12, capped by the piece de resistance of losses to Portland State. There is a correlation between the depletion of Wulff recruits and his/our decline. Could it be that Wulff and his disastrous recruiting was actually better than Leach's? If not, how else do you explain our decline since the days we went toe to toe with Auburn and beat USC?

The Rutgers game will go a long way in determining whether Leach has surpassed Wulff as the worst recruiting coach we have ever had, or whether the recent decline, and PSU loss, were just a false correlation, much like ice cream consumption and sex crime.

Your funny. Keep the jokes coming.

 

[BiggsCoug]

Mike Leach was a relatively respectable 9-14 in his first 23 games at the helm. Virtually everyone thought that he was righting the Costa Concordia, that was Cougar football. Since that time he has been 3-12, capped by the piece de resistance of losses to Portland State. There is a correlation between the depletion of Wulff recruits and his/our decline. Could it be that Wulff and his disastrous recruiting was actually better than Leach's? If not, how else do you explain our decline since the days we went toe to toe with Auburn and beat USC?

The Rutgers game will go a long way in determining whether Leach has surpassed Wulff as the worst recruiting coach we have ever had, or whether the recent decline, and PSU loss, were just a false correlation, much like ice cream consumption and sex crime.

You're trolling now.

 

[chugspig]

People really are losing their minds around here.

 

[chinookpirate]

Paul Wulff recruited some nice players. He didn't recruit full classes and when he fell short one year, did little to make up for it the following year... which is why we ended up with holes in the roster.

 

[425cougfan]

Paul Wulff recruited some nice players. He didn't recruit full classes and when he fell short one year, did little to make up for it the following year... which is why we ended up with holes in the roster.

Agreed, subject to this clarification (which may be what you meant) ... Wulff recruited a small number of good players -- i.e., adequate Pac-12-level recruits -- on the order of what averages to few guys per class. The problem, though, is that he also recruited on the order of 15 to 20 players per year who had little to no other legitimate interest in the Pac-12 (or, in many cases, FBS) and belonged in the Big Sky, Sun Belt, or, for the better ones, in the MWC. This was the problem. (There also were various "sub-issues" with Wulff's recruiting, like failing to have an adequate number of linemen.)

As for the original post in this thread: absolutely ludicrous. I went through and had the numbers at one point -- I don't right now -- but Leach's classes have averaged something like 60 other Power 5 offers per class, whereas a typical Wulff class would have less than 10 total. Leach's recruiting has been on an entirely different level than Wulff. (In fairness, we haven't seen that so far with the 2016 class so far ... there aren't a lot of other Power 5 offers thus far, but I expect that to change for many of the recruits in their senior years.)

 

[chinookpirate]

I guess that's the problem... we keep trying to compare ourselves with Wulff's teams while the rest of the conference continues to recruit ahead of us.

Maybe that all changes in two days... we'll see.

 

[Fab5Coug]

Wulff had 1 passably good class (2010). His '08, '09 & '11 classes were atrocious and '12 was shaping up the same.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Wulff recruited as well as any semi qualified coach could have done simply by walking into high schools with a Pac12 logo on his shirt.

It's really too early to tell on most of Leach's classes. So far, the results have been pretty "meh". They look to be more consistent, but he has yet to have a single class as impactful as Wulff's '10 class.

 

[Cougsocal]

You're trolling now.

No, but when the last of the Wulff recruits is hitting the road and you can't score on or stop Portland State's running game, you have to wonder what the hell is going on. I know were talented but soft, but is a soft player really talented, in a tough sport like football.

 

[Cougsocal]

Paul Wulff recruited some nice players. He didn't recruit full classes and when he fell short one year, did little to make up for it the following year... which is why we ended up with holes in the roster.

The same can be said of Mike Leach. But we all know that recruit isn't determined by the best kids you sign, it is the quality of the kids you sign in the middle and below.

Hey, I been complaining about our recruiting woes since Doba. But the guy was a recruiting savant compared to Twiddle Dumb and Twiddle Dee. All any coach needs to do to is win a few games, and the complaints stop. Winning is compelling proof of quality recruiting. I'm still stunned that after 11 years without a winning season, and after a Portland State loss, poster still are offended when you challenge the daft notion that the current coach is recruiting well. Must a coach be fired before the obvious is acknowledged.

 

[Cougatron]

The same can be said of Mike Leach. But we all know that recruit isn't determined by the best kids you sign, it is the quality of the kids you sign in the middle and below.

Hey, I been complaining about our recruiting woes since Doba. But the guy was a recruiting savant compared to Twiddle Dumb and Twiddle Dee. All any coach needs to do to is win a few games, and the complaints stop. Winning is compelling proof of quality recruiting. I'm still stunned that after 11 years without a winning season, and after a Portland State loss, poster still are offended when you challenge the daft notion that the current coach is recruiting well. Must a coach be fired before the obvious is acknowledged.

I think there is a lot more going on here then what we have seen on the field in terms of recruiting. Thorpe wrote the other day that he had seen more NFL scouts at WSU then before, and more than likely they are looking at Joe Dahl / Possible Vaeo/Marks etc.

Last year we had Cooper and Mayle drafted which was the first time since 2007 that we had two players drafted.

This year we may have another two players drafted, (more than likely at least Dahl). If that were the case that would be the first time we had back to back years where we have had multiple players drafted since 2005/2004/2003/2002. So as a whole it definitely looks like we are improving in talent.

Now they aren't putting it together on the field yet that's for sure, but we are developing more draftable NFL prospects, and that's a sign of progress. So where Wulff was we may have had 1 guy like Wilson, 1 guy like Travis Long etc. that draftable we are increasing that frequency.

I really think it's not about talent but two things we are struggling with. The mental part of putting it all together, and young guys learning trial by fire.

Now Falk didn't look that good in the opener. Was that weather? First game jitters? We've seen him play well before? So it's too early to tell.

but Marks looked like Gabe Marks...despite the rain.. we know Dom Williams is better than his drops, we know Cracraft is better than that.

So talent wise I definitely think we are much better than we are showing... The important part is to start showing how talented we really are which we haven't done yet.

 

[YakiCoug]

Your funny. Keep the jokes coming.

Yep. There's a mind that conserves energy. Low wattage.