Hopefully Houston will be a test
- Thread starter dgibbons
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KingTrump
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Houston looks decent to me. They’re overmatched on defense, but they’re playing hard and punching back in this game.
With them getting us at home and having the benefit of already facing another elite passing offense, we’ll need to bring it.
With them getting us at home and having the benefit of already facing another elite passing offense, we’ll need to bring it.
Houston’s offense looked good. Their scheme scores points. Let’s not trash talk too much before we play them.
Oh, it will be a test. Thinking otherwise is nuts. We're probably going to have to win a shootout on the road.
If our defense can maintain King we should be alright. We have a lot of work to do, but I trust Claey improving them by week. Houston gave up over 600 yards and we are just as loaded on offense as OU. Grinch did a good job with our defense but Claeys was an upgrade over him. All he has to do at OU is hold teams to what he did tonight. Riley will take care of the rest.
If Oklahoma came knocking I am sure he would become available.
Unless Claeys becomes the next head coach. Still, I do not think Leach is going anywhere.
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Leach would crawl on his knees to Norman if offered that job. They love him at OU.
Lincoln Riley will be on NFL speed dials.
Only place in the country that will be a problem to compete against.
over the last 10-12 years big tradition rich schools would not give Leach a look because he is"unconventional"-that has changed , Lincoln Riley is from the leach coaching tree, as is Holgerson at Houston.
Id say Leach is now someone Big Schools would be comfortable with given the widespread use of the spread.
I would be surprised if a big school doesn't make a run at Leach at some point-but you never know-they are very stupid-look at Tennessee and Arkansas-both schools passed on Leach and he would be a monster at either school dwarfing the hires they made.
Id say Leach is now someone Big Schools would be comfortable with given the widespread use of the spread.
I would be surprised if a big school doesn't make a run at Leach at some point-but you never know-they are very stupid-look at Tennessee and Arkansas-both schools passed on Leach and he would be a monster at either school dwarfing the hires they made.
Only if Kligsbury has offensive success in Arizona . If he doesn’t Lincoln Riley’s path to the nfl becomes difficult .
ou is a destination job, riley isn't going anywhere if he wins. Kingsbury struggled at tech and his nfl hire was a head scratcher as he was about to be run out of town.
I too believe that Leach will get offers from bigger programs. One thing, however, that does weaken the knees of many schools is how Leach unloads on his past employer about the way they parted company.
WSU is finally in a position where we can compete financially with most programs. We offer $4m/year and damn near offer the keys to the city. If he wants to leach, there’s nothing we can do. The job is a lot more attractive now than it’s ever been.
WSU is finally in a position where we can compete financially with most programs. We offer $4m/year and damn near offer the keys to the city. If he wants to leach, there’s nothing we can do. The job is a lot more attractive now than it’s ever been.
Houston was not bad, they were overmatched by a team that will overmatch most of the B12. That Houston team could compete for 3rd in the PAC South.
True. The only thing left is him winning a league championship. If he feels that that can realistically only happen at a school like, say, Tennessee...then I could see him leaving so he doesn’t have to deal with “what if only I had...” thinking in his post coaching life. Coaches always want championships.
There is always downside for him to consider in making such a move though...
Pullman is a great fit and Leach loves it there, probably the biggest thing is having a supportive administration who don't play slime ball politics and try to cheat you at every turn. I think hes got about as good of support as a coach can have.
If things keep trending up-schools like Arkansas and Tennessee aren't a step up but maybe even a harder place to win.
If things keep trending up-schools like Arkansas and Tennessee aren't a step up but maybe even a harder place to win.
As a resident of Knoxville, TN, I thought the Vols made a huge mistake in not hiring Leach. The previous AD wanted him, but the administration didn’t think he was a “good” fit. When that AD was let go, and Phil Fulmer was hired as the AD, there was no way they were going to hire him. How’s that working for them now? Jeremy Pruitt is in way over his head as a coach, and I believe he will fail like the last 3 coaches have. Who knows...maybe they will revisit the prospect of going after Leach in the future. As time continues to pass, however, I believe Leach’s opportunities to go to a “bigger” program are going to become more limited. Like others have said, I think he likes it in Pullman and isn’t living in a fish bowl as he would be if he were in Knoxville or Norman. I firmly believe he’s going to breakthrough and win a PAC-12 title at some point. I know you guys are eager for that to happen! I have always liked him as a coach and thought he was funny as hell. In my mind, he is one of the most underrated coaches in college football.
Fulmer was likely one of the people saying Leach wasn't a "good fit". Regardless, I don't think Fulmer's going to hire the guy that was passed over and Fulmer's not exactly an Air Raid guy.
Agree regarding Tennessee and it having erred, but I have to disagree on Leach's chances of going to a "big" program. I think it's more likely, and will continue to become the case, that a "big" program swoops in and makes a play for him.
This is due to (i) increased adoption of, and acceptance of, the Air Raid and other spread concepts; (ii) ongoing success here at WSU; and (iii) it seeming like he's becoming viewed less as the "mad scientist" or having a "weird" personality over time and instead just being viewed as a successful, stable head coach who runs a clean program, has clear standards, and wins a lot of games even without needing top recruiting classes. This is what he's always been, but the Adam James fiasco and some other aspects of Leach's dealing with the media during less successful times at WSU perpetuated the narrative that he's out there or weird. He doesn't want to kiss too much ass and will give honest opinions on just about anything, but he's not crazy and not going to do anything that would result in a program taking a major hit. Even stuff like the Trump support, the Obama fake video, etc. weren't great but wouldn't be major hindrances at a "big" program, especially one in a conservative region where most of the big money donors would be likely to have views that align with Leach.
I think the last remaining knock on him is that he hasn't won a conference title. I believe this primarily owes to the recruiting limitations of the places he has coached at and who the other schools in his conference(s) are and have been, but the lazy narrative is still that he's the kind of guy who will win 8 or 9 games but can't win a title. If he keeps winning 10+ games, and especially if he manages to win the conference, then that last knock will be gone.
From a WSU perspective, I'm all for "big" schools not wanting to hire him and to blow it like Fulmer did at Tennessee, but I see that eroding as time goes on, unfortunately. WSU will have to fight to keep him, and if someone like Oklahoma has an opening at some point and wants to pay him $7m a year in today's dollars to go there, it's going to be tough to stop. I'm hopeful WSU can fend off non-elite suitors and that we're in the clear for several years, at least.
Fat Phil is a hazard, you have to get that guy far away from campus to even thinking about winning again.
I agree with everything you wrote. The flirt with Tennessee came during a perfect time to offer Leach. The President who hired him had passed away of cancer and the AD who hired him had left for Nebraska. So, he was still feeling out the new President and there was no AD.
As it turned out, staying was the best thing that happened to both him and WSU.
As long as Kirk and Pat don't hold back on the quan, the only place Leach is leaving for is Oklahoma.
Otherwise, after last year's dance with Tennessee, I truly believe he'll continue to listen to offers, get a nice little extension/raise/promise for more facilities and keep on keeping on in Pullman.
Oklahoma is the only gamechanger out there where he can win a natty and go back and stick it to the Texas Tech folks annually by dropping a hundie on them every season.
Otherwise, after last year's dance with Tennessee, I truly believe he'll continue to listen to offers, get a nice little extension/raise/promise for more facilities and keep on keeping on in Pullman.
Oklahoma is the only gamechanger out there where he can win a natty and go back and stick it to the Texas Tech folks annually by dropping a hundie on them every season.
Oklahoma has more talented players on D. Also, there was zero breaking down on the QB when they got to him Saturday...missed 3-4 sacks that should have been easy. If we do that against King he will make them look silly. The good part is they got to see that on film, and it’s correctable.
Really doubt he'd coach at a public institution in Texas again due to sovereign immunity. Also don't think Texas would go down the Air Raid route, although I didn't think USC would either.
I would love to hear what Leach thinks about Lincoln Riley getting that prestigious job without his credentials. I would love to see WSU play OU.
How Fulmer has a gig after nixing that marriage is beyond me. The last QB Tenn seems to have had was Tea Martin. That is more than 20 years ago.
If Leach can make something out of a East Carolina who wanted to go to Ala. to become a grad assistant once he was done and became the top passer in the Pac 12, if he can turn Gordon/ Gubrud into the top passer in the Pac 12, and my school with their 90k plus seat stadium had him at hello, I would have fired the AD yesterday.
They were discussing Tennessee on CBS radio last night and how they turned down Schiano. Tennessee fan was pretty disgusted with the pick of current HC.
