How will Leach handle the "pressure to win" next season?

[ttowncoug]

This will be interesting to see how Leach approaches the season.

Is it going to be "tough love" and sandpit rolls?

Is it going to be "have fun" and play loose?

Also, how does Grinch's style influence things? I get the sense some of the "hard asses" have moved on as coaches and some of the newer guys bring a little more energy and insight into the job.

 

[dgibbons]

Like he's not under any pressure whatsoever.

 

[wazzubruce]

Yup.... no real pressure... sure coug fans will complain if we 3-8 again.... but he's the guy at this time.... and buying out his contract isn't really even realistic.

 

[ttowncoug]

So are you buying the notion that his 5 year roll-over, gives him 5 years, win or lose?

Frankly, maybe Moos give it to him. No clue.

I tend to think Leach is on a 2 year cycle to win and then we need to see some consistency. New Mexico Bowl (losses) every 2 to 3 years isn't going to put butts in the seats, or donations to the CAF...which is what we need.

 

[dgibbons]

Originally posted by ttowncoug:


So are you buying the notion that his 5 year roll-over, gives him 5 years, win or lose?

Frankly, maybe Moos give it to him. No clue.

I tend to think Leach is on a 2 year cycle to win and then we need to see some consistency. New Mexico Bowl (losses) every 2 to 3 years isn't going to put butts in the seats, or donations to the CAF...which is what we need.

Yes and no. IIRC, his buyout decreases over time. So the financial pain two years from now will not be as severe as it would be today. If next year is another dud, I think the seat will get warm. I also think Leach will bolt before getting fired. Walden could probably offer a few pointers on that if the two of them ever talk. But, I digress....

My response was how Leach would handle any pressure to win. I don't think any of us will see a difference. Winning one game a week is all he can do.

 

[Coug1990]

Do we have to start this thread again? Do you expect different answers than the 100 or so other times that we have talked about this?

 

[kayak15]

I'm not worried about this at all and doubt if he is either. Frankly, I expect him to win and would be very surprised if he didn't. Just don't see any "hot seat" for Leach at all and doubt if he will develop one in the near future. Stop worrying, guys, we're coming along just fine.

 

[cr8zyncalif]

CML will approach this season like any other. He will assess the players and assistant coaches, then decide on what he believes to be the best way to play the hand that he has been dealt for the year. There is no more (and no less) pressure to win this year than any other, because all good football coaches self-impose pressure more than they perceive it from outside.

I think that goes double for Leach.

 

[britton ransford]

Originally posted by dgibbons:
Like he's not under any pressure whatsoever.

100 percent this.

 

[YakiCoug]

Originally posted by ttowncoug:
This will be interesting to see how Leach approaches the season.

Is it going to be "tough love" and sandpit rolls?

Is it going to be "have fun" and play loose?

Also, how does Grinch's style influence things? I get the sense some of the "hard asses" have moved on as coaches and some of the newer guys bring a little more energy and insight into the job.

I'm sure he'll slit his wrists by halftime of the season opener.

 

[ttowncoug]

The topic will be addressed by the media in the offseason. It'll be framed as a bounce back year for Leach. We will hear the youth excuse. Etc.

 

[terps7]

I think this is a great topic. No I don't think he is on the hot seat at all and feels no pressure at all. When you are making $2.75 million a year guaranteed for 5 years there is no pressure and you never have a bad day. I think the topic that I wish the media would start analyzing is what do you do now. He inherited a mess, he has run off most of the roster he inherited by his doing or graduation. He revolutionized the game with the Air Raid and was able to lead a TTech team from obscurity to a perennial Top 20 program and Bowl team. I do not think the sand pit rolling and threats works anymore with the guys he has now. They have taken every punch from Leach they want to be here they want to win. It's now Leach's job to go from negative to positive he needs to build the confidence of this roster. He needs to find leaders and empower them and have them to empower the younger guys. The talent on the roster has been upgraded over the last 3 years. Over the next 2 years there will be enough Seniors on the roster who have a lot of game experience they need to step up and demand more of themselves and their team. Leach needs to be inspirational. There is plenty of talent on this roster to win and compete for Major Bowls not just getting in a bowl. It's all about attitude now they work their ass off they have been through plenty of physical and mental pain now now get something for that pain. But if Leach does not bring this team together and start showing some love and get his team to play for him sooner or later the kids will stop listening physical punishment is not going to get it done they have taken every punch Leach can throw and the guys who are here want to win. If Leach can find a way to get the most out of these kids the next 2 years will be special and Coug football can go on a serious run. Art Briles turned it around in 5 years at Baylor. Baylor is now the swag school with TCU in Texas. Once you lay that foundation and it is solid and the kids believe they can do anything. I think the young coaches who have been hired will be able to bridge the gap between Leach and the players. Coaches and Players need to be on the same page now no excuses Just Results. Go Cougs!

 

[Cougsocal]

Originally posted by ttowncoug:
This will be interesting to see how Leach approaches the season.

Is it going to be "tough love" and sandpit rolls?

Is it going to be "have fun" and play loose?

Also, how does Grinch's style influence things? I get the sense some of the "hard asses" have moved on as coaches and some of the newer guys bring a little more energy and insight into the job.

Two things: You would have to be insanely opportunistic to expect 2015 to be a tunaround season. We lose our leading tackler, and only quality DL, We have an inexperienced QB and lose 2 of our three top receivers. The defense gave up 42 pts per game in conference play last year, and we have no obvious young stars on defense returning. It all could be Breske's fault, but that isn't being realistic. The new guy could be the next Mike Zimmer, but Zimmer didn't turn our fortunes around in one season.

Moos has hitched his wagon, for better or worse, to Leach,and recentlt doubled down on it. For that reason, there is no pressure on Leach other than the pressure he places on himself to be successful. If their is ever serious consideration of canning Leach, it will come from the president, and Leach and Moos will get the heave ho together, because Moos has gone all in on turning football around as the means of resurrecting our Pac-12 worst athletic department's fortunes.

 

[ElComanche]

The team will be much better next year. The O line play will be better and the QB play and leadership will be 100 % improved over last year. I also believe that the defense will improve and get better as the season moves along. It should be Leach 's best year by far in Pullman.

 

[Whitworth-Coug]

Originally posted by ElComanche:

The team will be much better next year. The O line play will be better and the QB play and leadership will be 100 % improved over last year.

 

[Coug90]

I don't think it's insane optimism to think this team can't be better next year. Even though Falk struggled a bit after his amazing play against OSU, I still think he's better than halliday as a whole package. Halliday could do nothing with his legs and was clueless on when to check to a run, and those two factors alone make me excited to see how Falk can build on what he did with his arm as well. He's going to be a good one. Plus most depth and experience at OLine in probably 12 years, and look at the receivers we have coming back. Marks was our leading reciever 2 years ago!

As for the defense, we couldn't be any worse could we?? The secondary and LB play should be much improved with the additions and experience. Front four might be a push as we had big losses there.

And don't get me started on the special teams.

We were a couple plays away from 5 wins last year with all that, no reason to think this team can't go out and win 6 or 7 games at least.

 

[How_did_this_happen?]

It's like this: When you owe the bank a little, they own you. When you owe the bank a lot, you own them.

Does this metaphor resonate in this context?

Are we having fun yet?

 

[ATLCoug2011]

It's a clown notion for anyone to think that any external sources of "pressure" from fans, administration, etc are even close to the pressure Leach puts on himself and his staff to prepare the team to win each week. Stupid conversation

 

[terps7]

Special teams alone cost 2 or 3 games. I think Mele will do a better job coaching and the kids coming off redshirt and the class of 2015 class the talent on Special Teams will be much better. We need a PK to emerge. The defense will be much better with Grinch and Manning coaching and an infusion of talent. There are at least 3 kids who redshirted last year who were better and should have played on Special Teams and D. Our Mike linebacker will be better. Hopefully the back end will be better with an infusion of talent. Our OL will be experienced and Gabe Marks coming back will be a big help. Robert Lewis and Calvin Green could provide more explosive plays which we have been lacking. Harrington could be another explosive option catching the ball out of the backfield. Dom Williams will be a year older and could have a big year. If the OL is solid whether it is Falk or Bender if they get good protection they will have very big years in the Air Raid. Haliday had no one to learn from and this will be year 3 for Falk and year 2 for Bender. The turnaround will have to come form the Coaches and Players being on the same page to turn this program around. College FB programs can be change very quickly a lot of inexperience QB's in the PAC-12 so a lot of teams will be breaking in new QB's. If our D can cause turnovers and our Special Teams do not cost our games things can turn around very quickly in Pullman.

 

[cr8zyncalif]

As far as our fortunes for next year, I look at it from two viewpoints: the things we can mostly control, and the things that we can't control.

You guys have discussed the things we can mostly control, which can be loosely summarized as taking the kids we've got next year (a pretty good group; some RS and JC help, as well as a returning O line and RB group) and developing them to fit the system and tweaking the system to fit them as a group. Yes, we lose a few key people, but that is true every year. Special teams coaching and the lack of a PK were a millstone around our neck and you have to think that will be better this year. All in all, a bit more plus than minus for 2015.

The things we can't control have been major for us. Two years ago we had minimal injuries and performed better than many expected, getting 6 wins. Last year was the opposite; we had more injuries than usual (we simply could not keep a group of DB's on the field) and under-performed. Beyond the preparation that comes from conditioning, stretching, etc, we can't control injuries. Yet they were a huge difference maker in our results in just the past two seasons. And I have never known how to predict that.

My educated guesses (and yes, they are guesses) are that the offense will be roughly comparable to last year. Returning O line but new QB…thankfully he got most of 3 games experience last year. Lost a couple of good WR's but have a bunch on tap for this year; deepest unit on the team. Last year's rookie RB's will have a year of experience. All in all, I think it will be close to a push. On defense we lose one guy, Cooper, who was a difference maker when he decided to show up for a game and was invisible when he didn't. He did some of both last year. We are deeper at DL this year. In any event, DL wasn't our problem last season. We had walking wounded for LB's and DB's that were so banged up that from game to game it was a revolving door. You literally could not predict a week and a half in advance which DB's would be on the field. Net result, a better D this year. And all I have to say about special teams is they have to be better. They could not be worse. It wasn't just the disaster plays; we gave up field position all game, every game, through poor kicking and coverage.

Net/net, we win a few more games. 5 minimum (which would be what we had last year if not for the two special teams catastrophe games); probably 8 max. Most likely in between.

 

[Cougsocal]

Originally posted by ElComanche:
The team will be much better next year. The O line play will be better and the QB play and leadership will be 100 % improved over last year. I also believe that the defense will improve and get better as the season moves along. It should be Leach 's best year by far in Pullman.

In the last 10 years how many times have people "expected" significant improvement during the upcoming season? Why have they been consistently wrong? Because they were wishing and hoping, not analyzing rationally. ELC, your irrational dislike of Halliday raises serious doubt in my mind that you can objectively look at the state of the program. I hope that P-12 talent begins to show itself in 2015 and we are successful again in 2016. But until that P-12 talent begins to show up on the field, I'm not going to predict future success. 2014 was not 1991, 1996 or 2000 revisited. Those teams were load with young talent, and returned virtually intact, from QB to kicker. According the the Pac-12 Network recruiting coverage we return only 14 "starters" from a bad football team.

 

[SCglory]

"Pressure?" Leach coached in Texas, for heaven's sake! Now THAT'S pressure. The only thing that can stop him from coaching is himself, if his inner fire goes out.

 

[CougPatrol]

Originally posted by Cougsocal:
ELC, your irrational dislike of Halliday raises serious doubt in my mind that you can objectively look at the state of the program.

ELC is the creepiest poster on here. The Halliday hate fest started out as head scratching, and escalated to obsessive. I can understand criticizing the coaches, but Halliday? We lost a game home game 60-59 last season. That should be enough to signal, even to the most casual of fans, that our problems were "a bit" deeper than just QB play.

I think the defense will be better. I think the line play will be better. I think the special teams will be better. I have no idea what to think about Falk yet, and I'm not even certain that Falk will be the unquestioned starter throughout the season. I also think (know) that we play in a very good conference. We'll make gains in some areas, but so will other programs.

Right off the bat, I think our record will improve by at least one, and possibly 2 wins after the non-conference schedule next season. I can't see us losing at home to Portland State or Wyoming, and I think, like last year, we'll have a competitive game with Rutgers in New Jersey. If we start 2-1 or 3-0, we'll have a legitimate shot at a bowl game. The conference season will probably shake out similarly to 2014. We'll have a surprise game like we did with Oregon, we'll have a stinker or two like we did with Arizona and USC, and we'll have some games that hang in the balance for a while before we were overcome, similar to ASU, UW, and even Stanford.

My biggest question, and people are probably already tired of me repeating this, is whether or not we can start playing consistently good football at home. Portland State, Wyoming, Oregon State, Colorado, Stanford, and ASU aren't particularly daunting home games. Can we win 4 of those? I think we can, and I think we need to have that expectation.

 

[cr8zyncalif]

Patrol, I don't always agree with you, but you are 100% right about the home games. We have to win those, and this year (at least on paper) we should win at least 4 games. We have to do that if we really are serious about a bowl.

No matter how I forecast it, a bowl needs 4 home wins. If we get that, we have a game to spare. Which history has proven that more often than not, we need.

 

[Observer11]

Originally posted by dgibbons:

Originally posted by ttowncoug:



So are you buying the notion that his 5 year roll-over, gives him 5 years, win or lose?

Frankly, maybe Moos give it to him. No clue.

I tend to think Leach is on a 2 year cycle to win and then we need to see some consistency. New Mexico Bowl (losses) every 2 to 3 years isn't going to put butts in the seats, or donations to the CAF...which is what we need.

Yes and no. IIRC, his buyout decreases over time. So the financial pain two years from now will not be as severe as it would be today. If next year is another dud, I think the seat will get warm. I also think Leach will bolt before getting fired. Walden could probably offer a few pointers on that if the two of them ever talk. But, I digress....

My response was how Leach would handle any pressure to win. I don't think any of us will see a difference. Winning one game a week is all he can do.

His buyout is for leaving to somewhere else.

His severance for early termination is full boat.

 

[dgibbons]

The term buyout refers to early termination of the contract by either party. The technical legal term is actually "liquidated damages." Severance is not applicable here.

The buyout to fire Leach is 60 percent according to Grippe and others.

 

[405 Coug]

If this team plays with heart and passion, I can see 6 or 7 wins, if they show up with the heart and passion that was on display in the Apple Cup they might win 3. I would agree with the posts that said Leach has to start getting his players to want to play for him, not sure what it takes, but at 2.75 mil, that's Leach's job.

 

[How_did_this_happen?]

Originally posted by 405 Coug:

If this team plays with heart and passion, I can see 6 or 7 wins, if they show up with the heart and passion that was on display in the Apple Cup they might win 3. I would agree with the posts that said Leach has to start getting his players to want to play for him, not sure what it takes, but at 2.75 mil, that's Leach's job.

By the way (and not to hijack this thread), but to show up to a rivalry game flat and uninspired is a big red flag to me.

I don't recall the last time that happened.

 

[dgibbons]

Originally posted by How_did_this_happen?:

Originally posted by 405 Coug:


If this team plays with heart and passion, I can see 6 or 7 wins, if they show up with the heart and passion that was on display in the Apple Cup they might win 3. I would agree with the posts that said Leach has to start getting his players to want to play for him, not sure what it takes, but at 2.75 mil, that's Leach's job.

By the way (and not to hijack this thread), but to show up to a rivalry game flat and uninspired is a big red flag to me.

I don't recall the last time that happened.

We have a fine history of it. 2011, 2009, 2006....

 

[405 Coug]

56-3 and players leaving at the half might be another example. Apple Cups are either hot or cold when it comes emotions, considering the Cougs have lost more than they have won in the series, suggests coming out flat has happened more than just a few times. They were favored 3 years in a row and lost all 3 in 2001- 2003. Two were with Price one with Doba.

 

[CougPatrol]

Originally posted by cr8zyncalif:

Patrol, I don't always agree with you, but you are 100% right about the home games. We have to win those, and this year (at least on paper) we should win at least 4 games. We have to do that if we really are serious about a bowl.

Well, I don't know that I can take credit for any earth shattering revelation regarding the need for us to play better at home, but that obviously needs to start happening.

From the hiring of Mike Leach, to the stadium remodel and new press box, the FOB building, the Pac-12 revenue, and now maybe a finished indoor practice facility; there is more visible evidence on campus than ever before that WSU is serious about upgrading their commitment to football.

Unfortunately, our performance on the field in Pullman (and Seattle) hasn't given our fans much to be excited about. Since 2012, our home record under Leach is 6-13 overall, and if you take out FCS games, it's just 2-13.

Some will say that attendance doesn't matter anymore, as TV revenue rules all, but that's a dangerous assumption for WSU to make. As the lowest grossing member of the league by a wide margin, we need butts in the seats.

We need to put a product on the home field that motivates our students to attend games and bleed crimson. As challenging as things were in terms of facilities in the 70's, 80's, and 90's, we always managed to field at least a couple of teams each decade that captivated the student body. Since I've been following the program, this is by far the longest stretch of fan apathy that I've witnessed. If it hadn't been for the Tony Bennett years, our students wouldn't have had anything to cheer about.

I wonder how many recent graduates (less than 10 years) are diehard Cougs? My guess is that most of them are wearing Seahawk #12 jerseys.

 

[How_did_this_happen?]

Originally posted by dgibbons:

Originally posted by How_did_this_happen?:

Originally posted by 405 Coug:


If this team plays with heart and passion, I can see 6 or 7 wins, if they show up with the heart and passion that was on display in the Apple Cup they might win 3. I would agree with the posts that said Leach has to start getting his players to want to play for him, not sure what it takes, but at 2.75 mil, that's Leach's job.

By the way (and not to hijack this thread), but to show up to a rivalry game flat and uninspired is a big red flag to me.

I don't recall the last time that happened.

We have a fine history of it. 2011, 2009, 2006....

Definitely true there. But I thought that Leach would instill a culture that would never allow that.

 

[E Jones]

Originally posted by CougPatrol:

Unfortunately, our performance on the field in Pullman (and Seattle) hasn't given our fans much to be excited about. Since 2012, our home record under Leach is 6-13 overall, and if you take out FCS games, it's just 2-13.

It is true that we have only won 2 pac 12 games at home under Leach, but taking out the fcs games we are 3-13. Idaho is not (yet) fcs
This post was edited on 2/17 8:50 AM by E Jones

 

[CougPatrol]

Originally posted by E Jones:

It is true that we have only won 2 pac 12 games at home under Leach, but taking out the fcs games we are 3-13. Idaho is not (yet) fcs

Ooops, you're right. Sorry Idaho fans.

 

[Observer11]

Originally posted by dgibbons:
The term buyout refers to early termination of the contract by either party. The technical legal term is actually "liquidated damages." Severance is not applicable here.

The buyout to fire Leach is 60 percent according to Grippe and others.

Agreed - liquidated damages is the correct legal term - just differentiating between a buyout (where Leach goes on to coach somewhere else -which is relatively cheap) and the severance (where Leach gets the boot before his contract runs full term - which at 60% is not cheap).