Mike Leach is back, and I am now rooting for Washington State – he is, bar none, the most interesting mind in college football, and his return should be celebrated with congratulatory ‘go for it on 4th and 4 from your own 38′ type bravado:
I love Mike and I obviously can’t wait to see his offense back in action, but I was skeptical of the “fit” between Mike and some of the other schools whose name he was connected to. Big Ten schools tend to either like their coaches a certain way — a way not typical for Leach — or probably couldn’t afford him; SEC schools could afford him but the culture shock on both sides would be larger than I think people realized; and while Leach said he’d basically take any job, I don’t think he sat out for two years to coach a non-BCS conference school. Washington State, on the other hand, is, in my mind, perfect. It’s not perfect in the sense that the team has been struggling in recent years, but they’ve had winners there, and if Leach can get them to a bowl game in the next couple of years the perception will be that he’s been successful. Contrast this with, say, Ole Miss, where a bad game in week five and a couple of questionable calls and trust me, there would be many calls that diehard SEC fans would not understand and the pressure would be of an entirely different order.
via Mike Leach is the new coach at Washington State: Rejoice and be glad | Smart Football.
