Addurl.nu Onblogspot News: Mike Leach has agreement to coach Washington State

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Mike Leach has agreement to coach Washington State


Mike Leach will be back on the sideline next season. Washington State reached a verbal agreement with the former Texas Tech coach one day after firing Paul Wulff.

The school said Wednesday that Leach had agreed in principle to a five-year contract and will be introduced at a press conference next Tuesday.

Financial terms of the contract were not available, but according to a story by CBSSports.com, the deal is for five years and would make Leach the third-highest paid coach in the Pac-12.

In a statement released through the school, Leach said: "I have always admired the tradition of Washington State. It's a university on the move that is experiencing growth. I'm excited about what they are doing with the facilities and it's a team that has battled through some hard times and shows great promise in the future.

"I'm proud to be a part of this team."

Leach, 50, was fired by Texas Tech in December of 2009 following a dispute over his handling of receiver Adam James. The son of ESPN announcer Craig James, Adam James claimed Leach forced him to sit in a construction closet during practice after suffering a concussion in a game.

In reaction to his firing, Leach filed a lawsuit against the school and ESPN. That lawsuit is still pending.

On the field, Leach was a big success. His teams were 84-43 and reached a bowl game in each of his 10 seasons.

Tommy Tuberville succeeded him and is 13-12 in two seasons, including a 5-7 mark this year which is the school's first losing record since 1992.

Leach will have a big task rebuilding Washington State, which has not played in a bowl game since 2003 after Rose Bowl appearances following the 1997 and 2002 seasons.

Wulff was 9-40 in four seasons with the Cougars, though the team improved to 4-8 in 2011.

Contributing: Wire reports

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