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Apple Cup - Leach’s Farewell


KUGRDON

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I think the Apple Cup will be 1) a resounding Husky thrashing of the Cougars and 2) Leach’s last Pac 12 game.  A weekend more worthy of Halloween than Thanksgiving.  Moos’s departure prompted by a new University President, that new President’s intent to eliminate Athletic Department deficits and Moos’ failure to adequately increase contributions to the Cougar Athletic Fund are the linked reasons for Leach’s departure.  There won’t be enough money to continue to upgrade assistant’s pay which is the next necessary program building step.

Where does Leach go?  Nebraska?  Wouldn’t surprise me.  Tennessee?  Just as likely, perhaps moreso.  Leach will take a step up to a traditional power with the funds necessary to support a top flight football program that is temporarily down on its luck.

Cougs will lose because Falk will continue to lack confidence in Gabe Mark’s and River Craft’s replacements.  He has sputtered all season because he won’t take chances with these guys.  He holds the ball too long, hesitates missing the timing of the routes and takes sacks.

Its terrible for these two to leave this way.  It will be worse to see what kind of a coach a tightened budget will yield.  Mike Riley?  Ughh.  Cougs will try to remember that no Pac 12 coach (as of now and save only Shaw if the season plays out as I expect) will have won more conference games from the time Leach’s recruits matured and that Luke Falk owns every career Pac 12 passing record.

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1 hour ago, KUGRDON said:

I think the Apple Cup will be 1) a resounding Husky thrashing of the Cougars and 2) Leach’s last Pac 12 game.  A weekend more worthy of Halloween than Thanksgiving.  Moos’s departure prompted by a new University President, that new President’s intent to eliminate Athletic Department deficits and Moos’ failure to adequately increase contributions to the Cougar Athletic Fund are the linked reasons for Leach’s departure.  There won’t be enough money to continue to upgrade assistant’s pay which is the next necessary program building step.

Where does Leach go?  Nebraska?  Wouldn’t surprise me.  Tennessee?  Just as likely, perhaps moreso.  Leach will take a step up to a traditional power with the funds necessary to support a top flight football program that is temporarily down on its luck.

Cougs will lose because Falk will continue to lack confidence in Gabe Mark’s and River Craft’s replacements.  He has sputtered all season because he won’t take chances with these guys.

Its terrible for these two to leave this way.  It will be worse to see what kind of a coach a tightened budget will yield.  Mike Riley?  Ughh.  Cougs will try to remember that no Pac 12 coach (as of now and save only Shaw if the season plays out as I expect) will have won more conference games from the time Leach’s recruits matured and that Luke Falk owns every career Pac 12 passing record.

Can UW win?  Yes because they almost always beat WSU.  But WSU DL will harass noodle arm all night, and it will be up to the UW D and run game to win it.

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While he would make more money I don't view him going to a Tennessee or a Nebraska as a long term relationship.  Leach needs a school like Washington State that will embrace his personality, I can't see him being successful at a major college football school with overbearing fan bases and alumni, his quirky persona would draw the ire and wrath of those fan bases the moment he loses to a school "beneath them".

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I definitely can see Leach leaving.  Most observers would say it's the moment for him to step into a blue blood program where four-stars are chosen, not recruited.  He sure has proven he can win anywhere.  But still, would Wazzu's president and AD really be stupid enough to risk the revenue that comes from a championship caliber football team?  Anybody who watches knows that money flows like a river to a winning program in ticket sales, concessions, sports equipment, etc.  Winning schools also have a measurable increase in SAT scores for applicants and a larger applicant pool.  It just is, it's not disputable.  So the president and AD want to give up all of that?  It's shooting yourself in the groin while attempting to unload the gun.

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