OT: Mike Leach to Tennessee May Be Happening
Lots of buzz on Twitter that Tennessee is closing in on Mike Leach. Given the wild last week it seems like he'd be a great cultural fit in Knoxville. I'd think if you're a Tennessee fan you would have to be thrilled.
#Tennessee coaching search update: Source tells me the meeting with Mike Leach went very well. And... stay tuned.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 1, 2017
Sources tell @NBCDFWSports that former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is working on a deal to become the next coach at Tennessee. A deal could be announced Friday. I’m working on more details.
— Newy Scruggs (@newyscruggs) December 1, 2017
November 30th, 2017 at 11:55 PM ^
Same time and we embedded the same two tweets! Weird.
November 30th, 2017 at 11:56 PM ^
Double post
November 30th, 2017 at 11:55 PM ^
December 1st, 2017 at 12:00 AM ^
December 1st, 2017 at 1:51 AM ^
The air raid gets foiled by competent defenses. Look at Wazzou this year. They folded whenever they played stiff defenses.
Laugh at SEC offenses, but one thing they got is defense in spades. Will be very interesting to see how this turns out. Leach with 4/5 star recruits could be something special.
Secondly, how will UT faithful handle Leach's uhh.. lets just say more than odd habit of losing random games they shouldn't?
Dude has lost to the likes of Portland State and Eastern Washington at Wazzou, which can be forgiven with 8-9 wins and competitive games with UW.
That ain't gonna fly at UT.
At least Leach will be more nationally visible. Dude is a treasure.
December 1st, 2017 at 3:56 AM ^
Oklahoma is ranked No. 2, put 30+ points on both Ohio State and TCU in victories (No. 11 and 12 in S&P+ defense), etc. with their version of the air raid this year. No system is completely immune to the challenges posed by a good defense, but I would take an Oklahoma air raid offense over almost any other.
It would seem like Leach and the Tennesee fans/community would be an awkward fit at best. I just hope he enjoys success at a place that lets him be himself, and lets college football fans enjoy his personality -- definitely one of a kind (and college football is better with him in the mix).
December 1st, 2017 at 7:19 AM ^
December 1st, 2017 at 7:28 AM ^
I'm not sure that Leach simply moving to TN would cause many 4/5 star recruits to sign with the Vols. I know it's SEC territory, but it catches me more as a Rich Rod at Michigan scenario in regards to the type of players he would continue to pursue.
December 1st, 2017 at 8:33 AM ^
Most offenses get foiled by competent defenses.
FTFY.
Really, is there evidence that "manball" is more effective against Alabama's defense than, say, a power spread?
December 1st, 2017 at 8:38 AM ^
None whatsoever.
December 1st, 2017 at 2:53 PM ^
Really hard to evaluate Wazzu against the better teams due to the talent gap, but Wazzu beat the best team they played (USC). I think you are spot on when you say Leach with 4/5 start talent will be beastly. Wazzu's defense was improved this year.
December 1st, 2017 at 5:56 PM ^
I hate Tennessee and he could bring them back to relevance fairly quickly. Don't need another good team in the SEC as that conference is insufferable as it is.
December 1st, 2017 at 12:05 AM ^
This will be the first time I actually will root for a team in the SEC. I see this being a horrible hire though. He needs to be in the PAC12 or BIG12.
December 1st, 2017 at 12:01 AM ^
Why would Leach do this? He can be his quirky self in WSU with no one bothering him. I don't see the advantage that Tenn. provides to him.
December 1st, 2017 at 12:02 AM ^
The AD that hired him at WSU has moved on.
December 1st, 2017 at 12:32 AM ^
Not sure if true, but Miss St was rumored to be offering Don Brown huge dough to be DC, so I'm thinking Tennessee will open the vault for Leach to be HC.
They might even pay more just to stop peeps from laughing at their hiring process. Might be worth another 500k a year just to land Leach.
December 1st, 2017 at 12:11 AM ^
$3 million per year as WSU. He's probably being offered twice that to take this job. I'm guessing that's the advantage Tenn provides him.
And from a competitive standpoint, maybe he got sick of being second fiddle (or like fifth in the case of Texas Tech) in his own state and not being able to field a defense. Not sure if he'll be able to get a defense in Tennessee, but this does give him a better chance of making some serious noise on the national stage (albeit probably just a tiny bit better chance).
For all the embarrassing whiffs Tenn had, this wouldn't be a bad hire. Was looking for a while like they were really gonna have to reach.
EDIT: this was supposed to be a response to Marley.
December 1st, 2017 at 12:38 AM ^
I bet it's about twice too.
It won't be long and Coach Harbaugh's contract will look small.
December 1st, 2017 at 1:36 AM ^
Actually, Washington State's Defensive S&P+ Ranking this year is 23; its offense is ranked 57.
I don't know if Tennessee can embrace quirky for their head coach, but college football is more fun with Coach Leach in it. Wish him well wherever he ends up (except if he faces us in a bowl game).
December 1st, 2017 at 8:33 AM ^
I could be wrong on this, but I imagine it has got to be tough to field a defense with his offensive system no matter what players he can bring in. A high tempo, pass heavy offense tends to lead to a ton of defensive snaps correct? His players have to get fatigued by the end of games, at least more so than most other teams.
December 1st, 2017 at 12:11 AM ^
December 1st, 2017 at 8:37 AM ^
You go up the elevators. After walking there miles and the stairs are on the right. Guys funny as hell. And did you notice the neighborhood he lives in? Nice but nothing extravagant at all. Dude makes three mill a year and is a major college head coach but is still just a regular guy.
December 1st, 2017 at 9:32 AM ^
This man is a an absolute treasure. Partially selected his team captain because he appeared on the Price is Right. And this captain goes on to win 9 of 10 coin tosses after being selected captain. Amazing.
December 1st, 2017 at 12:16 AM ^
December 1st, 2017 at 12:24 AM ^
Mike Leach and Rocky Top Tennessee don't really go together for me at this point, but I could be wrong.
December 1st, 2017 at 8:44 AM ^
Both videos, Leach belongs in Pullman. Hope he stays there. Not like he needs the extra money for wardrobe expenses.
December 1st, 2017 at 11:42 AM ^
I think he wears his lawn mowing tennis shoes on the walk. Awesome.
December 1st, 2017 at 12:29 AM ^
That would be a very good hire for them!
On another note, i know im behind on this but what's up with the shae patterson transfer? Any updates on that? And any updates on bowl projections? Is it still looking like Outback against meh south carolina?
I'm bored and i need my blue friends to talk to me...
December 1st, 2017 at 12:52 AM ^
Just look through the board topics from the last few days.
All of your questions will be answered!
Go Blue!
December 1st, 2017 at 12:33 AM ^
He's going to wish he eloped.
December 1st, 2017 at 12:54 AM ^
If this ever happens, this would just be a brilliant showing of the Football Gods having a sense of humor!
December 1st, 2017 at 1:43 AM ^
December 1st, 2017 at 1:48 AM ^
December 1st, 2017 at 6:45 AM ^
December 1st, 2017 at 7:51 AM ^
December 1st, 2017 at 5:13 AM ^
Leach strikes me as a guy who doesn't really care about donors' feelings.
December 1st, 2017 at 5:53 AM ^
December 1st, 2017 at 7:11 AM ^
December 1st, 2017 at 7:41 AM ^
December 1st, 2017 at 7:51 AM ^
Aw, man. I don't want to see Leach go to a school I love to root against.
I prefer watching him publicly call out the SEC for getting their panties in a twist over satelite camps.
December 1st, 2017 at 8:06 AM ^
December 1st, 2017 at 8:42 AM ^
Yeah. I don't think Tennessee deserves Leach, really. They deserved Dave Doeren, but even Doeren turned them down. I'll be disappointed to see a coach I like go to a school I dislike.
December 1st, 2017 at 8:20 AM ^
"It's the best Tennessee can do, nobody else wants that terrible job."
Okay, media guy who definitely isn't working to help Jimmy Sexton get one of his worst clients with the worst prospects a job, Tennessee definitely can't do better than Poor Man's Randy Edsall. These national guys learned nothing from looking like putzes on Harbaugh. And the next time there's a situation like this, they'll mindlessly parrot what some agent tells them again.
Feldman wrote Leach's memoir with him and has been tight with Leach and former Leach assistants for years, that thing is probably close to a done deal with Feldman tweeting that.
December 1st, 2017 at 8:31 AM ^
It could just be me, but Mike Leach and all the things that he is and isn't work well at a place like Washington State, and I don't know that Tennessee fans and boosters would react quite the same way. That being said, Leach is not the type who is inclined to care about what such people think, which may or may not fly in the SEC, although it would be hilarious to watch him be a pain in the ass to Tennessee fans yet somehow succeed there.
I don't think it is the best fit, but then Mike Leach doesn't care what I think either, of course.
December 1st, 2017 at 8:36 AM ^
I would like to see him in the SEC and hopefully continue to call out their nonsense. Would be nice to have a dissenter on the inside.
December 1st, 2017 at 8:43 AM ^
One question: is Tennessee orange in Leach's color wheel? :-)
If this is true, it's an interesting choice. Not sure it's the best.