The Washington St. Cougars are trying to strike it big. And they have hit gold.
Mike Leach has verbally agreed to become the next coach of the Cougars, reports Bruce Feldman of CBS Sports. The details of the agreement aren't clear, but it's likely Leach will be highly compensated compared to his predecessor Paul Wulff. Athletic Director Bill Moos said WSU were aiming high, and it doesn't really get much higher than the Pirate.
Leach will be walking into an advantageous situation. The Cougars have a fairly functional offense in place that loves to pass the football, has two solid quarterbacking options in Jeff Tuel and Connor Halliday, and a premier receiving threat in Marquess Wilson. Washington State finished 4-8 last season, but they were competitive in many of their contests and the problems started on defense.
Leach should help the Cougars become more efficient with his Airraid attack, and help minimize the current weaknesses of the football team. It brings yet another exciting offensive-minded coach to the Pac-12, which has been filling up with innovative minds the last half-decade.
For more on Leach and WSU football, head to CougCenter.