WSU Alum condemns WSU football’s head coach, Mike Leach, following the Cougar’s seventh consecutive loss in the Apple Cup.
It was a week of rivalry across the state as Washington State University (6-7) took on the University of Washington (8-5) on Nov. 29 in the Apple Cup. This marked the seventh consecutive lost against Coug’s in-state rivals, UW, and what followed the game brought more attention to the Coug’s shortcomings.
In 13 plays, the Cougars marched down the field and scored the opening touchdown of the match. After a Husky possession that stalled after three attempts, the Cougars had a chance to take a two-score lead. Instead, there were only three plays and a punt to give the ball back to UW.
The Huskies continued forward, scoring a touchdown that tied the game at the end of the first quarter. The Cougars answered the Huskies’ scoring drive with a field goal. This was the Cougar’s final lead of the game.
In the second half, the Huskies outscored the Cougars 10 to three for a final score of 31 to 13.
What was mostly a one-sided game led to a postgame press conference that received almost as much attention as the match itself.
WSU’s head coach, Mike Leach, was asked how the Huskies have managed to maintain dominance during Leach’s tenure with the Cougars. In his response, Leach explained that every year of his tenure, the Huskies have had a higher ranked recruiting class by national media than the Cougar’s. “As fast as you guys rank [the Huskies] recruiting class in the top 10 and then you’re always surprised when they win,” Leach said.
Sports columnist John Blanchette of the Spokesmen Review of Spokane asked Leach if having a lesser ranked recruiting class meant the Cougs were not supposed to beat the higher-ranked teams. “Well we certainly have before, we didn’t win this one and I don’t care to have a big discussion on it because I really don’t care what you think,” Leach said.
Leach continued, referring to Blanchette as a “sanctimonious troll.”
“—you run your little column and stuff like some sanctimonious troll, where you’ve never been fair or even-handed with us, so I really don’t care what you think. OK, go ahead, because you’re going to write some really nasty stuff like you always do. And I don’t know which Coug way back when did something that offended you, but I don’t really care about that either. If you can live your little meager life in your hole and write nasty things and that makes you feel even, you go right ahead,” Leach said.
Following Leach’s comments, the Washington State Association of Broadcasters & the Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington sent a letter to WSU President Kirk Schulz and WSU Athletic Director Pat Chun.
The letter was written by WSU alumnus Keith Shipman, calling Leach’s words unprofessional and uncalled for and asking that Leach offer Blanchette a public apology. It condemned Leach’s action towards Blanchette while noting he was representing a public institution of higher learning.
On Dec. 5, less than a week after the Apple Cup, WSU athletics announced a provision had been made to Leach’s contract which will extend him through the 2024 football season. Both Shulz and Chun made no comment regarding Leach’s actions toward Blanchette.
Reported by the Lewiston Tribune, Leach does not think he owes anyone an apology and said, “I have no regrets whatsoever.”
Brody Voge is a junior at WSU Vancouver studying strategic communications.