OT: Washington State Player Leaves Program, Alleges Abuse by Staff

When I read it, it looks like it says, "Those mean men wanted me to lift weights and yelled at me when I didn't! WHAA!"

Big whoop. So the kid had a concussion and was putin a tool shed. That's not half as bad as what my uncle from Georgia did to me when I dropped a screen pass in 7th grade.



/s

Given Mike Leach's alleged past.*  

Oh you mean a spoiled son of an ESPN analyst getting pissed off at lack of PT and making things up.

Justin Boren left because of the "lack of family values," and Kurt Wermers left because of the thuggish players MIchigan was bringing in.

Leach does seem a little harsh this season, but his team is a massive disappointment and he was never the friendliest. I'm gonna chalk this up to a tough transition to an authoritarian coach unless some other evidence is brought forward.

Maybe he should have played better if he didn't want to get yelled at.

CJK5H

I'm not buying Wilson's story.  He's a junior.  I liken him to the same dudes who quit on Rodriguez for swearing at them and dogging them in practice. None of the current players on this WSU team know about winning or practicing hard. Prior to Leach's arrive, WSU won 8 games over the previous 4 years.

I know he's much beloved by a large segment of fans, but there's a reason Mike Leach had to beg for interviews during his time at TTU and it has nothing to do with Craig James since the situation long pre-dated that incident.

This was a hot topic on Seattle sports radio this week. Apparently, Leach had the OL at the PC after last week's embarrassment in the name of accountability. I don't know the specifics but I heard one of the OL ended up crying. On Sunday WSU held conditioning instead of practice. Wilson left mid-practice and cleaned out his locker.



Leach has been pretty tough this year, calling his team "walking dead" & saying they play like zombies.



It's a tough job to change a losing culture like WSU. Leach is definitely raising the bar & splitting the fan base.



I find it funny that Wilson said he's not a quitter but quit the team. I was thinking he should transfer to UM. We could use another receiver.



After hearing more about it, I think Leach should get the benefit of the doubt.

Regardless of the truth in this situation, I think we should take this time to step back and remember the 5.

Pretty sure Leach is a nutjob.

Did he say he wanted to "shed" some light on the situation? Marquess, I see what you did there.

I mean yes cjk5h and all but this is getting to be a pattern. If I were a recruits parent I wouldnt let my kid play for mike leach

I'm not really buying the whole thing. If he was really trying to protect his teammates or whatever, why would he drop this 2 hours before the game? It feels to me that he's quitting the team, and saying this to grab some attention

There was an article on Yahoo! Sports published just before  all this came into light about how ...well.... reportedly unsupportive Leach has been of the Cougars at times. Here is the link. CougFan.com has been keeping track of some of the comments apparently. Since it seems that some of the quotes were taken from  fansites in the article, obviously it is to be taken with some skepticism...

Regarding his offensive line, for example:

"Our five couldn't whip their two," Leach said, according to CougFan.com. "Sometimes they only brought two. Our five couldn't whip their two. Which means, if five of our guys went in an alley and got in a fight with two of theirs, we would have gotten massacred. That's just ridiculously inexcusable. It was one of the most heartless efforts up front I've seen; and our defensive line wasn't any better."

I will say, however, that Mike Leach is a radical departure from what Washington State has been and, if you're going from 20 years of .500-ish performance to the doldrums of Paul Wulff and then Mike Leach, dramatic departures were likely in order for a few people anyway. Without knowing much more, this seems like it is a multi-dimensional tale of cultural change on the surface. It will be interesting to see if the athletic department or school has any kind of statement in time. 

Craig James was the best thing that could have happened to Mike Leach. People are expected to take sides in a situation and it's impossible to be on the side of someone at the same time so offensive and so obviously in the wrong as James. That, I suppose, means you have to be on the side of Leach. If it's necessary to be on a side at all.

But what I remember from the various revelations at the time--remember the leaked e-mails about his contract negotations?--was that absolutely everyone involved looked terrible. The AD, Leach, the important boosters--it was an embarrassing clusterfuck of unprofessional behavior and seemed to have been for years, and that was before James stepped in and lowered the bar even further.

This is a weird story. Player seems shady. Coach seems like he can't manage PR.



Maybe this, maybe that.



Too much bs drama nowadays. Hope this is what it seems at face value. Bitter player, no nonsense coach. Worst case, Leach has too much pirate in him after all.

Mike Leach is a good coach, albeit unconventional. This just sounds like sour grapes to me. If I was a middling BCS program I'd love to have him as a coach because he doesn't need top flight talent to succeed. His upside for WSU is big and I expect them to shake the PAC 12 up in 2 years time. 

I think its true. Why would Marquess lie about this? He has to much to lose. He's a first round draft pick, and thought of as the greatest thing sense Ryan Leaf to Cougar fans. Leach has had these allegations before also .

has sucked for most of my 40+ years of life.

Michigan fans know that new regimes always have detractors, and that's part of the deal.  While this is an interesting story right now, that's all it is: a story.

Am I interested?  I guess.  But only if there's proof that something that's illegal, unethical, or out-of-line has been done.

Michigan fans know that new regimes always have detractors, and that's part of the deal.  While this is an interesting story right now, that's all it is: a story.

Am I interested?  I guess.  But only if there's proof that something that's illegal, unethical, or out-of-line has been done.

There is no way Leach would actually do anything that could be interpreted as "abuse," becuase of what was done to him by the James family.  OTOH, if somebody is too lazy and entitled to take being coached, he might as well throw something like this against the wall and hope it sticks.  

I mean, that is how things are done in this era, correct?  Fire off accusations and hope for a viral pity party?

Here's part of his "statement:"

I realize the school is saying that I am suspended for violating team policies and may return next week, but this is a lie. This is an attempt by the athletic department to cover up what is really happening in that locker room.

If you're interested in this story...have a look at this article by a WSU beat writer. 

http://www.cougcenter.com/wsu-cougars-football/2012/11/10/3629290/marque...

doesn't mean Leach isn't a dumbass, too. Glad we've got a coach who would never denigrate our kids like that. I don't really see that it makes your d*ck bigger to come on and shout that the kids are p*ssies every time charges like this come up. We all know there's a fair amount of abuse out there. 

Seems like everybody on this thread, with VERY little info, is already jumping to conclusions, with most leaning against the student and pro Mike Leach. Usually you get more thoughtful commentary on mgoblog...

I read Leach's book, and i think the dude is brilliant. He certainly pushes his players, and there are certainly ones that don't like or want the push. He is building a culture of toughness. That requires discipline and work. That is never pleasant at the time, but pays off down the line.

My guess is that things got a little too hot for Wilson. Abuse though? Thats offensive to those that had suffered or experienced real abuse.

I'm sure Leach is a bit of a jerk, but one of the two parties involved here turned Texas Tech into a top-15 team with minimal recruiting or talent.  The other is a good receiver on a crappy team.  Wilson is definitely a good player, but Leach is trying to turn this team into a winning program, and unless he's beating you with a hose or threatening your life, you may need to trust him in his methods.

Mike Leach is a jackass of the highest order. Smart guy, toxic personality.