Mike Leach... Wow...
Now let me say this in advance: If the coach tells you to do something and you do it and it doesn't work, that's on the coach. But if the coach tells you to do something and you don't do it and it doesn't work, that's on you.
I didn't see the game, so I don't know which one is true here, and I know Leach is an oddball (but I also think he knows his stuff when it comes to offense as well).
Your thoughts on this? Not on Leach in general (we're past that) but on this particular reaction.
September 29th, 2019 at 8:32 AM ^
Nothing really new here. Seems like Leach calls out his team every year or so. More likely a signal that they are heading for a disappointing year rather than an effective way to rally the team. I don’t like it. Puts the responsibility on the players rather than starting with the coaches.
September 29th, 2019 at 8:37 AM ^
Fat, dumb and happy used to be a common insult to motivate groups of young men. I'm assuming given his age and general lack of gaf that's just what this is.
He's probably tried quite a few things in practice and that hasn't worked, so now he's trying calling them out in public.
September 29th, 2019 at 12:15 PM ^
You're thinking of "fat, drunk, and stupid."
September 29th, 2019 at 8:57 PM ^
Actually. Yes, that is probably more likely. Thank you.
September 29th, 2019 at 8:47 AM ^
If Harbaugh decides to leave after this season, Mike Leach is the only guy I'd want as the head coach at MICH
But please don't leave Coach Harbaugh.
September 29th, 2019 at 8:54 AM ^
You must miss the Rich Rod years.
September 29th, 2019 at 9:05 AM ^
I can think of so many better choices... Like, anyone that can spell defense!
September 29th, 2019 at 11:05 AM ^
You misspelled "Chris Peterson ". Leach, though, for press conferences.
And yes, please stay, Coach Harbaugh.
September 29th, 2019 at 1:25 PM ^
Chris Petersen is not leaving the west coast.
If he leaves Washington, he's going to USC...not Michigan. You people saying Peterson are the same people that thought Mark Few would leave Gonzaga.
Your choices are Matt Campbell and a bunch of assistant coaches, maybe Clemson's OCs or Venabels or Dave Aranda at LSU.
Fire Harbaugh and you're in a Beilein situation...only we brought it on ourselves and it wasn't because we were blindsided and didn't have the best options.
We were never going to get Few, Wright or Bennett...never. You can say the same about the top college football coaches.
Not defending Harbaugh AT ALL...just saying you're not going to do any better this year. You're better off waiting until you have a better shot at someone.
September 29th, 2019 at 12:01 PM ^
You want a guy who doesn't understand the importance of defense? Hmm, if only we already had data on how that might work out at Michigan...
September 29th, 2019 at 8:50 AM ^
While I normally find Leach amusing, I think this type of whining is unacceptable. He’s whining about his players being whiners. As a leader, it’s his job to set a better example and to not publicly throw his players under the bus. This isn’t the proper way to motivate them.
Basically, he went full Izzo. Izzo gets away with it because he wins a lot and puts a lot of guys in the NBA. Without that type of success, Leach is just making recruiting that much more difficult on himself. There were already questions about how he treated his players in the past and he’s just further sullying his reputation.
September 29th, 2019 at 9:12 AM ^
Is Leach also talking about Michigan FB?
September 29th, 2019 at 9:17 AM ^
Justin Feagin...
Wow...
September 29th, 2019 at 9:21 AM ^
I'm disappointed he didn't have any feedback on his players girlfriends.
September 29th, 2019 at 9:24 AM ^
I can't stand Mike Leach and I'm glad to see he can blame 18-22 year olds all day long without taking any accountability himself. Typical baby boomer.
September 29th, 2019 at 11:00 AM ^
There are lots of folks on here with a man crush on Mike Leach, I cant stand the guy either. Thankfully the Mike Leach to Michigan talk is about as likely as Urban Meyer - aka 0% chance.
September 29th, 2019 at 9:27 AM ^
The only thing I found ridiculous is when he said: "WE get a lot of press."
He must mean the "Royal We" on that, cuz other than the QB with the "porn stache" they never take the camera off HIS fat ass.
September 29th, 2019 at 9:28 AM ^
Sounds like some of the things people on this blog was saying about Michigan last week
September 29th, 2019 at 9:29 AM ^
Fat, dumb, and happy--sounds like he's describing his DC, Tracy Claeys.
September 29th, 2019 at 9:30 AM ^
Fat, dumb, and happy--sounds like he's describing his DC, Tracy Claeys.
September 29th, 2019 at 9:31 AM ^
Damn, Try Marine Corp boot camp:) We had D.I.'s that used the same kind of talk just a bit harsher. He is probably right, believing their own press.
September 29th, 2019 at 9:49 AM ^
Nothing to see here
September 29th, 2019 at 10:02 AM ^
It is hilarious to look back 7 days ago at all of the Michigan fans clamoring for Leach to replace Harbaugh. Since that moment, he choked away an incomprehensible lead to the decomposing corpse of UCLA and then got whooped on the road at #18 Utah, 38-13.
This guy was everyone's obvious answer to us getting whooped on the road at #13 Wisconsin, 35-14.
I guess it doesn't matter if you suck ass as long as you give entertaining press conferences. Anybody who called for Leach to replace Harbaugh last week needs a self-imposed "I wont say shit about coaching because I'm a moron" moratorium until further notice. I won't call out names, but I remember. Shhhh.
September 29th, 2019 at 10:48 AM ^
Good lord, were there people actually clamoring for Mike Leach to replace Harbaugh? That is completely stupid.
He has had one ranked team at WSU -- one. That was last year, when his overrated team played no one in the non-conference, beat no teams that ended the year in the top 20, and lost (again) by double-digits to their biggest rival.
The Pac-12 has been down for a decade, with traditional power USC largely floundering, and he hasn't been able to make real headway. And people expected him to come into the Big 10 and compete with OSU, PSU, Wisconsin, etc?
People place way too much emphasis on press conference demeanor, fun interviews, and whether someone is innovative. That means squat for real big-time programs if you can't win big, consistently.
September 29th, 2019 at 10:04 AM ^
Wow, you think very highly of yourself.
Post some shit on a message board and then tell the people HOW and WHAT to reply!
By the way, is your last name "Author" or are you trying to pretend you're some kind of actual writer?
September 29th, 2019 at 10:05 AM ^
Leach is an asshole and always has been
September 29th, 2019 at 10:15 AM ^
For telling the truth? Sawft.
September 29th, 2019 at 10:07 AM ^
Mike Zordich says hi!
September 29th, 2019 at 10:14 AM ^
I like Leach a lot. He probably needs to back off on the verbally abusive antics in this day and age though. I’m the last person to be politically correct but the whole “cruelty with words” shouldn’t be the main motivating tactic for young kids.
He reminds me of a Bobby Knight/ Donald Trump type personality. Some of his antics may make you cringe but that doesn’t mean he’s not good at what he does.
September 29th, 2019 at 10:37 AM ^
One of your examples is NOT good at what he currently does.
September 29th, 2019 at 12:55 PM ^
Hang in there the next 6 years buddy....you’ll be ok. Go find your safe zone.
September 29th, 2019 at 10:14 AM ^
After two tough losses, including a 38-13 thrashing by No. 19 Utah on Saturday night, Leach let loose on his feelings about his team and its performances, describing the Cougars as "fat, dumb, happy and entitled."
"We're a very soft team," Leach said. "We get a lot of good press. We like to read it a lot. We like to pat ourselves on the back, and if we get any resistance, we fold."
"I think we've got a bunch of free agents running around there that think they're pretty special, and then as soon as something doesn't go their way, they want to pout," Leach said.
I mean, every word he's said could be applied to the Michigan program. Anyone that debates that, hasn't been watching these past couple decades.
September 29th, 2019 at 10:43 AM ^
Maybe if you ignore dumb and happy it sounds like that.
The program's "problem" is our students go to school too much, doncha know?
And not too many UofM players have looked happy lately.
Not to mention, the team has "folded" when things go bad in maybe three games in the Harbaugh era, and they have battled back through adversity much more often.
Fuzzy narratives abound.
September 29th, 2019 at 10:21 AM ^
To me, the most shockingly unmentioned aspect of this post is that Kyle Wittingham has never gotten a job better than Utah. He's a hell of a coach. Not sure that anyone in the nation currently coaching has done more with less for for such a block of time. This is a WAC team in one of the least populated states, competing with BYU for recruits, who consistently sticks it to the biggies in the PAC12. Here he makes everyone's darling Mike Leach look like an amateur.
September 29th, 2019 at 10:50 AM ^
But he doesn't live in Key West in the off-season and give wacky phone interviews, so you don't get the press constantly puffing him up like Leach.
September 29th, 2019 at 12:00 PM ^
He's a devout Mormon, so life in Utah is probably good for him.
September 29th, 2019 at 1:29 PM ^
I'm not suggesting there is more than a remote chance he'd come here, if it came to be a possibility -- just that he's better than Leach. Most important, he's from Utah, went to BYU, and has been coaching at the University of Utah (in some form) for over 20 years straight. He's also 59 years old. I think he's a Utah lifer.
September 29th, 2019 at 10:25 AM ^
And there are a bunch of geniuses hanging out here that called for Leach to be “Michigan’s next coach” in the last week.
September 29th, 2019 at 10:55 AM ^
What did you expect from a big fat dumb coach?
September 29th, 2019 at 10:55 AM ^
I wonder how people would've responded to and interpreted these statements had they been said by, say, Dantonio or Meyer.
September 29th, 2019 at 10:58 AM ^
Seems like an honest assessment of his team at this time. If he called out an individual person it would be a problem but he’s speaking in general about his team. I’m okay with what he said and I like the guy. I don’t want him as our coach, but it would be great if he takes over at MSU or somewhere else in the Big Ten.
September 29th, 2019 at 11:13 AM ^
Mike Leach is awesome, it was a general overall team comment. I got a laugh out of it, then forgot it was an issue.
September 29th, 2019 at 11:45 AM ^
similar thing happened at ttu where they were great for a year or two then he seemed to lose the team or something and they wound up being mediocre thereafter...
September 29th, 2019 at 11:58 AM ^
Wasn't there an incident there involving Craig James kid?
Allegedly, Craig James killed 5 hookers while at SMU.
September 29th, 2019 at 12:15 PM ^
that allegation about CJ killing 5 hookers while at SMU is completely false; it was six, but two of those "incidents" took place in S. Padre Island during '81 spring break, NOT "while at SMU" ;)
September 29th, 2019 at 11:45 AM ^
similar thing happened at ttu where they were great for a year or two then he seemed to lose the team or something and they wound up being mediocre thereafter...
September 29th, 2019 at 12:08 PM ^
perhaps this latest example Leach evading any personal responsibility for "his actions/coaching" will further quiet the 'lets hire Leach' club crew?
apparently this 'he speaks his mind' leadership model (no matter how wrong, ignorant or reckless; and always seems to blame someone else for his words/ill-conceived action/inactions) appeals to many Americans
September 29th, 2019 at 12:12 PM ^
You are an idiot. Wow
September 29th, 2019 at 12:45 PM ^
I still laugh at the dopes pining for him to be Michigan coach a week ago ????
September 29th, 2019 at 12:54 PM ^
He should definitely replace Harbaugh.