Star WR at Washington St alleges "abuse" from Leach, coaching staff

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"This was going to be our year. My teammates and I were aspiring to be the winning team you deserve," Wilson issued in a statement to Cougar Nation, according to the Visalia (Calif.) Times-Delta. "Unfortunately for all, the new coaching staff has destroyed that endeavor.

"I believe coaches have a chance to mold players, to shape men, to create greatness. However, the new regime of coaches has preferred to belittle, intimidate and humiliate us. This approach has obviously not been successful, and has put a dark shadow on this program."

http://espn.go.com/college-football...gars-leaves-team-alleges-abuse-coaching-staff

Go Gophers!!
 

I'm not shocked. Anyone still wish we had hired Leach?
 



GophersInIowa said:
I'm not shocked. Anyone still wish we had hired Leach?
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WOW.... What a disaster that would have been. Everything in life happens for a reason and we were allowed to build our program by not having him and getting Jerry.
 


Leach is a wack-job. It was intriguing to think of his high-flying offense here had the U taken a flyer on him. I'm absolutely convinced we were fortunate the U and it's search firm didn't consider him. Initially I thought James was an over-the-top Dad but having read some of the internal Texas Tech correspondence during his contract negotiations it seemed pretty obvious the TT admin realized they were sitting on a powder-keg and wanted him gone in spite of his success. I don't see this ending well for WSU.
 

Let's just wait for this all to play out before we point fingers at who was in the wrong here. Gotta feel bad for the kid if what he is implying at is true. He seems like a good student and athlete.

This is the first I've heard of the story, so I'm interested in seeing all the facts. On a side note, I'm happy we have Kill here. If we win or lose, I know we will be doing it the right way and he will be treating our players with all the respect they deserve!
 

GophersInIowa said:
I'm not shocked. Anyone still wish we had hired Leach?
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Yes. Just because some kid is whining doesn't mean squat to me. Washington St. has been hands down the worst BCS team the past 5 years before Leach got there. They weren't going to be a winning team no matter what happened and this kid is probably upset the coaches are giving young kids experience over him. Probably believes he should be the star by default and not have to work for it. I don't have much appreciation for kids like that.
 

I never wanted Leach, but he would have probably filled the stadium for a year or two before going completely bat-sh*t crazy and getting run out of town on a rail. I don't know whether or not that would have put the program back further or not, but it was a risk I'm glad the U didn't take. My aversion to Leach is he's one of these guys who simply thinks everyone else is wrong and he's right. Glad to see Texas Tech is 7-3 this season.

Edit: sparlimb, I just checked on the kid doing the complaining was a starter and WSU's leading receiver.
 



epgopher said:
Leach is a wack-job. It was intriguing to think of his high-flying offense here had the U taken a flyer on him. I'm absolutely convinced we were fortunate the U and it's search firm didn't consider him. Initially I thought James was an over-the-top Dad but having read some of the internal Texas Tech correspondence during his contract negotiations it seemed pretty obvious the TT admin realized they were sitting on a powder-keg and wanted him gone in spite of his success. I don't see this ending well for WSU.
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I would consider your intitial assessment of Craig James spot on. I would wait for a number of things to play out before passing judgment. WSU knew EXACTLY what it was getting and, in all honesty, it is exactly what that program needs in terms of digging out of the pit they've been in for some time.
I just watched an O Lineman on the sidelines (pre-game) cracking a joke with the guy. Mike Leach will literally break his players' psyches. It is his MO. You don't have to agree with his methodology but it has proven to be effective. Have been and will continue to support the Coach Kill hire but one has to assume any University which hires Coach Leach (post TT) knows what they are getting.........an unorthodox, mad scientist that could give a rat's a__ about how others think of his methods. Notice on this stuff, nobody goes to a Wes Welker, Michael Crabtree, Kliff Kingsbury, Graham Harrell et al. to ask them about their opinions of him.
 

50PoundHead said:
I never wanted Leach, but he would have probably filled the stadium for a year or two before going completely bat-sh*t crazy and getting run out of town on a rail. I don't know whether or not that would have put the program back further or not, but it was a risk I'm glad the U didn't take. My aversion to Leach is he's one of these guys who simply thinks everyone else is wrong and he's right. Glad to see Texas Tech is 7-3 this season.

Edit: sparlimb, I just checked on the kid doing the complaining was a starter and WSU's leading receiver.
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Correct. He had 52 receptions, 5 TD's, and refused to complete a drill that was asked of him at practice.
 


Don't know but he was probably asked to do some rollers with his team as Leach loves those for accountability. Players he has had despised those.
 



WSU playing UCLA tough so far tonight.

Sometime I wonder if these sorts of stories are just ESPN making *&^!#*&^!#*&^!#*&^!# up to encourage people to watch the games they have on tv that weekend. I wouldn't be surprised if ESPN exagerated the story some...
 

Sparlimb said:
Yes. Just because some kid is whining doesn't mean squat to me. Washington St. has been hands down the worst BCS team the past 5 years before Leach got there. They weren't going to be a winning team no matter what happened and this kid is probably upset the coaches are giving young kids experience over him. Probably believes he should be the star by default and not have to work for it. I don't have much appreciation for kids like that.
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This story is a failure on several levels. It hypes the accomplishments of this player, yet does not really expain the so called abuse.

When new coaches take over programs it is not often nice, clean or pretty. Mike Leach is not the story here, and Mike Leach will do well from this point onward.

Leach may or may not win big at WSU, but this story is certainly weak.

The fact the Craig James and his son are now both now disgraced as one is a former paid off SMU fraud and his son is a spoliled lazy non productive malcontet.
will be fine at WSU and this great WSU player will maybe make some money in the CFL if he is lucky.

I know the Burger King down the hill from where I live would fire the son of Craig James within a week if they made the mistake of hiring the punk. He is a fraud
 

Nort73 said:
Let's just wait for this all to play out before we point fingers at who was in the wrong here. Gotta feel bad for the kid if what he is implying at is true. He seems like a good student and athlete.

This is the first I've heard of the story, so I'm interested in seeing all the facts. On a side note, I'm happy we have Kill here. If we win or lose, I know we will be doing it the right way and he will be treating our players with all the respect they deserve!
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^This.

It's the first year. People were pissed about Kill last year, too. And Kill didn't mentally break down our team like Leach does. This was bound to happen. Lets wait a few years before we all spaz about this.
 


Sparlimb said:
Yes. Just because some kid is whining doesn't mean squat to me. Washington St. has been hands down the worst BCS team the past 5 years before Leach got there. They weren't going to be a winning team no matter what happened and this kid is probably upset the coaches are giving young kids experience over him. Probably believes he should be the star by default and not have to work for it. I don't have much appreciation for kids like that.
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Drama seems to find him, that's all I meant. You don't hear a whole of this happening at other programs. Now you've heard something like this several times with Leach as the coach.
 

It is sort of sad and scary to know that Mike Price, who Jumped from WSU tob Alabama, only to be fired for hanging with stripers is still toiling in El Paso.

WSU should have bit the bullet and begged Price to come back, when Bill Douba was still an unknown. Years later, WSU still is taking on water, and poor ol' Mike Price is still on the Rio Grande.
 

I've never been fond of how quickly Leach is to throw his players under the bus. He is a little too outspoken, considering he's never really accomplished anything major. He also seems to have a drinking problem (from being at events where he is noticibly intoxicated and from having a friend who was a bartender in Lubbock who had to call people to come pick him up). Leach wants to create a pirate, outlaw kid of culture on his team, but then wonders why his players don't want to listen to him.

The guy does have a true mind for college football and can do much more with less than most coaches, but he really needs to be an OC somewhere under a head coach who runs the program the right way.
 

50PoundHead said:
I never wanted Leach, but he would have probably filled the stadium for a year or two before going completely bat-sh*t crazy and getting run out of town on a rail. I don't know whether or not that would have put the program back further or not, but it was a risk I'm glad the U didn't take. My aversion to Leach is he's one of these guys who simply thinks everyone else is wrong and he's right. Glad to see Texas Tech is 7-3 this season.

Edit: sparlimb, I just checked on the kid doing the complaining was a starter and WSU's leading receiver.
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The only difference from Saban and Leach in this aspect is Saban has a few more wins this year. Why would a good coach ever let himself be 2nd guessed in this spot? WSU has sucked for a long time. It wasn't going to be easy for Leach to turn the program and the mindset around in Pullman.
 

panolo said:
The only difference from Saban and Leach in this aspect is Saban has a few more wins this year. Why would a good coach ever let himself be 2nd guessed in this spot? WSU has sucked for a long time. It wasn't going to be easy for Leach to turn the program and the mindset around in Pullman.
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Won't happen. Three and gone to some other desperately stupid BCS program. Dennis Erickson, Gene Chizik, Skip Holtz, Rich Rodriguez...the list goes on and on.
 

Sparlimb said:
Yes. Just because some kid is whining doesn't mean squat to me. Washington St. has been hands down the worst BCS team the past 5 years before Leach got there. They weren't going to be a winning team no matter what happened and this kid is probably upset the coaches are giving young kids experience over him. Probably believes he should be the star by default and not have to work for it. I don't have much appreciation for kids like that.
Click to expand...

Some kid is whining? He is their most talented receiver. I understand giving Leach the benefit of the doubt, but this isn't the first similar accusation. This has been brought up in the past. It has something to do with him losing the coaching gig at TTech and not being considered at many other schools (MN included).
 

panolo said:
The only difference from Saban and Leach in this aspect is Saban has a few more wins this year. Why would a good coach ever let himself be 2nd guessed in this spot? WSU has sucked for a long time. It wasn't going to be easy for Leach to turn the program and the mindset around in Pullman.
Click to expand...

I don't hear former and current Gophers complaining about the mindset changes and how Kill and staff go about it. Leach has character issues and will be out of a job again.
 

Living proof that you are who you are. Leach is a self-important a&&hole. The end doesnt always justify the means.
 

TexasAggie11 said:
I've never been fond of how quickly Leach is to throw his players under the bus. He is a little too outspoken, considering he's never really accomplished anything major. He also seems to have a drinking problem (from being at events where he is noticibly intoxicated and from having a friend who was a bartender in Lubbock who had to call people to come pick him up). Leach wants to create a pirate, outlaw kid of culture on his team, but then wonders why his players don't want to listen to him.

The guy does have a true mind for college football and can do much more with less than most coaches, but he really needs to be an OC somewhere under a head coach who runs the program the right way.
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Agree on both counts.

FWIW, people in Lubbock are still divided about Leach, and yesterday's sideline episode with Tuberville has just reopened the wound:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSVdIFAud94

Happens at about :45

BTW, as much as it pains me to say it TA11, nice win yesterday. (Just kidding. It doesn't pain me at all.)
 


I like leach, I think he's a very good coach and he was the 2nd in my to only sumlin when we we were looking to replace brew. I always give coaches the benefit of the doubt because of soft kids are these days. I have a buddy who coaches football in Illinois and was accused of assault because he smacked a kids backside after a good play in practice. I'm convinced many of our youth are always looking for a way to get attention or an easy dollar no matter who it hurts. It makes it easy to target leach because of his issue at Texas, I guess I wouldn't be surprised if it was made up and I guess I wouldn't be surprised if it was true. We will find out more soon
 

Solution? Drop all intercollegiate athletics and let kids get their degrees the old fashioned way. Earn It.

In reality, there is a fine line between when kids today feel challenged or when they feel abused. A lot depends on parenting and nurturing. If they can handle it?? They are challenged. If they can't handle it?? They are abused. All in the mind of a child.
 

Dr.Don said:
Solution? Drop all intercollegiate athletics and let kids get their degrees the old fashioned way. Earn It.

In reality, there is a fine line between when kids today feel challenged or when they feel abused. A lot depends on parenting and nurturing. If they can handle it?? They are challenged. If they can't handle it?? They are abused. All in the mind of a child.
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I'd add: All in the mind of the parent. There is nothing worse than the positive affirmation parent (I love you, you're special, you're the best, bff, etc.) who creates in the mind of the child a "victim" mentality any time the kid doesn't get their way. I'm not supporting Leach and his actions or suggesting past/present players don't have legitimate gripes against Leach. This post is a bit off thread but I do think a lot of parents have created a culture of I'm a victim resulting in a lot of today's kids being pathetic pussies. Sad.
 

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