Mike Leach ( coach ) Michael C . " Mike " Leach ( born March 9 , 1961 ) is an American college football coach . He is the head coach of the Washington State Cougars football team . Previously , he was head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team , leading the Red Raiders to winning seasons in every year of his tenure . Personal life . Born to Frank and Sandra Leach in Susanville , California , Mike Leach claims Cody , Wyoming , as his hometown . He graduated from Cody High School before studying at Brigham Young University , where he closely followed the exploits of the Brigham Young Cougars . The Cougars , guided by head coach LaVell Edwards and offensive coordinator Norm Chow , played a pass - oriented offense . Leach graduated in 1983 with a bachelor ' s degree in American Studies . In 1986 , Leach earned a Juris Doctor ( J . D . ) from Pepperdine University School of Law . Leach is also one of the most prominent graduates of the United States Sports Academy , from which he earned a Master ' s of Sports Science in Sports Coaching in 1988 . Leach is married with four children . He was raised a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter - day Saints . Leach is atypical among NCAA Division I head football coaches in that he did not play football at the college level . He was one of only seven such coaches , with Paul Johnson at Georgia Tech , David Cutcliffe at Duke , George O ' Leary at UCF , Bobby Hauck at UNLV , Charlie Weis at Kansas , and Chip Kelly at Oregon . Famous among fans for his fascination with 18th - century pirates such as Blackbeard and Calico Jack , Leach has lectured his players on the history of pirates , and told them before games to " swing their swords . " His office has been described as a museum of pirate paraphernalia . In particular , Leach admires the teamwork exhibited by pirates : Leach ' s affinity for pirates came to bear in a cameo he made on the TV series " Friday Night Lights " . In the show ' s fourth season , he portrays a " random loon " at a gas station who implores a despondent coach Eric Taylor to " swing your sword " and " find your inner pirate . " Leach spends time during each off - season learning as much as he can about various things that interest him . Aside from pirates , he has researched topics such as Native American leader Geronimo , American pioneer Daniel Boone , grizzly bears , chimpanzees , whales , and American artist Jackson Pollock . Coaching career . Offensive scheme . Leach is known for building some very potent offenses , directing very prolific passing - oriented teams that have broken school and NCAA records at Valdosta State and Kentucky where he was offensive coordinator under Hal Mumme , developing their famed " Air Raid Offense " , at Oklahoma under head coach Bob Stoops , and Texas Tech , where he became head coach in 2000 . Leach ' s spread offense relies heavily on passing and he has seen several of his quarterbacks post NCAA records . At Kentucky he tutored prospect Tim Couch into a No . 1 NFL draft pick . At Oklahoma , Josh Heupel became an NFL draft pick following a year under Leach ' s tutelage . Texas Tech . The Leach - coached Red Raiders ' best finishes came with their nine - win seasons in 2002 , 2005 , and 2007 and an 11 - win season in 2008 . In 2002 , Tech swept its in - state conference rivals Baylor , Texas , and Texas A & M for the first time since 1997 and then defeated Clemson , 55 – 15 , in the Tangerine Bowl . It was the Red Raiders ' first postseason win since 1995 when they beat the Air Force Falcons in the Copper Bowl . In 2005 , the Red Raiders opened their season with a 6 – 0 record , their best start since 1998 , and defeated Oklahoma for the first time under Leach . Leach built a strong passing offense at Tech , where the Red Raiders led the NCAA in passing yardage for four years in a row . He inserted Kliff Kingsbury at quarterback for three years . Kingsbury broke the NCAA records for completions in a career . Kingsbury was succeeded at the position by B . J . Symons , who produced the most passing yards in a season in NCAA history . Sonny Cumbie followed , leading the Red Raiders to an upset of the then - 4th ranked California in the Holiday Bowl . Cody Hodges succeeded Cumbie , and subsequently lead the NCAA in passing . Graham Harrell , the first non - senior starting QB since Kingsbury , struggled early in the 2006 season . However , he showed steady improvement beginning with the game against Iowa State and ended the season with a record - setting comeback victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers . Harrell also set NCAA records for passes completed in a season and career amongst others . Under Mike Leach , Texas Tech was known for its high - scoring offense and come - from - behind victories . A 70 – 35 win over TCU in 2004 began with TCU leading 21 – 0 with eight minutes remaining in the second quarter . Before Tech ' s scoring drives started , a TCU defensive back was caught mouthing into a TV camera , " They aren ' t going to score . " Later in the season , Texas Tech beat Nebraska , 70 – 10 , forcing the Cornhuskers to give up more points in a single game than they had before in their 114 - year history . In 2005 , the Red Raiders were losing to Kansas State , 13 – 10 , late in the second quarter but won the game 59 – 20 . Also in 2005 , Tech had a halftime lead of 14 – 10 over Texas A & M . By the end of the game , they increased the margin to 56 – 17 . It was the Aggies ' worst loss to the Red Raiders in the 64 - year - old series . Leach also coached the biggest comeback in NCAA Division I - A bowl game history in the 2006 Insight Bowl versus the University of Minnesota . With Texas Tech trailing 38 – 7 in the third quarter , the Red Raiders overcame this 31 point deficit and beat the Golden Gophers 44 – 41 in overtime , topping BYU ' s 28 point comeback against SMU in the 1980 Holiday Bowl . In addition , Leach won the 2008 Gator Bowl 31 – 28 after trailing 28 – 14 with 3 : 39 remaining . Mike Leach was chosen to coach the South team during the 2007 inaugural Inta Juice North - South All - Star Classic game . At the end of the 2008 season , Leach was 76 – 39 with the Red Raiders , including 7 – 2 against the Texas A & M Aggies and 2 – 7 against the Texas Longhorns . With a 5 – 4 record , he is the all - time winningest coach in postseason play in Tech football history . Leach is one of only sixteen active college football coaches who have never had a losing season . Of those , he is among nine who have been a head coach for at least five seasons . In February 2009 , Leach signed a three - year contract extension with Texas Tech that would pay him at least $ 2 . 5 million per year if he stayed in place through 2013 . Leach ' s guaranteed compensation would have been $ 1 . 6 million in 2006 , $ 1 . 65 million in 2007 , $ 1 . 75 million in 2008 , $ 1 . 85 million in 2009 and $ 2 . 15 million in 2010 . 2007 Texas game controversy . During his post - game press conference after the 2007 game against Texas , Leach used most of his time to rail against the officiating crew for what he felt were bad calls . He speculated that the officials may have favored Texas because the head official lived in Austin , because they were incompetent , or possibly because the conference wanted Texas to appear in a BCS bowl because of the increased appearance fees that such a bowl generates for the conference . Jim Vertuno of the Associated Press wrote " Leach was upset officials disallowed two Tech touchdowns in the third quarter . The first was overruled when video replay clearly showed the receiver let the ball hit the ground . On the next play , a touchdown pass was negated by a holding penalty . Leach also wanted , but didn ' t get , a flag for roughing the quarterback . " The " Lubbock Avalanche - Journal " reported , " Big 12 policy prohibits coaches from commenting publicly about game officials , so Leach ' s actions leave him open to reprimand , fine or worse . " ESPN reported , " Big 12 official spokesman Bob Burda did not immediately respond to telephone messages seeking comment . Leach ' s rant will likely draw a fine from the league and possibly a suspension . " On November 13 , 2007 , the Big 12 fined Leach $ 10 , 000 , the largest fine in Big 12 history . Leach also received a reprimand and was warned that further violations could result in suspension . In a Big 12 coaches ' conference call that day , Leach added that he does not regret making any of the comments . Leach announced that he would appeal the fine . Tech alumni and fans began raising money to aid Leach in paying the penalty in the event that it was upheld . Optionally , the proceeds raised could be used charitably . So , just before Christmas 2007 , Leach requested that the nearly $ 5 , 000 raised to that point be spent on 400 hams to be given free to families in Lubbock , Texas . Future donations were to go to the university or athletic department . Following the 2008 Gator Bowl , in which Virginia scored twice on penalties against Tech for intentional grounding in the end zone , Leach joked , " I felt like we had a back there on the one safety , but I don ' t comment on officiating . I just give out hams is what I do . " 2008 season . Leach , along with players Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree were featured on the cover of the 2008 edition of " Dave Campbell ' s Texas Football " . The magazine predicted that the 2008 Red Raider football team would be the best in Texas and would challenge for the Big 12 South title . Following a 9 – 0 beginning to the season , including a win over the undefeated # 1 Texas Longhorns , Texas Tech Athletic Director Gerald Myers announced that the university would renegotiate Leach ' s contract following the conclusion of the football regular season and give him an extension . The Red Raiders ended the 2008 regular season with 11 wins and 1 loss , the best in school history . The season also marked the first win over a # 1 ranked team . Tech , along with Oklahoma and Texas , shared the Big 12 Conference South division title . On December 2 , 2008 , the Associated Press named Leach the Big 12 Coach of the Year . He received 16 votes for the honor by the agency ' s panel , while Texas ' Mack Brown got 4 . He won co - Coach of the Year honors from the Big 12 coaches ; Oklahoma ' s Bob Stoops received the same recognition for the same season . The " Dallas Morning News " named him Coach of the Year as well . He garnered the 2008 George Munger Award , which is given annually to the top college coach of the year by the Maxwell Football Club . After much controversy about how the tie - breaker should be handled between Texas , Oklahoma , and Texas Tech fans , the Red Raiders ended up being left out of the BCS because of a rule that states only two teams from each conference can enter BCS play per season . Oklahoma won the tie - breaker on account of their higher BCS ranking , ultimately losing to Florida in the national championship . Texas Tech also ended up losing that year in the Cotton Bowl to Ole Miss 47 – 34 , making Texas the only team of the three to win their bowl game . Leach interviewed for the University of Washington head coaching job , which was vacated by Tyrone Willingham . ESPN reported that Leach withdrew his name from the coaching search following his interview . Auburn , where Tommy Tuberville resigned , had also been rumored to have contacted Leach . In an interview with the Associated Press , Tech quarterback Graham Harrell stated that there was a " great chance " Leach could leave . Harrell noted that Leach might leave for a newer challenge . After Leach did not take the Washington job , Harrell retracted his statements and believed Leach would remain the Red Raiders ' coach . Tech athletic director Gerald Myers had indicated that he would give a raise to Leach before Tech ' s bowl game , which he later negotiated . Leach and the university settled on a 5 - year extension worth $ 12 . 7 million after months of negotiations over the clauses of the contract . 2009 season . On October 31 , 2009 , after the Red Raiders ' win over Kansas , Leach tied his predecessor Spike Dykes as the all - time winningest coach in Texas Tech ' s 85 - year football history . On November 21 , 2009 , Leach passed Dykes for first all - time on the school ' s wins list with a win over the Oklahoma Sooners . Firing . On December 28 , 2009 , Leach was suspended indefinitely by Texas Tech pending investigation of alleged inappropriate treatment of Adam James , son of former SMU and New England Patriots running back ( and former ESPN college football analyst ) Craig James . On December 16 , James suffered a concussion . He was examined the next day , and told not to practice that afternoon due to the concussion . According to a James family source , Leach ordered him to stand in the equipment room near the Raiders ' practice facility . According to the " Lubbock Avalanche - Journal " , school officials claim they gave Leach an ultimatum to apologize to James in writing by December 28 or Leach would be suspended . His attorney , Ted Liggett , disputed the characterization of events as reported by the university and other news sources , and said that James had been treated reasonably in light of his condition . Leach immediately sought an injunction that would allow him to coach in the 2010 Alamo Bowl . However , on December 30 , Texas Tech fired Leach , calling his refusal to apologize to James " a defiant act of insubordination . " This was the day before Leach was reportedly owed an $ 800 , 000 tenure bonus and over $ 1 , 700 , 000 for contractual guaranteed income for 2009 . Texas Tech lawyers handed a termination letter to Liggett just minutes before the two sides were to appear in a Lubbock courtroom for a hearing . Liggett was also told that Leach would not be allowed to coach in the Alamo Bowl regardless of how the hearing turned out . School officials later said that other incidents had come to light during its investigation of Leach , but declined to elaborate . Defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill was named interim head coach and led the team during their appearance in the Alamo Bowl . In a statement , Leach said that he believed the firing was motivated in part by simmering acrimony over the contract negotiations . He also said he planned to sue Texas Tech for wrongful termination . On December 31 , Leach spoke with " The New York Times " in his first interview since being fired from Texas Tech . He said that he did not know where James had been taken , having only ordered him taken " out of the light . " He claimed the controversy stemmed from Craig James ' constant lobbying for more playing time for his son , whom he characterized as lazy and feeling entitled . On January 8 , 2010 , Leach formally filed suit against Texas Tech for wrongful termination and other claims . He claimed that school officials not only fired him without cause , but issued defamatory statements in a willful attempt to keep him from being hired elsewhere . During a deposition for the case obtained by the " Lubbock Avalanche - Journal " , Adam James admitted under oath that he found the closet incident " funny . " In May 2010 , District Judge Bill Sowder dismissed all but one of Leach ' s claims on the grounds of sovereign immunity , but he allowed Leach ' s claim for breach of contract to proceed , finding that Texas Tech had waived its immunity on this claim by its conduct . The judge also dismissed Leach ' s claims against three university administrators . Both parties have taken steps to appeal the decision , although Leach ' s attorneys have said they would drop their appeal if Texas Tech would do likewise and allow the breach of contract claim to proceed to a jury trial . Early in 2011 , Texas 7th Court of Appeals ruled that Texas Tech was immune from Leach ' s claim of breach of contract but that Leach can claim non - monetary reparations ; Leach attorney Paul Dobrowski announced his intention to appeal to the Supreme Court of Texas . In February 2012 , The Texas Supreme Court rejected Leach ' s appeal without comment signifying their belief that Leach ' s lawsuit ( s ) were without merit . After that ruling , Texas Tech attorney Dicky Gregg stated " As we ' ve said from the beginning , we were right on the law and the facts , and the ( Texas ) Supreme Court has just held that we were correct on the law . " " Friday Night Lights " series creator Peter Berg has hinted that he has written a movie script for the characters from the TV series that is based on Leach ' s firing from Texas Tech . Post - Texas Tech . In August 2010 , Leach joined CBS College Sports Network , where he worked as a color analyst with play - by - play announcer Roger Twibell . In 2010 , Leach joined host Jack Arute to co - host " College Football Playbook " on SiriusXM College Sports Nation Channel 91 , which airs weekdays 12 pm – 3 pm ET . In 2011 , Leach released an autobiographical book , " Swing Your Sword : Leading the Charge in Football and in Life " , through Diversion Books . The book debuted at # 6 on The New York Times Best Seller list . Leach was considered by many in the national media to be a candidate for the head coaching vacancies at University of Miami , University of Maryland , and University of Minnesota following the 2010 regular season . After at least two interviews at Maryland , he was considered the frontrunner for that job until the administration decided instead to hire Randy Edsall away from University of Connecticut . Leach was mentioned in connection with a number of other vacancies in head - coaching positions during 2011 , including Washington State , Arizona , Ole Miss , Kansas , Penn State , and Tulane . Washington State . Leach agreed to terms with Washington State on November 30 , 2011 and began coaching for the 2012 season . He has a 5 - year rollover contract , which makes Leach the 4th highest paid coach in the Pac - 12 . Leach ' s first season has been a controversial one . Washington State was 1 - 8 in Pac - 12 play through the end of the season , and more allegations of player abuse erupted on November 10 , 2012 when star wide receiver Marquess Wilson quit the team citing " physical , emotional and verbal abuse " by the coaching staff . Immediately after the allegations were made , Washington State University President Elson Floyd issued a statement indicating that he had requested investigations into the alleged incident ( s ) from both the WSU Athletic Department and the Pac - 12 Conference . The investigations determined that the claims made against Leach were without merit , and Wilson later recanted the allegations . Notable accomplishments . Leach had notable accomplishments at Kentucky and at Texas Tech . Coaching tree . Assistant coaches under Mike Leach who became NCAA head coaches : Players under Mike Leach who became NCAA head coaches :