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When a television reporter out of Texas tweeted a single-sourced report that WSU coach Mike Leach had interest in the job at Houston, we found it curious that Fox Sports writer Bruce Feldman was silent on the rumor. Feldman, after all, co-authored "Swing Your Sword" with Leach and is known to generally have the first word on Leach-related news.
Well, wait no longer, as Leach chose to issue his "statement" through Feldman today:
Spoke to Leach. Has no idea where the #Houston rumor started: "I'm very happy at #WashingtonState & I plan on being there for a long time."
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 8, 2014
Coming on the heels of WSU's flat denial of the original report last night, this isn't a surprise. And this is pretty much the exact same thing Leach said two years ago when his name was briefly linked to N.C. State.
Does it mean that Leach will for sure be here for a long time? Of course not. That's just the current plan, and for all the reasons we laid out last night, Houston certainly seems to lack anything that would cause him to deviate from that plan. And when you take into account that WSU AD Bill Moos plans on rolling over Leach's contract again -- which will continue to be five years at $2.75 million per with a $2.25 million buyout -- it's hard to imagine him going anywhere else, either.
For his part, the TV guy in Houston clarified his original tweet by saying "Houston will call and they'd love to have him." First of all, really going out on a limb there, buddy - great work. Second, saying someone will answer the phone and listen - since, yanno, that's what polite people do - is not quite the same as "Mike Leach has interest."
Thus should end the life of the dumbest Mike Leach rumor that was given legs for no good reason thanks to the wonder of television journalism:
More TV bros checking in. RT @WazzusJobu: Stick to interviewing 12's my Gawd. RT @WazzuGruber: Geez us... pic.twitter.com/RlBmMR83Gc
— Jeff Nusser (@NussCoug) December 8, 2014
Oh, and if you're wondering why Leach said "there" instead of "here"? That's because he's off recruiting on the east coast:
Mike Leach and Jarrail Jackson visited #Rivals100 cornerback Marcus Lewis tonight —> http://t.co/dmWN7x8S0d #Wazzu pic.twitter.com/LE4nPlzqz0
— Britton K. Ransford (@BKRansford) December 8, 2014