Like I said … I’m a Leach fan. Still hoping he’ll say it’s not so.

You’re correct in that the only reason this story is getting press time is because it doesn’t happen that often. No doubt it causes bad PR as there is nothing good that comes out of a story like this. Until Coach Leach makes a statement one way or another we’ll never know. However, it would also be in Leach’s character to contact another school, assuming the young man has no issues, so that he does have a school to go to. I think Coach Leach is honorable if that were the case. Despite what Craig James says, I think Mike Leach is a fine and fair man who would not go out of his way to undermine a young student/athlete.

I qualified my comment with “if the story is true as reported” to account for the possibility that Leach may have a legitimate reason–such as an unpublicized character issue–for reneging on the scholarship offer. And I also qualified with “at this late date” to account for business considerations. By two weeks prior to National Signing Day, coaches have had time to evaluate their talent options and make thoughtful decisions. Dumping a kid at this point is disingenuous and doesn’t leave him with many options.

As others have pointed out, what some immature 17- or 18-year-olds being wooed by multiple programs might do in that situation doesn’t justify a coach cutting the legs out from under a kid at the last moment. The reason we’re reading about this is because it’s not common practice–so the “it’s just business” argument doesn’t work.

No matter how you cut it, it’s ultimately the school’s choice as to whose education they pay for and whose they don’t. Do I empathize with the kid? Of course. But if he’s talented enough, he’ll still go to college for free.

Just read your post #binarymath. Couldn’t agree more.

It’s also possible that the kid failed the “look me in the eye” test that every coach uses to help assess whether a recruit has a competitive fire.

Also, if you are holding on to your “commitment” to WSU over other alleged offers, you are not a blue-chip prospect. What top-tier recruit has WSU as their top choice?

So Leach either gets pounded for withdrawing the offer, or he gets pounded for recruiting poorly.

For every star athlete that does the signing day video where they pick one of the 5 hats on a table, there are multiple marginal athletes that falls by the wayside when the letter-of-intent chips fall into place.

Leach is no saint, but this is clearly a “dog bites man” story.

I didn’t vote thumbs up or down on your post. It is terrible for the young man at this time. But two things some of these others posters cited:
1) Coach Leach may have heard something about this young man that lead him to believe he could be trouble
2) big time college athletics is now “big business” I’m sorry to say. As a business, you have to allocate your “assets” wisely and “student/athletes” are nothing more than assets. These head coaches are the highest paid university employees and they have to win or else they are out! I understand the emotional end of this….but unfortunately, it doesn’t matter.

How many players stay committed to the same school all the way up until signing day and flip at the last minute, screwing the school who needs a committment? It goes both ways.
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Agreed. I get that it sucks for the kid,possibly but it does go both ways. Wait til the kid males it to the NFL…then he’ll see how the world really turns.

Say it ain’t so, Mike!

troof

How many players stay committed to the same school all the way up until signing day and flip at the last minute, screwing the school who needs a committment? It goes both ways.