One-half of the Apple Cup saw its head football coach surprisingly leave earlier this week. Today, the coach of the other half signaled he’s not going anywhere for a while.
Late Thursday morning, and with rumors swirling that he could be in play for the open Arkansas job, Washington State announced that it has reached an agreement on a contract extension with Mike Leach. The extension is for one year, which means Leach is now signed through the 2024 season.
Per the school’s release, Leach’s 2020 compensation will be $4 million, while the following four years he is also scheduled to make $4 million per year. Following the 2020 season, Leach will also receive a one-time retention bonus of $750,000.
In 2019, Leach’s guaranteed compensation was $3.75 million.
“Mike Leach has established, and continued, a culture of success at Washington State, both academically and athletically, that few have matched,” said athletic director Pat Chun in a statement. “He has returned WSU to national prominence, is one of the top football coaches in the nation, and we are fortunate to have him leading our program.”
Leach is in the midst of his eighth season at Wazzu, guiding the Cougars to a 55-46 record overall and 36-36 mark in Pac-12 play in that span. Leach had taken over a team that won a combined nine games in the four years before The Pirate landed in Pullman.
Wazzu will also play in a fifth-straight bowl game later this year; prior to Leach’s arrival, the football program had never appeared in more than three bowl games in a row (2001-03).