WSU expected to announce extension for Mike Leach today
No details on the length or the salary are known yet.
By Michael Preston Coug Center Dec 18, 2017, 10:55am PST
Bringing an end to nearly a month of riding the coaching
carousel, Washington State University will announce a contract extension for
football coach Mike Leach today, according to a CougCenter source. The exact
details, in terms of salary and contract length, are not known.
Leach had been at the center of the last Tennessee
Volunteers head coaching rumor prior to John Currie’s firing early this month.
He had also been rumored to be of interest to athletic directors in other
searches as well, including the Arkansas Razorbacks. The extension follows
reports that the school had offered Leach one before Tennessee came calling but
no agreement was reached, which university president Kirk Schulz confirmed to
The Seattle Times.
Schulz also told the Times that he would be meeting with
Leach and hoped it would “lead to an announcement of a contract extension for
the coach in the near future”.
It seems we will get just that later today.
The expected announcement follows contract extensions for
three other WSU coaches during John Johnson’s brief tenure as interim athletic
director. Volleyball coach Jen Greeny, soccer coach Todd Shulenberger, and
track and field coach Wayne Phipps all agreed to extensions with the school
through 2023. With Ernie Kent locked down through 2022 and an extension for
Mike Leach beyond the end of the 2021 when his current deal is set to expire,
Johnson has been busy making sure whoever the new athletic director is won’t
have to worry about hiring coaches.
The status of defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, though, is
still up in the air. Grinch had reportedly interviewed with multiple schools
more than a week ago and is reportedly up for the new tenth assistant coach
position with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
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December 18, 2017 / Women's Soccer
Cougar Soccer Adds Kelis Barton as Early Enrollee
The freshman joins the team for the spring.
From WSU Sports Info
PULLMAN, Wash. – Coming off a sweet 16 run in the NCAA
Championships, Washington State Soccer Head Coach Todd Shulenberger has already
begun to look ahead to next season as the third-year head coach announced the
addition of Kelis Barton (Renton, Wash.) for the spring. Barton, an early
enrollee for the Cougs, becomes the first to officially sign with WSU for the
2018 recruiting class after signing a financial aid agreement Monday afternoon.
After graduating from Renton High School and by enrolling in
the spring, Barton is eligible to begin training with the team immediately and
play with the Cougs during their spring exhibition season.
"Kelis comes from one of the top club teams in the
country, Crossfire Premier out of Seattle," said Shulenberger. " She
is a very athletic, versatile defender. She is very good in the attack, is
gifted technically, and is a proven winner. I am so excited to have Kelis join
us this spring. This gives us a huge jump start into next fall."
A graduate of Renton HS, Barton was a three sport standout
as she excelled not only on the soccer pitch but also on the cross country
trails and the track. On the pitch and as a member of the Crossfire Premier
soccer club, Barton led her team to a national runner-up finish last season in
the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL). Final-four participants in each of the
last three seasons in the ECNL, Barton guided her squad to back-to-back
conference championships in 2016 and 2017 to earn their spot in the postseason.
In addition to club play, Barton has been a regular invitee to Washington's
Olympic Development Program the last three years.
Off the field, Barton has proven to be one of the top
runners in the state of Washington after leading Renton HS to three state
titles in cross country in four years. A two-time MVP in cross country, Barton
took her talents to the track as well where she was a two-time state champion
in the 800 meter, winning the title twice in three years in both 2014 and 2016.
For Barton and the rest of the returning Cougars, the new
semester begins January 8 while WSU begins its training regimen on Jan. 10.
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