There are several compelling reasons for Fulmer to not overlook Mike Leach as a candidate. While selecting Leach might seem like going for it on 4th and inches on your side of the field, fortune favors the bold.
1) Leach is a program builder/improver. He took over a decent Texas Tech program that had gone 62-53 (.539) the previous 10 years. Leach went 84-43 (.661) in his ten years. Tellingly, Tuberville and Kliff K haven't maintained that level, going 51-49 (.510) in 8 years following Leach. At Washington State, Leach took over a program that was abysmal 20-53 (.274) the 6 years prior to his arrival (and 9-40 .184 the last four years prior to his arrival). A complete rebuild job. He's 38-37 (.507), including 26-12 (.684) his last three years. It's hard to argue that Texas Tech is a program that should ever be better than middle of pack in the Big 12. It's even harder to argue that Washington State isn't the Vandy of the Pac 12. Leach outperformed at these two schools. His rebuild job at WSU is at least as impressive as James Franklin's job at Vandy.
2) Leach wins despite coaching at crappy schools with little talent. Leach's recruiting classes were usually ranked in the 30s or 40s at Texas Tech. Sometimes worse. His best class was ranked 25th. So he can't recruit? Maybe, but his successors have yielded similar classes, with only Tuberville having a 19th rated class that was better. His WSU classes have been rated in the 40s and 50s. But again, nobody is going to draw top 10 classes to central Washington to play in a 35,000 seat stadium with crappy support facilities...
3) ... but UT recruits itself. Fulmer drew multiple #1 classes and routinely had top 5 and 10 classes, even when he was on the hot seat. Majors recruited well. Kiffin had a top 10 class. Dooley was able to land classes ranked 7, 14, and 19th despite being on the hot seat, blowing off recruiting, being a jerk to high school coaches, and having a crappy record. Butch had classes ranked 25, 7, 4, 14, 17, and was on pace to have a top 10 class even with this recent nightmare of a season. Leach is unproven as a recruiter, but UT isn't. Worst case scenario is that Leach will stack top 15 classes. But it could be a lot better with on field success. UT doesn't need a recruiter like Tee necessarily. It needs someone who can win with that talent.
4) Leach usually beats teams/ coaches with similar talent. His record isn't without blemishes (he lost to Portland St, wtf?), but it's consistently good. He was 1-1 against Gary Patterson, 4-1 against Bill Snyder during KState's heyday, 3-1 against Les Miles at Oklahoma State, 2-3 against the Mullet, 1-0 against Lane Kiffin at USC. While he's only 2-4 against David Shaw, he's won the last 2.
5) Leach ain't afraid of the big boys either. While he holds 3-7 records and 2-8 against Texas, you need to keep in mind that this was in the 2000s. Both of those programs were top 5 for most of the decade. That he beat Mack Brown and Bob Stoops 5 times is remarkable considering the talent disparity. 2-1 vs USC, 3-3 Oregon, 4-2 Nebraska, 7-3 Texas A&M, etc. He has big game pirate swagger, upsetting top 5 teams several times (#4 Texas, #4 Cal, #3 Oklahoma, #1 Texas, and #5 USC).
6) He's 10-9 against current SEC teams. Gary Patterson is 3-4 against SEC teams by comparison. Not bad considering the talent. And, yes, his offenses work in the SEC.
7) He has an actual coaching tree. Leach is co-credited with bringing the Air Raid to college football. His assistant coaches have spread it well. Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma, Art Briles at Baylor, Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech, Dana Holgorsen at West Virginia. Compare that to Fulmer who has zero coaching tree (Cutcliffe is usually credited to Majors, leaving, as a stretch, Doug Marronne?). Having a coaching tree can have benefits of succession, and also raises the profile of a program.
8) Leach is a cultural fit at UT. The more videos I watch of the Pirate, the more obvious it is that his "quirky" personality is actually a good fit for East Tennessee. We are the scruffy city, we are a politically incorrect town. Leach is scruffy and politically incorrect. Texas loved him. Washington State loves him. West Texas and central Washington are not that dissimilar to East Tennessee culturally. Would Leach fit in at Boston College? Ummm no! No way! At UT? Yes!
9) There are better coaches available, but... Chris Petersen isn't leaving Washington. The potential sexiness of Gruden will not happen. Even if you think Patterson is better, he's a perfect fit at TCU and has a statue...not happening. Fuente *might* be better and is younger. Will he leave Tech? Kiffin is not a better option or coach and is not going to happen. Bellichick, Carroll, and Tomlin aren't saving us. Miles has a better resume, but if you search your heart, you know he's not a home run hire at 64.
10) Mike Leach wants this! He practically signed with Currie before Fulmer pulled the plug. He has a chip on his shoulder in that he wants to prove that he is an elite coach, and that his system works in the SEC. He will back down from no one, including Saban. He would scare the hell out of a lot of our rivals. He's not just chasing a paycheck.
I really hope that Fulmer things big and outside the box. If he views this search looking for candidates that remind him of himself or chases nostalgia, I think we will miss out on a great coach at a great time who just needs a school that isn't a toilet bowl program. Hire the pirate, Phil!
