Mike Leach Reportedly Leaving Washington State to Become Head Coach at Mississippi State

Washington State Cougars fans dodged a bullet, only to take another right to the heart just weeks later.

Previous reports suggested head coach Mike Leach was considered a top candidate for Ole Miss, and an erroneous report went as far as suggesting the deal was done, but the Rebels went with Lane Kiffin. Whew, all clear, right?

Nope! The Mississippi State Bulldogs are reportedly hiring Leach after dismissing head coach Joe Moorhead.

That's a tough one for the Cougars. Leach has been with Washington State since 2012. He finished with a 55-47 record and went 2-4 in bowl games, but the Cougs were typically among the nation's leaders in offense, with his air raid attack running the show.

Now he'll head to a Mississippi State program that's been in flux ever since Dan Mullen's departure. Moorhead, who came over from Penn State, didn't exactly elevate the program, going 14-12 in two seasons, which culminated in his dismissal after a wild Egg Bowl matchup vs Ole Miss, and then a player altercation that saw his starting QB miss their actual bowl game weeks later.

Leach doesn't come without baggage, however, so we'll see how his tenure in the SEC goes as he tries to turn around Mississippi State.