WSU denies TV story about Leach

Washington State officials flatly denied a report by a Houston television station that football coach Mike Leach is interested in the vacant coaching position at the University of Houston.

Sports information director Bill Stevens said emphatically Sunday that there is no truth to the report by David Nuno of KTRK-TV in Houston, and that the Cougars wanted to publicly deny it to prevent players and potential recruits from being concerned. Leach could not be reached for comment.

For Leach to take that job he would need to either take a substantial pay cut or UH would have to significantly increase its coaching budget.

Recently dismissed UH coach Tony Levine reportedly had an annual salary of $1.025 million. WSU annually pays Leach $2.75 million plus benefits.

Jacob Thorpe