Washington State football again dismisses wide receiver Kyrin Priester

PULLMAN – Kyrin Priester came to Washington State in search of a second chance. He leaves now needing a fourth opportunity after being dismissed by the Cougars coaching staff for a second time.

WSU head coach Mike Leach said Priester’s dismissal was a result of “Just generally violating team rules. Time to move on. We wish him the best,” in a text message to The Spokesman-Review.

A source close to the situation told The S-R that the circumstances surrounding Priester’s most recent dismissal were similar to the first, and that ultimately Priester “couldn’t do things our way.”

When Priester was dismissed prior to the 2016 football season, sources indicated that it was ultimately the result of a pattern of contentious behavior, such as showing up late to meetings and confrontations with the coaching staff.

Priester stayed in Pullman and was allowed to rejoin the team during its recent spring camp, although Leach acknowledged that it would be difficult for Priester to get his academic work in order in time to play in 2017.

The talented wide receiver was originally a member of the Clemson football program, but he was dismissed during his freshman year after similar friction with the Tigers’ coaching staff. The Cougars brought him in and won an appeal to play right away, thanks in part to support from Clemson’s coaches.

Priester was one of the standouts of WSU’s 2015 preseason camp, showing off enviable size, athleticism and skills that had the coaching staff predicting he would become an impact player for the Cougars.

The 6-foot-1 receiver from St. Petersburg, Florida, played in all 13 games that season, making 34 catches for 236 yards and a touchdown while also returning kicks. If Priester had been cleared to play in 2017, he likely would have been a big part of the WSU receiving corps, which lost key players to graduation after last season.