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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Cougar Calls highlights

From Pullman -- Washington State athletic director Bill Moos joined Bud Nameck on KXLY 920 for Cougar Calls this morning and it was a pretty eventful show. Spring football starts on Thursday for WSU so the duo hosted both defensive coordinator Mike Breske and head football coach Mike Leach.

Highlights from those interviews, as well as some information from Moos regarding his search for a new basketball coach, are after the jump.

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ATHLETIC DIRECTOR BILL MOOS

  • It doesn't look like the next WSU basketball coach has already been decided, as some have speculated. Moos said that he would like to make the hire in the next 10-14 days, and reiterated that he'd like to make the announcement before the end of the NCAA tournament.
  • Moos again said that recruiting ability will be perhaps the biggest quality he looks for in the new coach.
  • Moos said that while he has been seeking counsel from friends and colleagues, he is wary of advice from coaches who may have to compete with the new Cougars coach.
  • Said that he made Curtis Allen the interim coach because Allen had the greatest rapport with the players of any assistant. Moos said that Allen's job is to calm the current players, signees and recruits.

HEAD COACH MIKE LEACH

  • Leach said that while the Cougars are going to be young on the offensive line, he thinks it will be a bigger and more athletic group.
  • He reiterated that he is not in favor of an early signing period in college football.
  • Leach agreed with Moos that the competition for recruiting has become as intense as the competition on the field and thinks that the Football Operations Building will be a big boon for the WSU recruiting efforts when it opens in May.

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR MIKE BRESKE

  • Breske said that the Cougars have offered 80 rising juniors for the class of 2015 on the defensive side of the ball.
  • Because most of next year's freshmen aren't on campus the coaches will have more individual time with the players and the players will get more reps.
  • Said Spring Football is a challenge for the redshirt freshmen who were on scout team last year because they have to relearn the WSU defense and offense.


Jacob Thorpe
Jacob Thorpe joined The Spokesman-Review in 2013. He currently is a reporter for the Sports Desk covering Washington State University athletics.

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