Leach to remain with WSU through 2023

Contract means head coach will make $4 million until 2023

WSU+Head+Coach+Mike+Leach+signals+from+the+sidelines+during+the+Alamo+Bowl+on+Dec.+28+in+San+Antonio.

OLIVER MCKENNA | DAILY EVERGREEN FILE

WSU Head Coach Mike Leach signals from the sidelines during the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28 in San Antonio.

DYLAN GREENE, Evergreen deputy sports editor

WSU Head Coach Mike Leach agreed to a provision in his contract that will keep him with the team through the 2023 season, according to a WSU news release.

Leach will make $3.75 million this season and $4 million per year in the final four years of his contract. After the 2020 season, Leach will also get a retention bonus of $750,000.

“There is no greater head football coach for WSU than Mike Leach and we are happy to have him leading our program for many years to come,” Director of Athletics Pat Chun said in the release.

In seven seasons at WSU, Leach has accumulated 49 victories and led the team to five bowl games in the past six years.

Leach led the Cougars to a program record 11 victories this past year after the team defeated Iowa State 28-26 in the Valero Alamo Bowl. WSU finished ranked No. 10 in the final AP poll and Leach was named the American Football Coaches Association National Coach of the Year.

“It has been a great run here at Washington State over the last seven years, but I still believe that our best days are ahead of us,” Leach said in the release. “I am just as excited to be the head coach at WSU as I was the day that I was hired here, and I look forward to leading this program to big things in the future.”

Defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys also agreed to a three-year contract extension through 2021. The details of Claeys contract were not made available.