Would Ryan Leaf, the as soon as-acclaimed quarterback at Washington Suppose, be entertaining to aid oversee the college’s intricate, flee-and-shoot offense for the the leisure of the motive?
Leaf chuckled.
“Clearly,’’ he acknowledged. “But I don’t assume anybody needs me to be a football coach.’’
His fight with addiction to prescription pills led him to jail practically a decade ago. But Leaf, who changed into as soon as an All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist at Washington Suppose in 1997, has acknowledged he’s been sober since 2012, and these are tough times at his alma mater.
A day Washington Suppose fired Reduce Rolovich as its head coach along with four assistant coaches because of they did now not prepare a deliver mandate and gain vaccinated against COVID-19, the college changed into as soon as trying to search out coaches, especially these conscious of the distinctive offense.
“I ran the flee-and-shoot at San Diego my rookie year with June Jones and Kevin Gilbride, if truth be told,” acknowledged Leaf, who changed into as soon as chosen by the Chargers with the No. 2 total get rid of in the 1998 NFL draft. “So I if truth be told gain a reasonably true thought of what it takes and what it is miles.”
Leaf furthermore acknowledged he has a “shut relationship” with Washington Suppose athletic director Pat Chun. And so?
“He’s under no conditions mentioned one thing else’’ Leaf acknowledged of the choice of his becoming a member of the teaching personnel, even on a non everlasting foundation. “I’ve constantly suggested him I’m right here for him if he needs one thing else.”
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Leaf, 45, acknowledged he most likely forfeited the likelihood to coach all another time – at Washington Suppose or wherever else – thanks to what came about when he changed into as soon as serving as a volunteer quarterback coach in 2008 at West Texas A&M. He resigned after asking one of the indispensable gamers for a pains pill.
Leaf later served practically three years after pleading guilty in 2012 to felony housebreaking and drug possession.
“I aesthetic assume that’s a reasonably lofty mantle to be called coach and I indubitably victimized my kids after I changed into as soon as teaching at West Texas,’’ he acknowledged. “And I don’t know if I’d ever belief somebody esteem me if I changed into as soon as a guardian, or if I changed into as soon as an athletic director.”
All the arrangement by arrangement of a telephone interview with USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday, Leaf acknowledged he changed into as soon as in Lafayette, Indiana talking at health care events for the following couple of days. He changed into as soon as there to repeat his yarn of restoration and does the an identical when he spends time each topple with about 5 college football functions.
This year he has made stops at Texas A&M, Ole Miss, West Virginia, Washington and Oregon Suppose. He acknowledged he furthermore stays busy doing football commentary for the likes of ESPN, the Pac-12 Network and Sirius IX Satellite tv for computer Radio, and lately Leaf bought picked up by Sky Sports to inspire as an NFL analyst in London for the closing seven weeks of the season.
On the an identical time, Leaf acknowledged, he has closely adopted the traits at Washington Suppose – and feels some responsibility for what has transpired.]
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Leaf acknowledged Chun reached out to him for the interval of the college’s last stare for a head coach and Leaf had Rolovich shut to the tip of his list. Now, this.
“I felt abominable because of I indubitably most smartly-liked (Rolovich),” Leaf acknowledged.
But now, Leaf acknowledged, Rolovich’s habits reminds Leaf of his personal as a NFL rookie for the Chargers.
“It changed into as soon as eerily paying homage to how I behaved in San Diego my rookie year when things started to head abominable or now not my formulation,’’ Leaf acknowledged. “The formulation I handled the media, how defensive I changed into as soon as, how I pushed of us away, how I wasn’t listening to motive or being in charge, playing the victim.”
But Leaf acknowledged he does in actuality feel true about the Cougars, who gain won three video games in a row despite the controversy about Rolovich’s bid and are 4-3 coming into their recreation Saturday against BYU.
“They’re incredibly gifted,” Leaf acknowledged, “and I assume they wander out and keep a whupping on the BYU Cougars this weekend, to be precise with you.”
This text initially appeared on USA TODAY: With Reduce Rolovich and others out, Washington Suppose trying coaches
