Mike Leach calls columnist John Blanchette a ‘sanctimonious troll’ after Apple Cup loss

Mike Leach’s Washington State Cougars got slammed in the Apple Cup for the seventh straight year, and the head coach was not happy about it.

Leach took aim at Spokesman-Review columnist John Blanchette after the Cougars’ 31-13 loss to rival Washington. He was unhappy with a line of questions about his consistent struggles against the Huskies and called Blanchette a “sanctimonious troll.”

Leach first made an excuse for the seven straight losses to the rivals, pointing to the Huskies’ success in recruiting and saying that has something to do with the one-sided results.

“So you’re not supposed to beat teams that have higher-ranked recruiting classes?” Blanchette asked.

“Well, we certainly have before. We didn’t win this one. And I don’t care to have a big discussion with you on it because I don’t really care what you think,” Leach responded.

Blanchette tried to interject but was cut off by Leach.

“—you run your little column and stuff like some sanctimonious troll, where you’ve never been fair or even-handed with us, so I really don’t care what you think. OK, go ahead, because you’re going to write some really nasty stuff like you always do. And I don’t know which Coug way back when did something that offended you, but I don’t really care about that either. If you can live your little meager life in your hole and write nasty things and that makes you feel even, you go right ahead.”

Here is the video exchange:

Mike Leach was asked about losing his 7th straight Apple Cup, said that recruiting has to do with it, then was asked if he wasn't supposed to beat teams with bigger recruiting classes by Jon Blanchette, and then went off. Called him a sanctimonious troll. pic.twitter.com/jXmG328ZSu

— Brenna Greene (@BrennaGreene_) November 30, 2019

Leach needs to have a better response than this. Washington has his number, and him talking about the difference in recruits seems to be an admission that his scheme can only go so far against a superior opponent. He’s supposed to be an offensive genius, but his teams haven’t scored more than 17 points in a game against the Huskies in seven years. That’s something he needs to fix.