Mike Leach was named the new Washington State University football coach on Nov. 30 after he signed a five-year contract.

In his previous coaching stop, he went 84-43 at Texas Tech from 2000-09, leading the Red Raiders to 10 bowl appearances in 10 seasons, before being fired in 2009 amid allegations he mistreated a player with a concussion.

During his tenure at Tech, Leach's offense led the nation in passing six times and three times accumulated the most total yards.

He attended Brigham Young University and later earned a law degree at Pepperdine. He never played college football, but became intrigued by football's pass offenses and hooked up with passing devotee Hal Mumme at Iowa Wesleyan in the late 1980s.

Leach talked about his colorful coaching career, the outlook for the Cougars in 2012 and much more in a live chat on Jan. 3.