Mike Leach asserts Pac-12 Conference collapse caused by ‘mismanagement at the top’

Mississippi State football head coach Mike Leach appeared as a guest on “The Paul Finebaum Show” during Southeastern Conference Media Days on Tuesday.

USC and UCLA announced in June that they are leaving the Pac-12 Conference for the Big Ten Conference in 2024.

Leach had some pointed comments that seemed to blame former Pac-12 Conference commissioner Larry Scott for the Pac-12’s marquee programs departing.

“There was definitely some conference mismanagement at the top,” Leach said to Paul Finebaum.

Scott was the Pac-12 commissioner from 2010-21. Leach was the Washington State football coach from 2012-19.

Mike Leach discusses Pac-12 Conference collapse

Jul 19, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach shown on the stage during SEC Media Days at the College Football Hall of Fame. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Finebaum asked Leach, “Since you were most recently in the Pac-12, at a school that takes a long time to get to in Washington State. And now, you see what’s happening out there. And you don’t see any blowback, any pushback. It’s just, ‘That’s a good brand move for the Big Ten and the money they’re going to make.’ And I just wonder because you were at one of the schools that’s sitting there going, ‘What’s happening here?’ And where do we go from here?”

Leach responded, “Well it’s horribly tragic. I mean it’s completely tragic. And I hope the Pac-12 and they assemble some other teams together because that would be what’s best for college football.”

Leach then talked about the potential travel problems USC and UCLA are going to incur as members of the Big Ten Conference.

“I’m probably going to get in trouble for this,” Leach said at one point while talking about the Big Ten.

He then wound back to talking about the Pac-12.

“Washington State is a tremendous place — one of the greatest gameday environments that I’ve been to,” Leach said. “Those teams in the northwest, they need to have a great conference. They need to have an opportunity to play. And to be perfectly honest, some of this is suffering sins of the past, because the Pac-12 was left vulnerable because there’s a failure to have a TV deal.”

Story continues

Finebaum interjected, “You must be saying something very controversial, because we have two guys.” Finebaum then imitated breaking a stick with his hands.

“There was definitely some conference mismanagement at the top, and that’s very sad for the schools, the players and the coaches.”

FILE – In this Oct. 7, 2019, file photo, Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott speaks to reporters during the Pac-12 Conference women’s NCAA college basketball media day in San Francisco. Scott is stepping down at the end of June 2021, ending an 11-year tenure in which the conference landed a transformational billion dollar television deal but struggled to keep up with some of its Power Five peers when it came to revenue and exposure. (AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron, File)

Tuesday was the second day of the 2022 SEC Media Days that conclude on Thursday.

Erik Hall is the lead digital producer for sports with the USA Today Network. You can find him on Twitter @HallErik.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mike Leach says Pac-12 collapse caused by ‘mismanagement at the top’