LOS ANGELES – With his hair fixed into a bleached mop of a mullet, 300-pound offensive lineman Liam Ryan strode to his podium in the back right corner of the room. On the opposite side, linebacker Jahad Woods, wearing his traditional cornrows, a full chinstrap of black stubble and two diamond earrings, settled into his own chair.
Right down in front, Mike Leach took position before being walled in by a swarm of cameras and microphones.
“All right, uh,” the Washington State coach started before pausing to take a quick gander at his Pac-12 Media Day audience – a decent-sized group of reporters that giggled when Leach elected to pass on delivering the same opening statement all 11 of his coaching peers gave before their own podium sessions at the Hollywood & Highland Entertainment Center.