After head coach Jimmy Rogers, who had a $7.8 million contract, departed for Iowa State, Washington State’s coaching search began. As WSU expands its candidate pool to bring it back in the national spotlight, its own former star is pitching in. Their former quarterback, Luke Falk, is the one stepping forward with confidence, declaring his desire to lead the program he once played for.

“Respectfully, I want to be the 36th Head Football Coach at Washington State University—and I am the right man for the job!” Cougars’ former QB Luke Falk said on X.

Falk posted a lengthy list of documents outlining why he should be the one to take over the reins at Washington State. In his message, he describes WSU as a “sleeping giant” and says that he believes he can be the one who can bring back the Mike Leach era to the team.

Back in 2013, Leach led the Cougars to a 6–6 regular season and secured their first bowl appearance in a decade. And Falk is rooting to bring back that success.

“It’s time to end the victim mindset—time to stop focusing on what we don’t have and start maximizing what we do, Falk said in his statement.

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Washington State doesn’t need an excuse-maker. It needs someone who grabs the reins, refuses to flinch, and turns what we have into something the nation can’t ignore. Coach Leach never complained about what WSU lacked. He maximized our strengths, embraced our identity, and made history. It’s time to do it again.”

Falk’s claims are backed by a solid resume from his time as a Cougar.

Back in 2016, when the Cougars faced the Oregon State Beavers, Falk’s team was trailing 24-6 at halftime in Corvallis. When the team came into the locker room, Leach didn’t get angry or shout at them; he simply practiced Spanish and just gave a clear warning to his team that if they lost, they would have to scrimmage the next day.

From that moment on, the Cougars dominated the second half 29-7 and won the game 35-31. That’s the kind of turnaround Falk is talking about.

During his time with the Cougars, Luke Falk was a three-time All-Pac-12 Conference selection and won the Burlsworth Trophy, which is given to the nation’s top former walk-on. He appeared in 43 games, starting 40, and helped take WSU to 27 wins. He ended his career recording 14,486 passing yards and 119 passing touchdowns.

That solid resume backs Falk’s claims.

“Becoming an all-conference player, the school’s all-time winningest quarterback, and the conference’s all-time leading passer? Only 1 of 1 has done it. This is not an ordinary situation. I am not an ordinary person,” Falk said.

On top of that, Falk’s ready to sacrifice his financial benefits too. After Rogers’ move, bringing in a top-winning coach will be costly for the Cougars. That might drain their resources, especially when it’s time to recruit new players. However, if they take in Falk, he would happily accept a lower salary to invest heavily in assembling an experienced and proven coaching staff.

But with Falk, there’s another name coming up to replace Jimmy Rogers.

Jimmy Rogers’ possible replacements

Following Jimmy Rogers’ move, the team is seeking better options. Falk is certainly making his case strongly, but other names are emerging. He might lack the coaching experience that the Cougars need the most.

First up is Montana State’s Brent Vigen, who appears to be the most realistic option. As the Bobcats’ head coach holds a 58-12 record over five years with two national championship appearances, and also knows the local recruiting landscape.

Then there’s New Mexico’s Jason Eck, who revived the Lobos program. With that, he led the Idaho program to a national ranking and an FCS playoff berth in all three of his seasons there. However, his $4 million buyout could be a significant obstacle to hiring him.

Other names, such as WSU’s own defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit, are also suitable options, given their familiarity with the program. So, let’s wait and see if Luke Falk’s plea makes sense to the Cougars or if they end up getting someone else onto the team.