Pac-12 Clears WSU Abuse Allegations, Marquess Wilson Helps as Main Source

Jul 26, 2011; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of a football helmet with the Pac-12 logo at 2011 Pacific-12 Conference media day at the Fox Studios Lot. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

The Pac-12 Conference has cleared the Washington State coaching staff, in particular Mike Leach, of any wrong-doing, abuse, mistreatment or NCAA infractions today. The drama is finally over and the Cougar football program can move on with a clear conscience, knowing that both investigations by the school and by the conference came up clean.

Washington State’s investigation did not include Marquess Wilson, nor did it include any of the players that decided to leave the program for various unknown reasons before Wilson’s exit. However the Pac-12’s investigation used Wilson as a main source of intel, which is not surprising seeing that the investigation was carried out with a major assist from a law firm, based on the conference not having the correct and/or necessary tools to carry out a full scale investigation by themselves.

Not going into it too much, the conclusion of said investigation goes into 4 specific allegations made by both student-athletes and parents of recent student-athletes at WSU. It clears any and all misinterpretation of wrong-doing by the coaches and staff associated with the program, but does come with a couple minor recommendations to assist in further removing misunderstanding in future instances.

The results of the investigation can be seen here. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions, just don’t get too invested in the word “punishment”, as it is not necessarily used in a negative manner (as the word so vaguely suggests in normal conversation). There is simply no other available word for the drills that coaches assign as a result of their athletes not doing things correctly. I have gone through many “punishment” drills and though they are physically demanding, they are all meant to better the individual athlete, not torture them. In general, the coach or trainer has the athletes well-being in mind while assigning these drills.

Go Cougs