LOS ANGELES – The situation Alex Grinch inherited when he was hired as Washington State’s defensive coordinator last January was a bit bleak.
The Cougars ranked 99th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in total defense in 2014.
That was only the start of their problems. They were notoriously poor at forcing turnovers – last in the nation, in fact. That season, they recovered five fumbles and intercepted three passes. That was it.
For the upbeat Grinch, that needed to change.
“The brainwashing needs to begin in earnest so the guys understand that their responsibility is to get the ball back for the offense,” Grinch told reporters at his introductory news conference.