The pirate ship is sailing East. Maryland will force Ralph Friedgen to accept a buyout and, according to Orangebloods.com., hire Mike Leach to replace him. Leach has expressed interest in this and any BCS job that has come available. He has “a strong relationship” with Under Armor founder Kevin Plank, who is a member of Maryland’s Board of Trustees.

Leach was too risky for Miami or Florida, but he’s the exact type of risk a school like Maryland should take. He pisses people off, but he is a great coach. The ACC is a winnable league. If he can get the Air Raid rolling they will be competitive every year. At the very least, the program will be more entertaining and reinvigorate flagging interest.

It’s great for Maryland and great for the media. Leach made a national impact in a Texas backwater. Now the Washington Post will be covering him on a daily basis. We’ll now get a steady stream of oddity rather than sporadic glimpses.