Washington State coach Mike Leach was recently asked to share his views on gun control. The football coach told Oregonian columnist John Canzano that he had been shooting since he was about 10, and felt that there needed to be a stricter licensing and education process prior to allowing someone to use a firearm.

Leach then made a hard pivot and discussed self defense, and specifically why he doesn’t bother keeping a gun nearby in case of a home invasion. In Leach’s estimation, you won’t be able to defend yourself quickly or effectively fumbling for a firearm. That’s why he has an axe.

via the Seattle Times:

I keep my guns on one part of the house totally locked up, and I keep the ammunition in another part of the house. Because if you think about it carefully, statistically, you’re more likely to shoot yourself, a loved one or a relative. There’s this (absurd) notion of ‘if you come in my house I’ll shoot ya.’ I do have a Viking axe by the bed if I need to whack someone. … My wife bought me a Viking axe – the axe side curls down so you can grab the adversary around the neck and you can use it to climb walls, as a grappling hook.’

In a separate interview, Leach also said that he uses the axe when he watches the TV show Vikings, noting that he will “piddle” with it in front of the screen. The lesson here is make sure you knock before entering Mike Leach’s house.