PULLMAN, Wash. -- Washington State coach Mike Leach has been in contact with President-elect Donald J. Trump's family since the election.

Leach, a big supporter of Trump, traded text messages with Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., on Wednesday following the outcome of the election. Leach said he stayed up late to see the results.

Washington State coach Mike Leach says he and Donald Trump hit it off in 2004 and have stayed in touch over the years. Jose Mandojana for ESPN

"I congratulated them and told them that I would be his Secretary of Offense," Leach told ESPN.com. "I know it was a crazy day for them, and [Trump Jr.] said the whole thing was surreal."

Leach and Trump go back more than a decade. When Leach met Trump in 2004, Leach told the billionaire that he should run for president one day. When Leach was the coach at Texas Tech, Trump once did pregame introductions of the Red Raiders' players.

"He's a fascinating guy," Leach said. "We just seemed to hit it off and have stayed in touch."