Texas Tech fires football coach Mike Leach

[Deepred05]

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=txtexastechleachfired&prov=st&type=lgns

Not sure how much of this story I believe, but he did do a good job down there in Lubbock.

[bucksfan2]

I think Leach got hosed, but I think some part in him wanted out of Lubbock.

What I do find interesting is that the player in question is ESPN's Craig James. I really believe that ESPN had a tremendous slant to the reporting. They even went as far as to interview James. I think that may have been the ultimate undoing of Leach.

[redsfandan]

I think Leach got hosed, but I think some part in him wanted out of Lubbock.

What I do find interesting is that the player in question is ESPN's Craig James. I really believe that ESPN had a tremendous slant to the reporting. They even went as far as to interview James. I think that may have been the ultimate undoing of Leach.
He's out but he may get a big payday out of this if the university didn't do a thorough enough investigation and the charges don't hold up.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

Another program bullied by an ESPN witch-hunt.

[dabvu2498]

Another program bullied by an ESPN witch-hunt.

If he actually did what Adam James alleges, he should have been fired.

The reverse witch-hunts are fun, too.

[OnBaseMachine]

Good luck finding a coach as good as Leach. It won't be easy.

[Blimpie]

Good luck finding a coach as good as Leach. It won't be easy.What, you mean that they aren't beating the doors down to live in Lubbock, TX?

I would think that Hal Mumme would be available.

[bucksfan2]

If he actually did what Adam James alleges, he should have been fired.

The reverse witch-hunts are fun, too.

The details would be really really interesting. From what I have heard Leach required everyone to be at practice. One day a kid wasn't allowed to practice because of his grades. Leach made him carry his desk out onto the 50 yard line and do home work.

What I do find interesting is if James had a concussion and was unable to practice and was supposed to stay out of sunlight then what is wrong with sending him into an air conditioned room/shack? Where is the medical staff to step in and say "you can't do that".

[RedsBaron]

He's out but he may get a big payday out of this if the university didn't do a thorough enough investigation and the charges don't hold up.

Lawyers are going to make some money out of this (there is always a silver lining).

[dabvu2498]

What I do find interesting is if James had a concussion and was unable to practice and was supposed to stay out of sunlight then what is wrong with sending him into an air conditioned room/shack? Where is the medical staff to step in and say "you can't do that".

In a room where he couldn't even sit down?

[BRM]

If he actually did what Adam James alleges, he should have been fired.

The reverse witch-hunts are fun, too.

Agreed. If the allegations are true, he deserved to be fired. That's a big "if" though.

[dabvu2498]

This is interesting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Q_5nYwWLU&feature=player_embedded

I'm not sure either of those locations is a training room, which I'm sure they have at Texas Tech. Something else was afoot, other than treating an injured player.

And no, I don't care how big a jerk Adam James may have been while at Tech, a kid with a concussion shouldn't be sent to either of those locations.

[redsfandan]

And no, I don't care how big a jerk Adam James may have been while at Tech, a kid with a concussion shouldn't be sent to either of those locations.
I don't know. To me an important question is: was the player put in harms way by the actions of the coach? And I haven't seen anything yet to convince me that he was. The attorney mentioned that a doctor said that it was actually a good thing that the player was resting in the room(s). IF that's true I'd consider that pretty important. I think it's safe to say that this is far from over but there has to be more to this or my amateur opinion is that the university is in trouble.

[Deepred05]

The garage is a little disturbing, but the other room had tv's in it. Times have changed, in my day (70's) you were still required to show up for practice and stand around and help the coaches. Of course, if you count the number of fingers they held up, your ass was back in there.

[dabvu2498]

I don't know. To me an important question is: was the player put in harms way by the actions of the coach?

Wrong question.

Was the best thing for the injured player done for the injured player?

That is the only question.

[redsfandan]

Wrong question.

Was the best thing for the injured player done for the injured player?

That is the only question.
And, based on what I know, I can't say for sure that your question couldn't be answered with a yes. It's important to know what the specific, actual facts were. The attorney said that 3 trainers were with the player. Can we take that as fact? This will likely end up in court where the facts will be known. My bet is that there will be an out of court settlement down the road.

[hebroncougar]

Wrong question.

Was the best thing for the injured player done for the injured player?

That is the only question.

Well.......I'm sure they could have brought in a couple of cheerleaders to give him a massage.......geeze. This kid is a crybaby prima donna, and his mommy and daddy getting involved is a crock. I wish UC would have held out on a coach, I'd love to have Leach up here. Heaven forbid a coach require his players to be accountable to rules. From what I read the kid showed up in sunglasses to practice, which is not allowed, so Leach took him out of the sun. WITH THREE trainers the entire time.

[redsfandan]

I'll love to find out what the line on their bowl game was a week ago and what it will be in a couple more days.

[Highlifeman21]

Well.......I'm sure they could have brought in a couple of cheerleaders to give him a massage.......geeze. This kid is a crybaby prima donna, and his mommy and daddy getting involved is a crock. I wish UC would have held out on a coach, I'd love to have Leach up here. Heaven forbid a coach require his players to be accountable to rules. From what I read the kid showed up in sunglasses to practice, which is not allowed, so Leach took him out of the sun. WITH THREE trainers the entire time.

If Adam James wasn't the son of Craig James, this wouldn't be a story. Soft kid, with crappy work ethic receives some discipline. The WR coach for Texas Tech backed up/supported Leach and his actions against Adam James, and I don't remember the other titles of coaches who spoke on the side of Leach as well, all saying that Adam James was a bad apple.

Should be interesting to see how his teammates interact with Adam James in the future.

[Boston Red]

I'll love to find out what the line on their bowl game was a week ago and what it will be in a couple more days.


Not much change so far. A point or a point and a half move towards Michigan State.

[redsfandan]

If Adam James wasn't the son of Craig James, this wouldn't be a story. Soft kid, with crappy work ethic receives some discipline. The WR coach for Texas Tech backed up/supported Leach and his actions against Adam James, and I don't remember the other titles of coaches who spoke on the side of Leach as well, all saying that Adam James was a bad apple.

Should be interesting to see how his teammates interact with Adam James in the future.
Strength coach Bennie Wylie, inside receivers coach Lincoln Riley, and former assistant coach Dana Holgorsen (now at Houston) all came out in support of Leech along with some of the players. http://dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/19238949?loc=interstitialskip

But, apparently some players are backing James and I thought this was interesting:

A person with direct knowledge of the tension between Leach and Texas Tech said that Craig James used his position at ESPN to lobby Texas Tech coaches for more playing time for his son.

“He called the coaches and implored them to play his son more and insinuated he would say good things about them on the air if they played his son more,” said the person, who was granted anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the issue. “At one point Leach said to James, ‘The next time your father leaves any of us a voice mail to that effect we’re going to play it to the entire team.’ ”

The person said Leach’s attorney sent a letter to ESPN executives informing them of this. An ESPN spokesman said that ESPN was not immediately available to comment. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/sports/ncaafootball/31leach.html
Should be a really fun game to watch on Saturday. By the way, James (the father) was scheduled to announce their game on Saturday but has been replaced for that game. :(

[dabvu2498]

And, based on what I know, I can't say for sure that your question couldn't be answered with a yes. It's important to know what the specific, actual facts were. The attorney said that 3 trainers were with the player. Can we take that as fact? This will likely end up in court where the facts will be known. My bet is that there will be an out of court settlement down the road.

Was he treated the same way any other play would have been treated in the same circumstance?

[redsfandan]

Was he treated the same way any other play(er) would have been treated in the same circumstance?
You're insinuating that he wasn't without giving us anything to back it up.

[flyer85]

Leach bypassed the AD last year in negotiating his extension ... one was going to go, looks like the AD won.

I wouldn't expect him to have a problem finding his next gig and I also expect TTU to not be heard from anytime soon

[dabvu2498]

You're insinuating that he wasn't without giving us anything to back it up.And vice versa. If he had been sending all kids with concussions to a storage "shed" or media room, he would not have lasted this long.

[dabvu2498]

Also, for those blaming ESPN for this, did Mark Mangino mistreat any ESPN employees' sons?

[redsfandan]

And vice versa. If he had been sending all kids with concussions to a storage "shed" or media room, he would not have lasted this long.
What the heck?

Also, for those blaming ESPN for this, did Mark Mangino mistreat any ESPN employees' sons?
Who is blaming espn?

[dabvu2498]

What the heck? Who is blaming espn? If this was Leach's standard procedure for players with concussions, he would have gotten axed a long time ago. Once a kid is hurt, you have to forget what a turd he may be or who his daddy works for. He is a hurt kid. As for who is blaming ESPN, see posts 2, 4, and 19 above.

[Playadlc]

Bottom line is this: He was probably goofing off, and Leach told him to go sit in the shed. Stuff like this happens every single day in every single football program at every single level.

If this isn't Craig James' son, and the admin doesn't already want to fire leach, there is a 0.0% chance this makes the news.

This is so freaking standard. He's a football coach. What the crap do you think happens to guys on Alabama's football team when they goof off or have a lazy attitude? I guarantee you that Saban does something worse than make them sit in a stupid little shed and ride a bicycle.

[redsfandan]

If this was Leach's standard procedure for players with concussions, he would have gotten axed a long time ago. Once a kid is hurt, you have to forget what a turd he may be or who his daddy works for. He is a hurt kid. As for who is blaming ESPN, see posts 2, 4, and 19 above.
I'm not going to respond to the sentence in bold. I'll give ya posts 2 and 4 but I think Craig James is more to blame than the network he works for.

Good point Playadlc.

[kaldaniels]

If he actually did what Adam James alleges, he should have been fired.

The reverse witch-hunts are fun, too.

Got ask you this...what specific allegation is the reason you think Leach should be fired?

[KronoRed]

I wouldn't expect him to have a problem finding his next gig and I also expect TTU to not be heard from anytime soon

Other then last year have they really been heard from? 10 years and the standard seems to be a little bowl and 4-5 losses, maybe that's the best one can do at Tech but he doesn't strike me as that great a coach.

[Boston Red]

From Junction Boys to a coach being fired for cruelly making a player sit in a garage and a room during practice. Times certainly have changed.

[kaldaniels]

Wrong question.

Was the best thing for the injured player done for the injured player?

That is the only question.

Sheesh. Every coach in history has said "walk it off" at one time or another, and that certainly isn't the best way to handle an injury. There is always a gray area and there is always another side to the story (which we sure haven't gotten from ESPN) The proper question is, is what Mike Leach did reason enough to be fired and why?

[dabvu2498]

Got ask you this...what specific allegation is the reason you think Leach should be fired? If he purposefully didn't seek the best possible medical treatment for an injured player, yeah, that would be enough. The fact that it sounds like he acted like an ass when confronted with this when confronted by his bosses doesn't help.

[cincinnati chili]

Lawyers are going to make some money out of this

Starting with Mike Leach who apparently is a lawyer himself.

Being a lawyer, he should know better (assuming the allegations are accurate).

[hebroncougar]

Starting with Mike Leach who apparently is a lawyer himself.

Being a lawyer, he should know better (assuming the allegations are accurate).

Yeah, asking the trainer what is best for a player recovering from a concussion, and having a doctor's name clearing him (Leach), he should have known better........This is a witch hunt, started by a daddy who is ticked his kid isn't playing as much as he thinks he should, and nothing more.

[IslandRed]

As far as I can tell, this isn't really about Adam James at all. If Tech liked Leach and vice versa, no way this escalates to this point.

But even if you believe Leach didn't do anything wrong with James, let's be honest here. Telling his bosses to jump in a lake when they asked him to justify what happened, and immediately lawyering up and taking it to court when they suspended him for it, isn't something a guy does if he gives a darn about keeping that job.

[flyer85]

From Junction Boys to a coach being fired for cruelly making a player sit in a garage and a room during practice. Times certainly have changed.TTU, for whatever reason, wanted to be rid of Leach and this gave them a semi-plausible excuse. If TTU didn't want to get rid of them this would never have made the light of day. IMO, TTU orchestrated this scenario to get rid of Leach ain an attempt to not pay him any more money.

For what football coaches routinely do this doesn't seem like a big deal at all. I doubt Bear, Woody or Bo would have handled a prima donna with such kid gloves.

The biggest mistake Leach made was not properly assessing the political situation at TTU.

[NJReds]

TTU, for whatever reason, wanted to be rid of Leach and this gave them a semi-plausible excuse. If TTU didn't want to get rid of them this would never have made the light of day. IMO, TTU orchestrated this scenario to get rid of Leach ain an attempt to not pay him any more money.

For what football coaches routinely do this doesn't seem like a big deal at all. I doubt Bear, Woody or Bo would have handled a prima donna with such kid gloves.

Bingo. Texas Tech wanted him out for some reason and this was the excuse that they needed. However, I think it will end up costing the university in legal fees and I don't expect them to win their case, either, based on what I've seen/heard reported.

[Unassisted]

So where will he end up?

Would he fit in at UC?

[bucksfan2]

As far as I can tell, this isn't really about Adam James at all. If Tech liked Leach and vice versa, no way this escalates to this point.

But even if you believe Leach didn't do anything wrong with James, let's be honest here. Telling his bosses to jump in a lake when they asked him to justify what happened, and immediately lawyering up and taking it to court when they suspended him for it, isn't something a guy does if he gives a darn about keeping that job.

I would imagine that most college coaches, especially coaches in BCS schools have lawyers. They aren't on retainer but they are there if they are needed. I really see nothing wrong with the actions Leach took when TT suspended him.

[MWM]

What doesn't make sense to me if Leach is truly getting hosed here is why Texas Tech would want to fire him. He's brought their program to a place it has never been before and they just signed him less than a year ago to a big extension. Why would they be looking for a reason to get rid of him?

And I'm not sure that HIS assistant coaches and others that work and play for him coming to his defense really means much. Does anyone think these guys are going to come down in opposition to him. He was their boss and if he goes elsewhere, they will probably work for him again. In the real world, I doubt they'd be considered credible witnesses.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty?

I'm thinking Leach will win a pretty big lawsuit with this one.

And it was a witch hunt. It was initially called a closet that James was "locked up" in. C'mon, when all you heard was "closet" you're probably thinking Buffalo Bill kind of stuff. I remember my first reaction was that Leach is crazy and should be arrested. It's this type of garbage journalism ESPN consistently spews out there that gives journalism a bad name.

Do yourselves a favor, read up on this more before falling for the ESPN masquerade. I have and it appears that this young man (22-years old) had an axe to grind and ran to Daddy, who just happens to work for ESPN. Yeah, no conflict of interest there. How professional to have ESPN then interview Mr. James with HIS side and then ESPN, not quite done with their typical grandstanding, tells us that they will remove Mr. James from covering the Texas Tech - Michigan State game. I have a question, why was he even scheduled to do that game in the first place, with his son playing for Texas Tech?

ESPN is so full of itself it's nauseating.

[kaldaniels]

If he purposefully didn't seek the best possible medical treatment for an injured player, yeah, that would be enough. The fact that it sounds like he acted like an ass when confronted with this when confronted by his bosses doesn't help.

As stated earlier the term "walk it off" is never the best medical treatment...should anyone who mutters that phrase be fired...of course not. What did Mike Leach do to be fired...

[IslandRed]

What doesn't make sense to me if Leach is truly getting hosed here is why Texas Tech would want to fire him. He's brought their program to a place it has never been before and they just signed him less than a year ago to a big extension. Why would they be looking for a reason to get rid of him?

Well, let's consider for a moment exactly how big of a jerk somebody has to be before a school in Texas can't wait to see a winning football coach hit the highway. From what I've been reading, he's managed to tick off a lot of people over the years. And in college sports, unlike the pros, getting along with people outside the team matters, as a number of coaches have found out. The more a coach is disliked, the quicker the knives come out as soon as an opportunity arises.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

http://www.sbnation.com/2009/12/31/1227561/mike-leach-fired-texas-tech-adam-jones-downfall-of-different

Dec 31, 2009 - At first glance, the Mike Leach story might look like a dysfunctional relationship brought to its inevitable conclusion. Between player and coach. Coach and university. Or coach and decency.

That last one is sure to be what resonates with a lot of people. On Monday, before we'd even begun to process this, I offered the following reaction: "At a time when the media's already on high alert about bullying college football coaches, he's gone and locked a player in a closet ... apparently because the player was reluctant to return prematurely after he'd suffered a concussion." And now, others have emerged to echo those sentiments, as Jay Mariotti writes of a coach run amok, "If anyone should be placed in solitary confinement and wrapped in a straitjacket under lock and key, it's Leach. What a friggin' lunatic."

But either way: side with Mariotti and those that say Leach crossed the line, or say Texas Tech was unfair in firing its most successful coach in history, it obscures a much better story. It's not about what happened to Adam James, and whether Mike Leach locked him in a closet, or an equipment room, or a shed.

It's deeper than that, and more fascinating. When Mike Leach got fired Wednesday, it was the product of longstanding resentments, clashing egos, and ignorance. Adam James -- the player whom former star quarterback Graham Harrell described as "spoiled and selfish," and "more interested in playing his own games" -- was a bit player in all of this. A textbook pawn in a much larger, more profound narrative. Just look at him. He's meaningless.\

But Mike Leach is someone far more complex and more compelling than a character like James. He's what makes this whole thing so damn interesting. Where people like Adam James or Texas Tech Athletic Director Gerald Myers are boilerplate figures in college football, Leach is a lightning rod. As his agent Gary O'Hagan said a few years ago, "He's so different from every other football coach, it's hard to understand how he's a coach."

That's the word that always comes up when we talk about Mike Leach: "different." Maybe his differences wouldn't seem quite so dramatic in another field, but this is football. Football coaches, specifically. You'd be hard pressed to find a more insular, staid population on the face of the earth. If you're black or didn't play football in college, it's considered a stirring success story to even get a job. The uniformity is staggering.

For every Urban Meyer, there's a Bob Stoops. And a Jim Tressel. And a Mack Brown. And a Nick Saban. And when they get old, they'll be like Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden. This is the face of college coaching. The backstories may diverge at points, and they may employ different schemes, but for all intents and purposes, they're the same person. Wired specifically to excel at that one, awesomely difficult thing: coaching major college football.

As fans, we often imagine ourselves as GMs of pro teams, but rarely as coaches. Why?

Mainly because the thought is so utterly insane. Coaches are born, not made, runs the conventional wisdom. We could learn the skills necessary to become a successful GM, but coaching is a game of instinct, where the great ones are almost as rare as great players. Only few people have what it takes. Most don't. Or so we think.

And that wisdom rarely gets challenged. Except when a lawyer, with a wife and a child, up and decides he'd like to try coaching football. That's what happened with Mike Leach. This wasn't a career track for him. He didn't start out as a grad assistant in college, or emerge, like Urban Meyer, as a "34-year-old whirl of activity ... an assistant coach on the rise. Big-name coaches had marked him; boosters were taking note." That's from a Sports Illustrated profile this month, relating a scene from Meyer's early years as a Notre Dame assistant coach.

Mike Leach's first job was with California Polytechnic State University. Did you know they played American football in Finland? Well, Mike Leach coached there. And he went just about anywhere else that would have him. Whether that was a tiny school in Valdosta, Georgia, or the University of Oklahoma in 1999, where he installed an offense that Bob Stoops and the Sooners still run today. And every place, he did things different, with a perspective culled not from years of waiting his turn and holding clipboards, but with the help of tireless work ethic, creativity, and a curious spirit that made him hugely popular with fans and media alike.

And ultimately, people resented him for it.

That's the shed where Adam James was forced to stand for a few hours. It's sort of cartoonish to think that Mike Leach's tenure at Texas Tech ended when he forced an injured player to go stand in a dark shed for a few hours. But it's also perfect, because it was Adam James.

Like I said, he's meaningless on his own, but if you think about it, he's also a perfect symbol for the college football establishment. A little cocky and self-important, riding the name of past glory (his father's), not as good as he thinks he is, and sharply at odds with the mind of Mike Leach. Per Texas Monthly, this week's conflict all started when James, after suffering a mild concussion, showed up to practice wearing sunglasses.

When asked about the glasses by a perturbed Coach Leach, he told his coach that his doctor said they'd help his recovery. In response, Coach Leach sent James to stand in dark places over the next two days' practices. Not "dark places" in a figurative sense, although that's the way they've been described in some circles. But just... Some literally dark environments.

It's not hard to connect the dots here--Leach, pissed off that a notorious primadonna would show up to practice with sunglasses on and cite his "recovery," sent him to stand in an uncomfortable place where sunglasses were idiotic. Namely, a dark shed. A callous move, until you consider the context and characters involved.

On one side, you've got a perpetual underdog with an unorthodox style, dealing with someone that'd reportedly caused conflict over everything from playing time to practices. On the other, you've got someone literally born to college football blue blood, unhappy with a situation he sees as wasting his talent, a national college football analyst (his father) to bolster his claims, and a doctor's order for sunglasses, to help treat a mild concussion. Can you really blame the first person for using his authority to punish the second person in a humiliating, but perfectly humane, fashion?

Well, Texas Tech chose to blame the first person, Mike Leach, and it opened the door for some of his most powerful critics to turn the tables, and humiliate the underdog they'd come to resent.

And ultimately, that's what this is all about. Power and resentments. The James family resented Coach Leach because they thought he'd been unfairly wielding his power, and wasting their son's talents. But more important, it became evident during last year's contract negotiations that Texas Tech's Athletic Director, Gerald Myers, along with a few other powerful voices, agreed with the James family. Maybe not that Adam James was the future of Texas Tech football, but agreed insofar as Mike Leach had become too damn powerful, and he didn't deserve it.

After all, he's just a coach that does things a little differently. Successfully, sure; but it's not like he's some coaching superstar. E-mails between the AD and a boosters, obtained by the Dallas Morning News, confirm that this thinking existed. After Leach went 11-1 and had arguably the most successful season in school history, Leach was of the mind that he deserved a new contract. Here was the opposing perspective, an e-mail from booster Jim Sowell to Texas Tech President Kent Hance:

Kent, their latest offer is offensive. Mike wants a salary virtually the same as (Bob) Stoops and (Mack) Brown...

He won 11 games this year -- big deal -- two other tech coaches did it before him and it didn't take either one of them 9 years to do it. What did it get us? The Cotton Bowl. ... In 9 years, he has only had one real interview: Washington. (Where they hired another coach within 24 hours after their interview with Leach). We got the report from the Miami AD on their "interview" with Leach last year in a hotel lobby. The Kentucky job, where he was offensive coordinator for two years, has been open twice since he has been at Tech. They weren't interested in him. ... In spite of being Big 12 Coach of the Year, he is NOT a hot commodity. He has no bargaining power.

But see, he did have bargaining power. Because where Bobby Knight -- college basketball's all-time winningest coach and one of the more traditional figures in all of sports -- had failed to deliver Texas Tech to any true national prominence, Mike Leach had succeeded. Again and again. It was more than just 10 winning seasons and bowl appearances. As long as they had Leach, Texas Tech and the tiny town of Lubbock were relevant.

What would happen if a regular guy -- albeit a weird, really smart regular guy -- decided to coach football? Mike Leach was college football's answer. And for that, the whole country -- especially Texas Tech fans -- romanticized the hell out of him, while the higher-ups at the University refused to respect him and resented his influence.

Last year, Leach's bargaining power ultimately won out, and Texas Tech awarded him a new contract. But as the above e-mail illustrates, there was no shortage of skepticism toward Leach and all that he'd accomplished. And that sort of thing doesn't just disappear. This Adam James controversy merely offered them an opportunity to act on their frustrations. It was never about Leach's misconduct toward an injured player with a famous dad.

This was about injured egos, and more than anything else, ignorance. Because while the backlash toward Leach is maybe understandable, the Texas Tech administration made the bigger mistake of misunderstanding Leach's success. It wasn't that they had a coach who'd produced ten winning seasons, but that they had Mike Leach. He didn't deliver Texas Tech to national prominence despite his strange style, but because of it.

College football fans cared about him -- and by extension Texas Tech -- because he was completely different than anyone we'd ever seen coaching before. Sure, his teams were successful, but not that successful. There are plenty of top 15 programs that nobody cares about. I'll watch Oklahoma State play Oklahoma, but otherwise, they're not on my radar. But Texas Tech? People will watch, solely because they know that Mike Leach and his offense will make things interesting. He had the people all across the country talking about Texas Tech.

And in the end, that's his job. It's not to win the Big 12 or win National Championships like Mack Brown or Bob Stoops. Those would be great, but from the administration's standpoint, the goal is to enhance the overall profile of the school. That's why they hired Bobby Knight after multiple instances of abusive behavior, the likes of which make Mike Leach's shed seem tame. But it wasn't Knight that got the whole country talking; it was this quirky, weird looking ex-lawyer that nobody really understood, but everyone loved.

Texas Tech stumbled onto a winning lottery ticket with Mike Leach. Now, they've chased him off because he wanted to get rich too. And yeah, I'm sure the Texas Tech administration thinks that their football team can win without him. But will anybody watch?

[Reds4Life]

So where will he end up?

Would he fit in at UC?

As what?

UC already hired Butch Jones to replace Brian Kelly. I doubt Leach would be interested in a OC or assistant coach role. He'll get another head coaching job if he wants one.

[Roy Tucker]

I think a lot of lawyers are going to make a lot of money off this.

[RedsBaron]

BuckeyeRedLeg, thanks for the post. I obviously don't know for sure what happened at Texas Tech, but that post was a lot more believable to me than Jay Mariott's blog, where he called Leach a "thug."
Other than the lawyers, everyone involved in this situation wil lose.
Leach may eventually get a big payday, either by settlement or jury verdict, but his reputation has been damaged, and his next head coaching position wil probably not be at a BCS school, and may just be an assistant's job.
Adam James has thus far to my knowledge not had a lot, if any, teammates step forward to support him. His reputation has hardly been enhanced by this, nor has this mess helped his dad's reputation.
The Texas Tech head coaching position is now less attractive to other potential coaches. Yes, someone will take the job, but he probably will not have the success Leach had.
Kent Hance has little credibility.
But, as I and others have previously posted, at least some lawyers will make a lot of money off this.

[dabvu2498]

As stated earlier the term "walk it off" is never the best medical treatment...should anyone who mutters that phrase be fired...of course not. What did Mike Leach do to be fired...

There's a difference between "walk it off" and "go stand in that shed."

What Leach did was intended to humiliate that kid. No humble him, not make him tougher, humiliate him. And the previous "tough" coaches that were mentioned, weren't into humiliating kids. Humble them? Yes. Use extreme tactics to "toughen" them? Yes. Work them to the point of exhauistion? Certainly.

There's a fine line between humbling and humiliating. And it's different with every player. As a coach, you have to know where that line is with each individual player, assistant, trainer, equipment manager, booster, administrator, etc. That's Leach's downfall.

[kaldaniels]

There's a difference between "walk it off" and "go stand in that shed."

What Leach did was intended to humiliate that kid. No humble him, not make him tougher, humiliate him. And the previous "tough" coaches that were mentioned, weren't into humiliating kids. Humble them? Yes. Use extreme tactics to "toughen" them? Yes. Work them to the point of exhauistion? Certainly.

There's a fine line between humbling and humiliating. And it's different with every player. As a coach, you have to know where that line is with each individual player, assistant, trainer, equipment manager, booster, administrator, etc. That's Leach's downfall.

That's what I was getting at...you said Leach should be fired for not giving the best possible care. Bah. It was the humiliation that bothers you .

[dabvu2498]

That's what I was getting at...you said Leach should be fired for not giving the best possible care. Bah. It was the humiliation that bothers you .

There is an element of both. With the recent publicity about concussions, coaches have to be extra smart about handling players who have them. Leach clearly wasn't.

[cincinnati chili]

Yeah, asking the trainer what is best for a player recovering from a concussion, and having a doctor's name clearing him (Leach), he should have known better........This is a witch hunt, started by a daddy who is ticked his kid isn't playing as much as he thinks he should, and nothing more.

Why would Texas Tech want to get rid of a highly successful coach and probably subject themselves to a lawsuit from Leach unless they thought there was something to this?

If Leach was coming of a mediocre season (e.g. Mangino) then maybe, maybe I'd call it a witch hunt.

The easy thing here would be for Texas Tech to tell Craig James to go screw. Rightly or wrongly, they think the guy is bad for the university. And coming from a school that hired Bob Knight with all his baggage, that's really telling to me.

[cincinnati chili]

What doesn't make sense to me if Leach is truly getting hosed here is why Texas Tech would want to fire him. He's brought their program to a place it has never been before and they just signed him less than a year ago to a big extension. Why would they be looking for a reason to get rid of him?

what MWM said. Hadn't read this when I posted.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

There's a difference between "walk it off" and "go stand in that shed."

I think that's where there's a problem with context here. The kid didn't just get hurt and have Leach send him to a shed.

"Per Texas Monthly, this week's conflict all started when James, after suffering a mild concussion, showed up to practice wearing sunglasses.

When asked about the glasses by a perturbed Coach Leach, he told his coach that his doctor said they'd help his recovery. In response, Coach Leach sent James to stand in dark places over the next two days' practices. Not "dark places" in a figurative sense, although that's the way they've been described in some circles. But just... Some literally dark environments.

It's not hard to connect the dots here--Leach, pissed off that a notorious primadonna would show up to practice with sunglasses on and cite his "recovery," sent him to stand in an uncomfortable place where sunglasses were idiotic. Namely, a dark shed. A callous move, until you consider the context and characters involved"

Again, I would advise anyone that wants to form any kind of opinion, one way or the other, to do a little research.

If my kid got a concussion in practice and his head coach "locked" him into a "closet", the coach would have more than the NCAA he'd have to worry about. It's just not as simple and black and white as ESPN wants everyone to think.

My wish for 2010 is that everyone finally starts calling BS on ESPiN for it's "journalism" and gets their info from other sources before forming absolute opinions.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

Why would Texas Tech want to get rid of a highly successful coach and probably subject themselves to a lawsuit from Leach unless they thought there was something to this?

If Leach was coming of a mediocre season (e.g. Mangino) then maybe, maybe I'd call it a witch hunt.

Read the above article that I posted. Also, compared to what TT did last year and Leach signing his big offseason contract, TT did have a pretty mediocre season. Maybe not quite as bad as Kansas, but then again TT was the definition of mediocre (coming off a national title run season).

[Unassisted]

As what?

UC already hired Butch Jones to replace Brian Kelly. I doubt Leach would be interested in a OC or assistant coach role. He'll get another head coaching job if he wants one.Oh, I thought they'd just made an interim hire for the bowl game. No opening there, then. It would have been the highest profile opening ATM.

I like Leach and I'd like to see him land in the Midwest.

[flyer85]

I think a lot of lawyers are going to make a lot of money off this.

interesting ... maybe things are not exactly as have been represented to this point. Wouldn't be surprised if someone else's job might be in trouble.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4787194


Texas Tech head football athletic trainer Steve Pincock said Red Raiders receiver Adam James was placed in a "sports medicine garage" and media room as "big as a two-car garage" while recovering from a concussion, and was monitored by two trainers at all times.

Pincock's account of the incident, given in a statement to representatives of former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, contradicts James' version of events that led to Leach being fired Wednesday.

James, who is the son of ESPN college football analyst Craig James, sustained a concussion on Dec. 16. He was examined the following day and told not to practice because of the injury and an elevated heart rate.

Pincock's statement was obtained by ESPN.com on Thursday night from Leach's representatives. Pincock refused further comment when reached on his cell phone in San Antonio, Texas, where the Red Raiders are preparing to play Michigan State in Saturday's Alamo Bowl.

A source told ESPN's Joe Schad that Leach called a trainer and directed him to move James "to the darkest place, to clean out the equipment and to make sure that he could not sit or lean. He was confined for three hours."

According to the source, Leach told the trainer, two days later, to "put [James] in the darkest, tightest spot. It was in an electrical closet, again, with a guard posted outside."

However, Pincock said James was initially placed in a "sports medicine garage, there is no lock on this building." Pincock said injured players are typically asked to perform exercises during practice, but "James could not participate in these drills, and was originally asked to walk around the field."

"Adam showed up to practice in street clothes, no team gear, and dark sunglasses," Pincock said, according to the statement. "Adam walked about 40 to 50 yards, very slowly and with a non-caring attitude."

Pincock said Leach then asked that James be moved to a location "where sunlight could not bother him as he was wearing sunglasses."

"I instructed Adam to stay in the garage and out of the sun, so the light would not worsen his condition," Pincock said in the statement. "While in the garage, Adam was walking around, eating ice, sitting on the ground, and, at one point, sleeping; at no point was there any enforcement to make Adam stand up."

Two days later, while the Red Raiders practiced at Jones AT&T Stadium, James was placed in a room that is used for postgame interviews involving opposing coaches and players. James told school officials he was placed in an electrical closet inside the room.

"I walked Adam to the room, which was at least as big as a two-car garage," Pincock wrote. "Inside the room there is an electrical closet. I looked in the closet and stated that there was 'no way that Adam would be placed in there.' I shut the door to the electrical closet, and it was never opened again. At no time during this practice was Adam ever placed in the electrical closet."

Mark Schlabach is a college football writer for ESPN.com.

[RedsBaron]

The easy thing here would be for Texas Tech to tell Craig James to go screw. Rightly or wrongly, they think the guy is bad for the university. And coming from a school that hired Bob Knight with all his baggage, that's really telling to me.
The fact that Texas Tech previously hired Bob Knight is one of the reasons that I am extremely skeptical of the Official Story being put out by the University as to why Leach was fired.

[Unassisted]

The fact that Texas Tech previously hired Bob Knight is one of the reasons that I am extremely skeptical of the Official Story being put out by the University as to why Leach was fired.There was a totally different relationship between the AD and those coaches. Knight was beholden to the Tech AD for enabling him to resume his coaching career, after leaving IU as close to radioactive as a coach can get without NCAA sanctions being involved. Knight also apparently wanted to leave behind a situation in which his son could prosper as a head coach, so he wasn't about to make waves. Knight was rough with players, but smooth with his AD and administrators.

OTOH, Leach created hard feelings. He did an end run around the AD last spring to get a bump in pay and an extension. By filing for the TRO to coach in the Alamo Bowl, he defied both the AD and the administration.

What I've read in local media is that the Tech side of the story is about there being a window of opportunity for the AD to get some revenge and send Leach packing, thanks to a season in which the team lost some games it should have won and a convenient media firestorm which put the coach's treatment of players in a bad light and provided cause to terminate the contract.

[BuckeyeRedleg]

interesting ... maybe things are not exactly as have been represented to this point. Wouldn't be surprised if someone else's job might be in trouble.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4787194

As I figured.

[Reds4Life]

The trainer calls it a "sports medicine garage". :laugh:

After thinking about it, I don't know if he really deserved to be fired. He didn't put his hands on James at all, and it would be hard to call standing in a garage "abuse".

To me it sounds like James is a whiney little punk with an attitude and Leach was tired of dealing with him and daddy both. He didn't put his hands on the kid, he made him stand in a garage, with medical staff. As said previously in this thread, if he pulled that same crap with Nick Saban, Pete Carroll, Jim Tressel or a number of others, you can bet he would have gotten something a lot worse than standing in a garage.

This ain't pee wee football. Instead of whining to daddy about playing time, focus on becoming a better player, then he'd get more playing time.

[WVRed]

As what?

UC already hired Butch Jones to replace Brian Kelly. I doubt Leach would be interested in a OC or assistant coach role. He'll get another head coaching job if he wants one.

I wish that Kentucky had not promised their head coaching job to Joker Phillips now. Leach was the offensive coordinator when Hal Mumme was the head coach and Tim Couch was QB. There is definitely the connection.

[Dom Heffner]

As I figured.

I think college football is the strangest thing going- just plain weird.

There is no circumstance on earth where a 50 year old man should have a 20 plus year old sitting in an electrical closet, garage, building, weight shack, etc. while being "guarded," "monitored," or anything else for that matter.

Just a weird structure altogether.

Men who lord over 13th-16th graders are given free passes for erratic behavior because of a stupid sports contest.

Bobby Knight can throw chairs, hit young men- he's a man.

[Newport Red]

This is getting juicy. Lots of accusations and contradictory statements being thrown around. This has to go to trial. If there is a settlement and all parties clam up, I'm going to be disappointed.

[paintmered]

It will be interesting to see how ESPN continues to report this story given their conflict of interest. When I heard the initial report, ESPN was forthright in the relationship. But it also seems to me that there's only one side of the story being discussed on ESPN and that Texas Tech may have been premature to terminate Leach as a result.

Is there an appropriate way for a supposed news organization to report on allegations involving one of their commentator's kid? What are the ethics involved and has ESPN acted in good faith to follow them?

[dabvu2498]

It will be interesting to see how ESPN continues to report this story given their conflict of interest. When I heard the initial report, ESPN was forthright in the relationship. But it also seems to me that there's only one side of the story being discussed on ESPN and that Texas Tech may have been premature to terminate Leach as a result. Is there an appropriate way for a supposed news organization to report on allegations involving one of their commentator's kid? What are the ethics involved and has ESPN acted in good faith to follow them? ESPN ran a lengthy interview of Leach by Rece Davis earlier today. They have reported all the statements that have been released by trainers and doctors, both pro and anti-Leach, at least on their website. My question is this: if the James kid was such a turd and his dad was such a pain, why not kick him off the team?

[Playadlc]

ESPN ran a lengthy interview of Leach by Rece Davis earlier today. They have reported all the statements that have been released by trainers and doctors, both pro and anti-Leach, at least on their website. My question is this: if the James kid was such a turd and his dad was such a pain, why not kick him off the team?

Maybe Leach was trying with this kid? Maybe he didn't want the negative press that would come along with Craig James's kid being kicked off the team? I think many underestimate the Craig James effect on this one. Texas Tech didn't want to pay the contract to Leach and they found a way out. I for one hope TT never reaches the heights Leach took them again and fall to the bottom of the Big12. When a University wants success but is not willing to pay for it then they usually get what they deserve and that is the bottom of the standings in their conference.

[NJReds]

My question is this: if the James kid was such a turd and his dad was such a pain, why not kick him off the team?

It's extremely difficult to get out of a scholarship if the kid is just lazy or a pain. They could've kicked him off the team and continued to pay his tuition, though. He probably would've transferred and that would've been the end of the situation.

Perhaps Leach is a fan of "A Few Good Men"? This is an odd story that will get played out in the courts.

[dabvu2498]

It's extremely difficult to get out of a scholarship if the kid is just lazy or a pain. They could've kicked him off the team and continued to pay his tuition, though. He probably would've transferred and that would've been the end of the situation. Perhaps Leach is a fan of "A Few Good Men"? This is an odd story that will get played out in the courts. Scholarships are renewable every year. If he was even on scholarship, their only remaining obligation would have been to pay for his spring semester.

[Highlifeman21]

ESPN ran a lengthy interview of Leach by Rece Davis earlier today. They have reported all the statements that have been released by trainers and doctors, both pro and anti-Leach, at least on their website. My question is this: if the James kid was such a turd and his dad was such a pain, why not kick him off the team?

My guess is Leach tried to handle it as best he could, and it's hard to discipline a kid b/c of his meddling dad, although I'm sure Adam James did nothing to help his own cause in the eyes of Leach.

Seems like Leach didn't play James, James and his dad made a stink, and then James had the "concussion" and Leach used that as his opportunity to discipline the kid.

Seems like both sides had very calculated moves during all of this.

Craig James is a has-been/never-was, and his son is a punk.

[jmcclain19]

YouTube Video of Leach chewing out James at practice in April. James is laughing as walks away during the reaming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLTOYX6_1v4&feature=player_embedded

You could probably find something similar from every D1 coach chewing out every player for not hustling during spring practice. That's not the big deal - it's James response as he walks away that's telling to me.

Emails between the Tech President & others revealing how much he disliked Leach and thought they could find someone better without any issue.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/12-09/1231leachblack.pdf

Lots of ugly stuff in those emails. And none of it seems flattering to the Tech administration.

[dabvu2498]

Craig James is a has-been/never-was,

The guy was Offensive Player of the Year in the NFL in 1985.

[kaldaniels]

The guy was Offensive Player of the Year in the NFL in 1985.

You are wrong. Or you need to preface your statement by disclosing who gave him that award.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League_Offensive_Player_of_the_Y ear_Award?wasRedirected=true

[dabvu2498]

You are wrong. Or you need to preface your statement by disclosing who gave him that award.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Football_League_Offensive_Player_of_the_Y ear_Award?wasRedirected=true


With the Patriots, he was named Offensive Player of the Year by the Vince Lombardi Committee in 1985 and started in both the 1985 Pro Bowl and Super Bowl XX.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_James_(American_football)

[kaldaniels]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_James_(American_football)

As long as you recognize that he did not win the "Offensive Player of the Year" that we all know and speak of, thats fine.

[westofyou]

Last white guy to gain 1000 yards in the NFL, teamed with Dickerson in the Pony Express backfield, he's a never was if you were not cognitive of him at that time I suppose.

[dabvu2498]

As long as you recognize that he did not win the "Offensive Player of the Year" that we all know and speak of, thats fine.

Semantics.

Point is, Craig James is not a "never was." Has been? Yes... But aren't we all? :)

[RedsBaron]

Craig James had a very good college career, but 1985 was his only Pro Bowl season. His 1227 rushing yards that season represented virtually half of his total career yards in the NFL, as he finished with 2469 in his career.
In 1985 Marcus Allen was named by the AP as both the NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. Allen lead the NFL in rushing yards with 1759 compared to James's 1227, which ranked ninth in the league. James did have the edge on Allen in both yards per rushing attempt, 4.7 to 4.6, and yards per pass reception, 13.3 to 8.3, but Allen lead James that season in rushing TDs, 11-5, receiving TDs, 3-2, receptions, 67-27, and receiving yards, 555-360. Allen also lead the NFL in total yards from scrimmage with 2314. While James made the Pro Bowl, Allen was the first team All Pro in 1985.

[Blimpie]

I may be dating myself, but I only remember Craig James excelling at the college level. The Pony Express was huge at the time he played college ball. His overall fame only seemed to grow as Eric Dickerson became a legendary NFL running back.

[traderumor]

Wasn't James part of the problem in the SMU football program getting the death penalty?

[dabvu2498]

Wasn't James part of the problem in the SMU football program getting the death penalty?

From what I've read, he was not accused of anything directly. Sounds like that whole bunch was a little more than tainted though.

[RichRed]

Last white guy to gain 1000 yards in the NFL, teamed with Dickerson in the Pony Express backfield, he's a never was if you were not cognitive of him at that time I suppose.

I actually remember him playing for the USFL Washington Federals.

[Newport Red]

Wasn't James part of the problem in the SMU football program getting the death penalty?

As the angry Tech fans say in all the comment sections:

James Gang - 2
Texas football - 0

[Handofdeath]

As a TTU fan, I can't say I'm all that sad Leach is gone. He gets more press than most other college coaches and what has he really accomplished besides tremendous offensive numbers?

[GAC]

As a TTU fan, I can't say I'm all that sad Leach is gone. He gets more press than most other college coaches and what has he really accomplished besides tremendous offensive numbers?

What has he accomplished?



10 consecutive winning seasons
8 consecutive seasons with at least 8 wins
4 seasons with at least 9 wins[/URL]
1 season with 11 wins
9 consecutive bowl appearances (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Leach_%28coach%29#cite_note-55)
5 bowl wins (most by any individual coach in the history of the program)
4 seasons completed with team ranked in the Top 25
19–11 record against in-state conference rivals Baylor, Texas, and Texas A&M
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Leach_%28coach%29#cite_note-Alamo-56)
53–11 record at Jones AT&T Stadium, home of the Texas Tech Red Raider football team
2008 AP Big 12 Coach of the Year
2008 Big 12 Coach of the Year[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Leach_%28coach%29#cite_note-08CoachesBig12COY-31"] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Leach_%28coach%29#cite_note-08APBig12COY-30)

[Handofdeath]

What has he accomplished?



10 consecutive winning seasons
8 consecutive seasons with at least 8 wins
4 seasons with at least 9 wins[/URL]
1 season with 11 wins
9 consecutive bowl appearances (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Leach_%28coach%29#cite_note-55)
5 bowl wins (most by any individual coach in the history of the program)
4 seasons completed with team ranked in the Top 25
19–11 record against in-state conference rivals Baylor, Texas, and Texas A&M
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Leach_%28coach%29#cite_note-Alamo-56)
53–11 record at Jones AT&T Stadium, home of the Texas Tech Red Raider football team
2008 AP Big 12 Coach of the Year
2008 Big 12 Coach of the Year[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Leach_%28coach%29#cite_note-08CoachesBig12COY-31"] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Leach_%28coach%29#cite_note-08APBig12COY-30)


And not one conference championship, not one final Top 10 ranking, and not one appearance in a BCS bowl.

[traderumor]

And not one conference championship, not one final Top 10 ranking, and not one appearance in a BCS bowl.Not being a fan of the program, who is Texas Tech before Mike Leach came? That people even know "oh, they are that team that can score a lot of points and wear those all black uniforms" is a credit to Leach. I'm not sure Top 10 finishes and BCS bowls is a fair measure for the program he built to what it is, considering it was basically an unknown program prior to his tenure. It seems the problems with Leach are personality driven rather than appreciating the job he has done to put the school on the college football map. It will be a huge challenge to his successor to keep it there.

[flyer85]

And not one conference championship, not one final Top 10 ranking, and not one appearance in a BCS bowl.and Tech had so many of those before leach showed up. :D

[Unassisted]

And not one conference championship, not one final Top 10 ranking, and not one appearance in a BCS bowl.That's relative, though. Tech is in a loaded conference that's pretty much a gauntlet in football for all but about 5 schools. Leach simply couldn't reel in the level of recruits that Mack Brown or Bob Stoops land routinely. For his teams to have beaten top Big 12 teams as often as he did with the resources that he had was an accomplishment that stands on its own. He just never had the horses to run the table.

If they were in the WAC or the Mountain West, they'd have been in the same situation as this year's Boise State or TCU teams for most of that decade.

[Highlifeman21]

The guy was Offensive Player of the Year in the NFL in 1985.

Whoopie, AP Offensive Player of the Year.

The AP is a joke.

Ndamukong Suh was AP College Player of the Year this year IIRC, yet, he certainly didn't win the Heisman.

[westofyou]

Whoopie, AP Offensive Player of the Year.

The AP is a joke.

Ndamukong Suh was AP College Player of the Year this year IIRC, yet, he certainly didn't win the Heisman.

Ndamukong Suh was also on SI's all decade team, I'm sure they're just a bunch of hacks too.

If everyone sucks...press included, who doesn't suck?

I mean besides you and I and maybe Krono.

[KronoRed]

Well I certainly don't suck :help:

[Razor Shines]

At one point a few weeks back, it looked like Tom Cable had saved his job with the Oakland Raiders; the team had found some magic with Bruce Gradkowski under center, and everyone seemed to have forgotten about the whole Randy Hanson incident. But according to what people close to Al Davis have told Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune, the Raiders owner and managing partner is "inclined" to fire Cable. NFL Insider Adam Schefter tweets that Cable and his staff will meet with Davis next Monday to learn their fate.

While the list of potential coaching candidates doesn't include the big names that other jobs are drawing, one new captivating name is in the mix, via Don Banks of Sports Illustrated: Giants OC Kevin Gilbride. Gilbride has had success developing Eli Manning, and might be able to figure out how to draw some production out of JaMarcus Russell.

We've also heard the rumors that Mike Leach is amongst the front-runners for the gig, and here's what NFL Insider Adam Schefter had to say via email on the fit for Leach in Oakland:

Adam Schefter
It's possible, but ...

"Well, Al Davis has certainly done crazier things. And keep in mind, he has demonstrated that he's not against going for top offensive talent from the college ranks (see Kiffin, Lane or Sarkisian, Steve). It might be an electric combination, but it's a little difficult to envision for now."

[dabvu2498]

"Jamarcus, go hang out in that shed."

[BRM]

"Jamarcus, go hang out in that shed."

Yeah, I can't imagine those tactics will work very well in the NFL. Jamarcus would probably lock Leach in the shed.

[Highlifeman21]

Well I certainly don't suck :help:

You don't.

Me? I suck plenty.

Wait a minute....

[Roy Tucker]

"Jamarcus, go hang out in that shed."

I must say, this made me laugh. :thumbup:

[paintmered]

Tommy Tubberville to become the next coach at Texas Tech.

[Newport Red]

Tommy Tubberville to become the next coach at Texas Tech.

That's a Texas Tech name.

[Handofdeath]

Tommy Tubberville to become the next coach at Texas Tech.

Outstanding, a man with a proven track record. And he's a gambler on offense, perfect for TTU.

[kaldaniels]

Whoopie, AP Offensive Player of the Year.

The AP is a joke.

Ndamukong Suh was AP College Player of the Year this year IIRC, yet, he certainly didn't win the Heisman.

Highlife...you didn't get the kicker which I mentioned earlier.....

James was not the AP offensive player of the year.

He was the Vince Lombardi Committee Offensive Player of the year.

Which in my opinion is tantamount to the Hamilton County Kiwanis player of the year....seriously...what the heck is the Vince Lombardi Committee?

[Oxilon]

Interesting video just emerged from the internet...

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4987838

[redsfandan]

Interesting video just emerged from the internet...

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4987838
Eh he didn't use the best judgement in choosing his words in the 2nd clip but if I was a parent of one of the kids that video wouldn't bother me that much.

[GIDP]

Interesting video just emerged from the internet...

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4987838

Glad to see ESPN still doing Craig James dirty work for him.

ESPN really stepping up to the plate these days.

[Oxilon]

Eh he didn't use the best judgement in choosing his words in the 2nd clip but if I was a parent of one of the kids that video wouldn't bother me that much.

Eh...I disagree. Considering this is Texas Tech, which is the heartland of the Bible Belt, and Leach is yelling at his players to only pray for football, I'd say it's a big deal. The Texas Tech lawyers are probably salivating at the mouth right now.

[Slyder]

Interesting video just emerged from the internet...

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4987838

I saw the clip on Cold Pizza, Morning Brew, whatever the hell that show is called now on ESPN2 and I gotta say.. if that is the first time any of these kids have heard those words in their lives they have been really really really lucky or really really really really sheltered.

They had a guy who played football in the NFL on the program and he had absolutely zero problem with either clip. He said he had coaches move him twice while he was in college, just part of being a college football player. Just to put things in perspective. He could have done without the "God Squad" mention and gotten the point across.

[Slyder]

Eh...I disagree. Considering this is Texas Tech, which is the heartland of the Bible Belt, and Leach is yelling at his players to only pray for football, I'd say it's a big deal. The Texas Tech lawyers are probably salivating at the mouth right now.

I think he was meaning when they're there for football to be about football. thats what I took from it.

[GIDP]

I think he was meaning when they're there for football to be about football. thats what I took from it.

Thats how I took it also.

He seemed to say that when you are on the field keep your mind clear of other distractions and be all about football.

[hebroncougar]

Interesting video just emerged from the internet...

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4987838

Interesting in that Leake doesn't do much of anything wrong in it? If that's the worst they could dig up on Leake, TT is in trouble with the lawsuit.

[Sea Ray]

Interesting in that Leake doesn't do much of anything wrong in it? If that's the worst they could dig up on Leake, TT is in trouble with the lawsuit.

You beat me to it. Those were my thoughts as well. I see nothing incriminating here at all. If this is the worst stuff they can come up with then Texas Tech better get ready to pay up. It's not like he said this while coaching for Notre Dame or SMU

[redsfandan]

Eh...I disagree. Considering this is Texas Tech, which is the heartland of the Bible Belt, and Leach is yelling at his players to only pray for football, I'd say it's a big deal. The Texas Tech lawyers are probably salivating at the mouth right now.
Which is why I said that he could've used better judgement in choosing his words in the 2nd clip. And like Slyder and GIDP mentioned, even though it was kinda funny to watch (hey Mike Leach take some public speaking classes please!) I thought what he was trying to talk about was just focusing on the job at hand. There will always be someone that wants to complain and in that case I wouldn't be surprised if some parents didn't like that video. But, if that video is supposed to justify firing him I don't think it worked. :shocked:

[Unassisted]

The video probably does as much to poison the well for Leach to get his next job than it does to support the case for firing him. Since Leach has a law degree, I imagine he is as well-prepared as any coach in the country could be to play hardball with his former employer.