Mike Leach Fired by Texas Tech

[Old Style]

I am loving this Tech meltdown. So fun to watch. I would guess that they will hire Art Briles from Baylor, but I'm hoping for Sonny Dykes. His old man was the coach at Tech for many years and I believe he is an assistant under Mike Stoops at Arizona right now.

[snoodmonger]

things have been bad there since the offseason

 

leach got pissed off at his bosses and has been pushing their limits all year. they want him out and he wants out, this just gave them a semi legitimate way to do it

 

i also hear he was owed an 800k payment on Dec. 31. I think he's going to make 400k for each year left on his contract. not bad paper to go out on a job search. He was never going to topple OU and Texas in the Big 12 anyway. They seemingly would pick off one of them per year, but let's face it, in Lubbock, you're kind of at a disadvantage.

 

Who can, consistently?

 

I don't know. I can see OU falling from grace (I lived through some rough years when in the pre-stoops era), but I don't see Texas ever falling from its perch at or near the top of the Big 12. They have a great campus, great city, great facilities, great recent history and one of the top 3 recruiting bases in america. The only team that's consistently good enough to challenge them is Oklahoma, and we've thrown up a couple of clunkers this decade, even though we've been at the top of our game.

 

Whats been pretty amazing with Leech is that he has done everything without really ever having a great recruiting class.

 

I think OU will be ok without Stoops, but I do wonder what would happen. TCU might firmly overtake them should Stoops leave.

 

Funny, because if Stoops leaves, I figure Patterson would be one of their top targets. And I think he'd kill it at OU.

[E.J.]

Some emails were forwarded to CBS from TT strength coach, receivers coach, a former assistant, and some former players in support of Leach.

 

http://dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/19238949?loc=interstitialskip

[TruffleShuffle]

Some emails were forwarded to CBS from TT strength coach, receivers coach, a former assistant, and some former players in support of Leach.

 

http://dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/19238949?loc=interstitialskip

 

wow adam james is just getting killed by those people. maybe he's just an [expletive].

[illiniguy]

How many minutes would a young Bobby Knight last these days? 5...10?

[ISUCubsFan]

I'm not sure how in the wrong Leach is here with the conflicting reports, but I'm guessing he picked the wrong time (when he actually had a concussion) and wrong player (ESPN broadcaster's son) to discipline for being lazy in the past. It's pretty obvious this was just used as an excuse to fire him though. Even if it's as bad as the James camp says (and the "electrical closet" is more of an interview room) making him stand for a couple hours isn't exactly an atrocity and is orders of magnitude better than some of the stuff Mangino is said to have done. It's not like the AD can take some player protection moral high ground either, he hired Bob Knight a few years ago. The school powers must really hate him, because it's obviously not a good move for their program.

[Soul]

Some emails were forwarded to CBS from TT strength coach, receivers coach, a former assistant, and some former players in support of Leach.

 

http://dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/19238949?loc=interstitialskip

 

wow adam james is just getting killed by those people. maybe he's just an [expletive].

Reading those comments reminds me of some people in my life. People with an overdeveloped sense of entitlement suck. Just shut up and get the job done, nobody wants to hear the whining.

[CubbieBum]

Some emails were forwarded to CBS from TT strength coach, receivers coach, a former assistant, and some former players in support of Leach.

 

http://dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/19238949?loc=interstitialskip

 

wow adam james is just getting killed by those people. maybe he's just an [expletive].

Reading those comments reminds me of some people in my life. People with an overdeveloped sense of entitlement suck. Just shut up and get the job done, nobody wants to hear the whining.

 

I agree. However sticking them in a room for hours to stare at a wall isn't productive and is wrong. Wrong enough to get fired? No. Leach, however, forced the school's hand by taking it to court. The school had to do it due diligence and investigate the incident. Judging for the emails it wouldn't have taken long to see James was a bad kid and what Leach did wasn't too bad. What is a school supposed to do when there is a potentially major incident that the coach blocks you from investigating? You have to be allowed to investigate especially in this day and age when coaches are found to have cheated often.

[TruffleShuffle]

I agree. However sticking them in a room for hours to stare at a wall isn't productive and is wrong. Wrong enough to get fired? No. Leach, however, forced the school's hand by taking it to court. The school had to do it due diligence and investigate the incident. Judging for the emails it wouldn't have taken long to see James was a bad kid and what Leach did wasn't too bad. What is a school supposed to do when there is a potentially major incident that the coach blocks you from investigating? You have to be allowed to investigate especially in this day and age when coaches are found to have cheated often.

 

they suspended him from coaching the bowl game; he went to court to be allowed to coach the bowl game.

[dew1679666265]

What schools even have openings right now?

 

Rich Brooks is likely to retire from Kentucky and Leach is a former assistant there, but Joker Phillips is the head coach in waiting. Did Central Michigan fill its vacancy when Butch Jones went to Cincy? That'd be a step down, but might work for a year or so. I can't think of any other significant programs with an opening.

 

I could potentially see a swap, of sorts. Texas Tech might hire June Jones (likely too much money), Kevin Sumlin or Art Briles and then whichever coach Tech hires, that school might hire Leach. Otherwise he may need to take on an OC role for a year until bigger programs open next year.

[dew1679666265]

things have been bad there since the offseason

 

leach got pissed off at his bosses and has been pushing their limits all year. they want him out and he wants out, this just gave them a semi legitimate way to do it

 

i also hear he was owed an 800k payment on Dec. 31. I think he's going to make 400k for each year left on his contract. not bad paper to go out on a job search. He was never going to topple OU and Texas in the Big 12 anyway. They seemingly would pick off one of them per year, but let's face it, in Lubbock, you're kind of at a disadvantage.

 

Who can, consistently?

 

I don't know. I can see OU falling from grace (I lived through some rough years when in the pre-stoops era), but I don't see Texas ever falling from its perch at or near the top of the Big 12. They have a great campus, great city, great facilities, great recent history and one of the top 3 recruiting bases in america. The only team that's consistently good enough to challenge them is Oklahoma, and we've thrown up a couple of clunkers this decade, even though we've been at the top of our game.

 

One of the best things that could happen for OU and Texas was Leach leaving TT. That was really the only program I could see challenging them in a significant way in the near-term and now it's very unlikely Tech will be as good as it has. OU and Texas are likely to go back to complete domination of the South for the forseeable future now.

[CubbieBum]

I agree. However sticking them in a room for hours to stare at a wall isn't productive and is wrong. Wrong enough to get fired? No. Leach, however, forced the school's hand by taking it to court. The school had to do it due diligence and investigate the incident. Judging for the emails it wouldn't have taken long to see James was a bad kid and what Leach did wasn't too bad. What is a school supposed to do when there is a potentially major incident that the coach blocks you from investigating? You have to be allowed to investigate especially in this day and age when coaches are found to have cheated often.

 

they suspended him from coaching the bowl game; he went to court to be allowed to coach the bowl game.

 

I know but anytime you take your school to court expect to be fired. You can't sue your school and still coach there. Also IIRC he was suspended pending an investigation i.e. if he was found to be right he would be allowed to coach the bowl game.

[shnsajax]

Very interesting email's

[OleMissCub]

 

Just talked to Tommy Tuberville & he is very interested in the Texas Tech job. Story to be posted soon on RedRaiderSports.com

 

That would be a DAMN GOOD hire imo.

[shnsajax]

 

Just talked to Tommy Tuberville & he is very interested in the Texas Tech job. Story to be posted soon on RedRaiderSports.com

 

That would be a DAMN GOOD hire imo.

 

Yeah they would not be any worse off. Though I wonder how much they are wanting to pay a coach.

 

OleMiss you going to the Cotton Bowl?

[OleMissCub]

 

OleMiss you going to the Cotton Bowl?

 

Yes! me and the gal are leaving tomorrow morning. Really pumped about seeing Jerry World.

[TruffleShuffle]

http://www.kcbd.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=4421239&h1=EXCLUSIVE%20look%20at%20the%20rooms%20in%20question&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=333700&LaunchPageAdTag=Sport&activePane=info&rnd=36346615

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/sports/ncaafootball/01leach.html?ref=sports

 

there's about a zero percent chance that texas tech won't have to pay the full amount of leach's contract. and he should be able to find a nice coaching job pretty quickly, if not in 2010, then 2011 at the latest.

[Mark Priors Calves]

Craig James is coming across like a major d-bag in this whole ordeal.

[Guest]

http://www.kcbd.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=4421239&h1=EXCLUSIVE%20look%20at%20the%20rooms%20in%20question&vt1=v&at1=News&d1=333700&LaunchPageAdTag=Sport&activePane=info&rnd=36346615

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/01/sports/ncaafootball/01leach.html?ref=sports

 

there's about a zero percent chance that texas tech won't have to pay the full amount of leach's contract. and he should be able to find a nice coaching job pretty quickly, if not in 2010, then 2011 at the latest.

I disagree. You don't tell a kid to go sit in a shed. They obviously have health care facilities to handle this or you just tell him to go home. Even so the coach has to cooperate with the institution. The coach seems like a real jackass, regardless of this incdent.

[NewUserName]

I wonder if a higher profile coach did the same thing what the feeling towards him be? If say Pere Carroll did something similar would he have as much sympathy as Leach seems to be getting here?

 

I think it is obvious that the issues between Tech and Leach go deeper then this incident. I am sure USC would not suspend Carroll for a bowl game for this kind of incident.

[Old Style]

things have been bad there since the offseason

 

leach got pissed off at his bosses and has been pushing their limits all year. they want him out and he wants out, this just gave them a semi legitimate way to do it

 

i also hear he was owed an 800k payment on Dec. 31. I think he's going to make 400k for each year left on his contract. not bad paper to go out on a job search. He was never going to topple OU and Texas in the Big 12 anyway. They seemingly would pick off one of them per year, but let's face it, in Lubbock, you're kind of at a disadvantage.

 

Who can, consistently?

 

I don't know. I can see OU falling from grace (I lived through some rough years when in the pre-stoops era), but I don't see Texas ever falling from its perch at or near the top of the Big 12. They have a great campus, great city, great facilities, great recent history and one of the top 3 recruiting bases in america. The only team that's consistently good enough to challenge them is Oklahoma, and we've thrown up a couple of clunkers this decade, even though we've been at the top of our game.

 

One of the best things that could happen for OU and Texas was Leach leaving TT. That was really the only program I could see challenging them in a significant way in the near-term and now it's very unlikely Tech will be as good as it has. OU and Texas are likely to go back to complete domination of the South for the forseeable future now.

Don't forget about Texas A&M. Mike Sherman is slowly digging the Aggies out of the huge hole created by Dennis Franchione. I wouldn't be surprised by a 9 win season next year.

[dew1679666265]

Don't forget about Texas A&M. Mike Sherman is slowly digging the Aggies out of the huge hole created by Dennis Franchione. I wouldn't be surprised by a 9 win season next year.

 

I want to see more from A&M and see if Sherman is there long term (he could retire or head back to the NFL). But yeah, they're definitely heading in the right direction.

[Old Style]

Don't forget about Texas A&M. Mike Sherman is slowly digging the Aggies out of the huge hole created by Dennis Franchione. I wouldn't be surprised by a 9 win season next year.

 

I want to see more from A&M and see if Sherman is there long term (he could retire or head back to the NFL). But yeah, they're definitely heading in the right direction.

Maybe I'm blind, but I don't see Sherm leaving anytime soon. We played something like 18 freshman this year and he has a very good recruiting class coming in. His OL recruits are ridiculously good. The skill position players are already outstanding. I'm still concerned about the defense. I wasn't happy when Sherman was hired (I wanted Tuberville) but he seems to have us on the right track. It's going to take a lot to compete with Texas & OU every year, though. That is a tall order.

[dew1679666265]

Don't forget about Texas A&M. Mike Sherman is slowly digging the Aggies out of the huge hole created by Dennis Franchione. I wouldn't be surprised by a 9 win season next year.

 

I want to see more from A&M and see if Sherman is there long term (he could retire or head back to the NFL). But yeah, they're definitely heading in the right direction.

Maybe I'm blind, but I don't see Sherm leaving anytime soon. We played something like 18 freshman this year and he has a very good recruiting class coming in. His OL recruits are ridiculously good. The skill position players are already outstanding. I'm still concerned about the defense. I wasn't happy when Sherman was hired (I wanted Tuberville) but he seems to have us on the right track. It's going to take a lot to compete with Texas & OU every year, though. That is a tall order.

 

The NFL is probably unlikely and I don't know how old he is, so he may well stay. I just kind of always saw him as more of an NFL coach than college, so I wonder if he'll look to head back sometime soon - if there's any interest.

 

He's definitely improved them significantly since getting there and I think it's turning out to be the right hire. You're right, though, that competing with Texas and OU is difficult.

[ISUCubsFan]

ESPN with predictably bad coverage of this. Among other things, Mike Patrick just stated "Adam James was punished for having a concussion." That's a pretty gigantic leap in logic and isn't supported by anything I've seen, including the trainer statement that came out today. If anything it sounds more and more like he was being punished for not following the dress code, and loafing while he was supposed walking around the track.