Mike Leach fired

[ZeroClub]

From what has come out the last 24 hours about the "shed" and "electrical closet" being BS, I'm really surprised at this.

Guess it's true that some on the board didn't like him and were just looking for an excuse to fire him.

If he actually filed an injunction against the university, it'd be tough for the board to support him.

 

[jimmy40]

I put this on Gerald ****ING Myers, he's an old school dictator *****!

They will rue the day they did this, Leach was perfect for Lubbock and wanted to stay there. Now it's back to the dumps and a stepping stone for future coaches to pass through on to greener pastures.

STUPID MOVE!

Man, I haven't been this pissed since Jerry fired Jimmy

So how many coaches have gone from there to greener pastures, isn't that where coaches go to end their career?

 

[Dawgs0916]

I'll be back with my thoughts on this bull**** later

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I put this on Gerald ****ING Myers, he's an old school dictator *****!

They will rue the day they did this, Leach was perfect for Lubbock and wanted to stay there. Now it's back to the dumps and a stepping stone for future coaches to pass through on to greener pastures.

STUPID MOVE!

Man, I haven't been this pissed since Jerry fired Jimmy

I'm not even a Tech fan, but it pisses me off too because it now sounds like the original story was exaggerated to the point of becoming a complete fabrication.

If he actually filed an injunction against the university, it'd be tough for the board to support him.

Yes, but I meant that some on the board hated him before this story broke. Apparently that was the reason for the contentiousness surrounding his recent contract extension.

And the reasons sound lame... Leach isn't a big gladhander on the alumni banquet scene, and some resented that. I guess I don't understand that because I'd be the same way. I mean, the guy wins and he graduates his players, for the most part. The rest seems like fluff to me.

 

[yimyammer]

So how many coaches have gone from there to greener pastures, isn't that where coaches go to end their career?

Not many, the point being that prior to Spike and Mike, coaches didn't want to stay there and if they had success they left to coach at more high profile schools or we couldn't get great coaches to come there.

Maybe the program has been built up to the point where they can attract some big names, but i doubt it.

I went to school there and Lubbock is not a place I'd like to live.

Hopefully, I'm over-reacting, but I don't think this bodes well for Tech's future football program

 

[jimmy40]

shed

 

[jimmy40]

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP)
Texas Tech fired coach Mike Leach on Wednesday, just two days after he was suspended by the school as it investigated his treatment of a player with a concussion.

The school handed a termination letter to Leach's attorney, Ted Liggett, just minutes before the two sides were to appear in a Lubbock, Texas, courtroom for a hearing on the coach's suspension.

Liggett said the letter said Leach was "terminated with cause effective immediately."

In February, Leach and the school agreed to a five-year, $12.7 million contract. According to terms of the deal, Leach was due a $800,000 bonus on Dec. 31 if he was still the head coach at Texas Tech.

Leach was suspended by the university on Monday after receiver Adam James alleged the coach twice confined him to small, dark spaces while the team practiced.

James is the son of former NFL player and ESPN analyst Craig James.

Texas Tech plays Michigan State on Saturday in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.

Tech is the second Big 12 school to launch an internal investigation into a coach's treatment of his players.

On Nov. 16, Kansas investigated Mark Mangino, who got a big raise after he was national coach of the year and went 12-1 in 2007. Some players said he was insensitive, though others defended him.

Mangino resigned Dec. 3 after reaching a settlement with the school that was later disclosed as a $3 million buyout.

In an affidavit included in Tuesday's court filing, Leach said he "would never intentionally harm or endanger a player" and that he has been "forced into this situation without being afforded any process." He also said "absolutely" no evidence had been given to him that showed he had violated any university rules or standards.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

I cannot stand Mike Leach but I don't know why people automatically assume that Texas Tech's program will go downhill from now.

Mike Leach has made the program respectable and started making inroads in recruiting kids from schools like Texas A&M.

The Texas Tech job is viewed as a very good position and they should be able to land a quality Head Coach now.

Unfortunately, any recruits that thought about going to Texas Tech will probably have second thoughts until the Coaching situation is resolved.

Regardless, if the program does go south next year, heads in the Administration Office will roll.

 

[Rackat]

The producer of the Scruggs/Whitt show is friends with the kicker that missed the field goal a few years back and basically got ran out of town by the students/fans. He texted the show and said Adam James needs to have some security around him on campus and that it would be very wise for him to leave town quickly.

 

[Chief]

I've followed this program since Jerry Moore was there in the early 1980s.

I have mixed feelings.

I love the success the program had under Leach, on the field and in the classroom. Leach is a fascinating person. I get so tired of the typical coaches who do things because it's always been done a certain way. Leach was always exploring new ideas ... thinking outside the box. As a fan of football and human nature, he was delightful.

But I know people who work at the Lubbock paper and Leach was a handful for that administration. A lawyer (as many know), Leach had a problem with authority. They had problems with him early on (partying), but to Leach's credit, he reigned that in.

While Leach is different than most coaches, he shared a common trait with many of the great ones or big-name ones. He had a huge ego. Once the pirate thing took hold nationally, he milked it and loved the attention. He loved the attention he got from the "fat little girlfriends" comment.

You can blame the administration if you want, but he basically wore them out. It was always something .... money, comments, off-the-field behavoir. Always something.

When this happened with Adam James, I think Gerald Myers and Company jumped all over it.

I don't think it's the end of the program. Thankfully, Leach brought a lot of national attention to the program and made it much, much better.

I don't know who they will go after, but I keep hearing two names -- Art Briles at Baylor and Sonny Dykes at Arizona. Both are former Leach assistants and both are natives of West Texas (and will be glad to stay there forever). I would be surprised if Briles left Baylor so soon because he's such a loyal guy.

We'll see.

Regardless, it's a weird day, but one that I expected at some point.

 

[Maikeru-sama]

Here is an interesting write up of Adam Jones:

Report: Adam James has his critics at Texas Tech

BSSports.com says it has obtained e-mails of six current and former Texas Tech players and coaches that disparage sophomore Adam James, whose allegations of mistreatment led to the suspension of football coach Mike Leach.

In one, James is referred to as "unusually lazy and entitled," and in another he's labeled "a complete jerk."

James' contention that he was mistreated by Leach after suffering a concussion is what led to the coach's suspension. (Photo by Eric Gay/AP)

Among what was written, according to CBSSports.com:

Former quarterback Graham Harrell wrote that during the offseason James "often would be skipping lifts in the weight room or finding ways to cut corners."

Inside receivers coach Lincoln Riley wrote that James resented being one of three receivers who was made to run stairs as punishment for unsatisfactory work. "It's just another example of Adam thinking that he knows more about coaching than people who have been coaching their entire lives," Riley wrote. "I have no doubt that anger from this led to where we are today."

Former player Eric Morris wrote that James expected the team "to baby him" because he was the son of a famous player, ESPN analyst Craig James.

link

Here is a link to the emails in their entirety.
link

 

[Chief]

The producer of the Scruggs/Whitt show is friends with the kicker that missed the field goal a few years back and basically got ran out of town by the students/fans. He texted the show and said Adam James needs to have some security around him on campus and that it would be very wise for him to leave town quickly.

That's very true.

He's in San Antonio with the team ... which is sort of surprising considering the situation. They should probably get him to change his name and looks and put him in a government protection program. Oh, and Craig James will never do a game in Lubbock again.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Well, as I posted in another thread, I'm no fan of Leach. However, Leach has a case here and I would not be shocked to see Tech get hammered on this. If what I'm hearing is true, they fired him with no just cause. He's going to get paid.

I also don't think Briles is a sure thing and while Briles is a pretty good coach, he's not Leach. I think Tech is going down over this. There going to lose at least two strong recruiting classes and there not going to be able to replace Leach with anybody who can get it done like he can. I think there done but time will tell.

 

[yimyammer]

I have a friend who went to Tech and lived there for the last 20 years and knows a lot of people involved in this and he says Myers is going to be fired or he will resign in the next day or so for his failure to manage his staff, specifically the Leach contract extension and now the James kid fiasco.

Apparently, according to my buddy, Craig James was highly involved in the team and showed up often to take players to go hunting, out to dinner, etc. This apparently didn't go down well with Leach and other parents because they felt he was having too much involvement in the program. He would use these excursions to take certain players (QB's and certain receivers), while conviently excluding others, in order to try and influence them into possibly trying to get the ball to James son more.

He also said Adam James was recruited by a coach that is now at Houston and sent a letter to Gerald Myers saying he was not a division 1 athlete and not to sign him but they went ahead and signed him anyway because they wanted the attention that his father could potential bring to the team and program via ESPN.

Adam James was apparently a spoiled, little rich kid who had an attitude and bad practice habits and the whole shed thing occurred because Adam showed up at practice in dark sun glasses and Leach or another coach asked him why he was wearing the glasses and he said the doctor told him to stay out of the sunlight, so Leach told the coaches to have him work out in the shed to keep out of the sun.

I guess we'll find out how true this is, but this is what he's said he's been told by people close to the team.

 

[Danny White]

Tech should try to hire June Jones.

 

[Dawgs0916]

Tech should try to hire June Jones.

Just because they are the same style of coach, doesn't mean it will equal success.

Briles is a good name, but I would feel bad for Robert.

 

[Avaj]

Dawgs I've been checking back on this thread for you input on the whole situation.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

Wonder if they made Leach walk a plank on his way out the door?

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Here is an interesting write up of Adam Jones:




link

Here is a link to the emails in their entirety.
link

Interesting reading those emails.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

If the picture that was posted about, of the so called shed, is the accurate place for where they were putting him and having him workout to stay out of the sun, on doctors orders, then I really don't see what the big deal is here.

I guess this whole situation is just weird to me.