Rustler
01-01-2010, 09:24 PM
Two days after Texas Tech's decision to fire head football coach Mike Leach, three prominent current and former members of the school's board of regents said the firing was largely the result of ill will leftover from heated contract negotiations early last year.
On Monday, the school announced it was suspending Mr. Leach for Saturday's Alamo Bowl for putting a player at risk for additional injury. Mr. Leach, who has denied the charge, filed an injunction to allow him to coach the game. But before a hearing Wednesday, the school terminated his contract—both for his actions toward the player and for "insubordination."
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Lubbock Avalanche-Journal/Associated Press
In April, 2008, Mr. Leach's representatives from the sports agency IMG sent a proposal for a contract extension that would pay Mr. Leach $15.7 million over five years and make him one of the 10 highest-paid coaches in college football. At that point Mr. Leach had 65-37 record and had taken the team to eight consecutive bowl games.
According to a person familiar with Mr. Leach's side of the negotiations, athletic director Gerald Myers sent the agents a short note declining to negotiate. The note said the school would understand if "better opportunities" came up. Mr. Myers declined to comment.
Ten months later in January 2009, Texas Tech board members say Mr. Leach's agents at IMG began sending them emails about Mr. Leach's contract without copying the athletic director. Board member Jerry Turner said he was angered by the move. "They were trying to get us to put pressure on the athletic director and force Tech to come to the terms they wanted," he says. Mr. Turner says school officials were also frustrated by reports Mr. Leach was looking at coaching vacancies at other schools during the football season.
Scott Dueser, a Texas bank chairman who was the board's chairman during the negotiationsm, says he was "definitely not happy with the agents."
Mr. Leach did not return calls seeking comment. A representative for the coach said only one email was sent to the regents and IMG sent a note the next day to apologize for forgetting to copy Mr. Myers.
One month later, following a meeting between Mr. Leach and the school's chancellor, Kent Hance, the coach signed a contract for five years and $12.7 million—making him one of 24 college football coaches making at least $2 million.
—David Biderman
On Monday, the school announced it was suspending Mr. Leach for Saturday's Alamo Bowl for putting a player at risk for additional injury. Mr. Leach, who has denied the charge, filed an injunction to allow him to coach the game. But before a hearing Wednesday, the school terminated his contract—both for his actions toward the player and for "insubordination."
View Full Image
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal/Associated Press
In April, 2008, Mr. Leach's representatives from the sports agency IMG sent a proposal for a contract extension that would pay Mr. Leach $15.7 million over five years and make him one of the 10 highest-paid coaches in college football. At that point Mr. Leach had 65-37 record and had taken the team to eight consecutive bowl games.
According to a person familiar with Mr. Leach's side of the negotiations, athletic director Gerald Myers sent the agents a short note declining to negotiate. The note said the school would understand if "better opportunities" came up. Mr. Myers declined to comment.
Ten months later in January 2009, Texas Tech board members say Mr. Leach's agents at IMG began sending them emails about Mr. Leach's contract without copying the athletic director. Board member Jerry Turner said he was angered by the move. "They were trying to get us to put pressure on the athletic director and force Tech to come to the terms they wanted," he says. Mr. Turner says school officials were also frustrated by reports Mr. Leach was looking at coaching vacancies at other schools during the football season.
Scott Dueser, a Texas bank chairman who was the board's chairman during the negotiationsm, says he was "definitely not happy with the agents."
Mr. Leach did not return calls seeking comment. A representative for the coach said only one email was sent to the regents and IMG sent a note the next day to apologize for forgetting to copy Mr. Myers.
One month later, following a meeting between Mr. Leach and the school's chancellor, Kent Hance, the coach signed a contract for five years and $12.7 million—making him one of 24 college football coaches making at least $2 million.
—David Biderman