Mike Leach - My point of view

[headhunter]

The Mike Leach story started on Monday and by Wednesday Texas Tech had made the decision to fire him for insubordination. I have a huge problem with the so called “investigation” Texas Tech did. I want to start out by saying; I am not a huge Tech fan nor do I think Mike Leach is the greatest coach in college football. However I appreciate what Leach has done over the past 10 years for college football and for Texas Tech.

The first point I would like to make is that Craig James used his power to try and get his son more playing time. This is a FACT; Craig James continuously called Leach and other coaches to lobby for playing time. When he didn’t get the results liked, he then went to the administration.

Second point; Adam James signed on and agreed to play football for Mike Leach and TT. He knew the rules and what was expected of him when he did this. PLAYING FOOTBALL IN COLLEGE IS NOT A RIGHT, IT’S A PRIVILEGE. The young man broke a team rule by not wearing his TT athletic issued gear out to the practice field, he then continued to walk around and act as if he could do as he wanted. Mike Leach punished him for his actions, all the other injured players were in their athletic gear, why not Adam?

The punishment --- Yes, it may have been out of the ordinary, yes it may have been weird, but if Mike Leach dumped a pile of dirt in one endzone and told Adam to haul it in a wheel-barrow to the other end and pile it up, then that was his punishment. Just because we did not like the punishment does not make it wrong. Adam’s health was never in jeopardy.

Third point; Who are the real winners and losers in this battle? There are three parties in this war.

1) Adam James and the James family – They will come out of this just fine, Why? Because Craig always wanted his son to play for his great alma-mater SMU, but due to the lack of winning, Craig did not want his son to be a part of a 1-10 team. Now that SMU is 8-5 and looks to be a competitive team, I look for Adam to transfer out of Tech and try to get on the field at SMU. At worst Adam becomes a student and finishes his college education.

2) Mike Leach – No, he did not want to get fired, but he stood by his style of coaching. He was not going to allow anyone tell him he was wrong when he broke no rules or regulations. Some say if he valued his job, then he should have apologized and done what TT asked. I disagree, this make it look as if he did something wrong, which he did not. Mike Leach will coach again; he did a great job of the situation that was given to him at Texas Tech over the past 10 years.

3) The Texas Tech Football program, fans, recruits, and returning players --- This is the people who are effected the most and in a negative way. One man (Adam James) and his family helped TT get rid of a coach who spent 10 years build a program into a national champion contender (which was never thought possible). It took the James family a half of season to tear it down. The underclassmen have bought into the Leach system and were looking forward to playing for him in the future. Now if a new coach comes into Lubbock, he will re-evaluate the talent and could possibly look into a different direction. The program --- It will take TT at least five years to build back what Mike Leach had. I am not saying they won’t win, I just do not seeing them do it with the consistency that they have had over the past five seasons. The fans/alumni --- The situation was handled so rapidly and without a proper investigation that the many fans will be split on the decision. We all know they will support Texas Tech, but there will be a lot of animosity for quite some time.

In conclusion, Mike Leach was the best person for the job at Texas Tech. It is very hard to recruit a top athlete out of Houston/Dallas/Austin or any other major city and get them to come to Tech unless they are a WR /QB or skill offensive player. He has a selling point to those kids to come play for him. It is a fun, exciting offense which distributes the ball to multiple players. I truly feel the Texas Tech Administration made this decision based on more than just the punishment of Adam James. Texas Tech will probably never be a National Championship contender due to many reason, one is because of the proximity of where it is located. Mike Leach surpassed expectations in his 10 years there. He was one win away from a National Title Game and because a few admins/boosters/Craig James who did not get along with him seized their opportunity to relieve him of his duties. The only reason Texas Tech football was on the big stage in 2008 is because of what Mike Leach has built 8 years prior.

Just my Humble opinion!

[ssgmp5150]

Very good post! I agree with pretty much everything that you said!

[ziggy29]

The thing that bothers me most is when people say he deserved to be fired for "punishing someone for being injured."

As I see it, he didn't punish James for being injured. He punished James (to the extent it was a punishment) because James was using his injury as an excuse to slack off, as an excuse to not wear the required team gear and instead act like some kind of Joe Cool surfer dude. And the "punishment" did absolutely nothing to exacerbate the injury or even add any realistic level of risk for doing so.

[Maroon87]

Originally posted by ziggy29
The thing that bothers me most is when people say he deserved to be fired for "punishing someone for being injured."

As I see it, he didn't punish James for being injured. He punished James (to the extent it was a punishment) because James was using his injury as an excuse to slack off, as an excuse to not wear the required team gear and instead act like some kind of Joe Cool surfer dude. And the "punishment" did absolutely nothing to exacerbate the injury or even add any realistic level of risk for doing so.

But let's be clear...he didn't get fired for the James incident by itself, but rather his unwillingness to cooperate with the administration in the aftermath.

If he had gone along with the administration he would still have a job, but he has to be the rebel, so he got bounced.

[ziggy29]

Originally posted by Maroon87
If he had gone along with the administration he would still have a job, but he has to be the rebel, so he got bounced.
Yes, but regardless of "at will" employment status and whatever else, there are still overriding state and federal employment laws and legal rights employees have for wrongful termination -- and that's even more true, presumably, for government employees (which Leach technically was).

Employers can't make you do *anything* they want and hang termination for "insubordination" if you don't. There are laws and there are limits.

[headhunter]

Originally posted by Maroon87
But let's be clear...he didn't get fired for the James incident by itself, but rather his unwillingness to cooperate with the administration in the aftermath.

If he had gone along with the administration he would still have a job, but he has to be the rebel, so he got bounced.

NO SIR.... YOU ARE WORNG MAROON87... HE GOT FIRED BECUASE A FEW IMPORTANT AND POWERFUL PEOPLE WANTED HIM OUT AND THEY USE THIS OPPORTUNITY AS A WAY TO GET RID OF HIM.

READ THE EMAILS THAT WERE LEAKED TO THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS. You will find that this is not about the punishment, it is about power and money.

Hance is not telling the entire story.

[ssgmp5150]

Precisely!!!!! :clap:


Originally posted by headhunter
NO SIR.... YOU ARE WORNG MAROON87... HE GOT FIRED BECUASE A FEW IMPORTANT AND POWERFUL PEOPLE WANTED HIM OUT AND THEY USE THIS OPPORTUNITY AS A WAY TO GET RID OF HIM.

READ THE EMAILS THAT WERE LEAKED TO THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS. You will find that this is not about the punishment, it is about power and money.

Hance is not telling the entire story.

[Maroon87]

Originally posted by headhunter
NO SIR.... YOU ARE WORNG MAROON87... HE GOT FIRED BECUASE A FEW IMPORTANT AND POWERFUL PEOPLE WANTED HIM OUT AND THEY USE THIS OPPORTUNITY AS A WAY TO GET RID OF HIM.



And he handed them the opportunity on a silver platter, despite the fact that he knew they wanted him gone.

I should mention that I have no dog in this fight...just making some basic observations.

[headhunter]

So I guess your telling me that when someone tells you do to something and go along with their opinion, then no matter how you feel about what is right and what is wrong, your just going to say yes sir and keep playing their game?

Come on man, nobody should play that game. Mike Leach ran the program the way he thought was best. He was within the rules and regulations given to him when he signed his contract.

[ziggy29]

Originally posted by Maroon87
And he handed them the opportunity on a silver platter, despite the fact that he knew they wanted him gone.
But once they fired him *for cause* so they could justify not paying him any of the bonuses and buy-out clauses that were in the contract, it legally became their obligation to prove the "cause" was justified. Because if it wasn't, they probably breached the contract AND violated employment law.

And because we know from all those e-mails published in the DMN that several prominent people were determined to drive him out despite the contract, it looks more like a conspiracy to create "cause".

[Maroon87]

Originally posted by headhunter
So I guess your telling me that when someone tells you do to something and go along with their opinion, then no matter how you feel about what is right and what is wrong, your just going to say yes sir and keep playing their game?




Well I apparently have a much better relationship with my bosses than Leach does/did with his, so we're essentially talking about two entirely different conversations. Sounds like he was instructed to clean up the situation and basically told the administration to go screw themselves.

I can't think of too many jobs where that kind of thing is tolerated.

[headhunter]

Bottom line is the administration is wrong, not Mike Leach. think what you want but this was their way out of 12.7 million dollars and now I think they will pay him about 8 million.

[LE Dad]

Originally posted by headhunter
The Mike Leach story started on Monday and by Wednesday Texas Tech had made the decision to fire him for insubordination. I have a huge problem with the so called ``investigation`` Texas Tech did. I want to start out by saying; I am not a huge Tech fan nor do I think Mike Leach is the greatest coach in college football. However I appreciate what Leach has done over the past 10 years for college football and for Texas Tech.

The first point I would like to make is that Craig James used his power to try and get his son more playing time. This is a FACT; Craig James continuously called Leach and other coaches to lobby for playing time. When he didn`t get the results liked, he then went to the administration.

Second point; Adam James signed on and agreed to play football for Mike Leach and TT. He knew the rules and what was expected of him when he did this. PLAYING FOOTBALL IN COLLEGE IS NOT A RIGHT, IT`S A PRIVILEGE. The young man broke a team rule by not wearing his TT athletic issued gear out to the practice field, he then continued to walk around and act as if he could do as he wanted. Mike Leach punished him for his actions, all the other injured players were in their athletic gear, why not Adam?

The punishment --- Yes, it may have been out of the ordinary, yes it may have been weird, but if Mike Leach dumped a pile of dirt in one endzone and told Adam to haul it in a wheel-barrow to the other end and pile it up, then that was his punishment. Just because we did not like the punishment does not make it wrong. Adam`s health was never in jeopardy.

Third point; Who are the real winners and losers in this battle? There are three parties in this war.

1) Adam James and the James family ? They will come out of this just fine, Why? Because Craig always wanted his son to play for his great alma-mater SMU, but due to the lack of winning, Craig did not want his son to be a part of a 1-10 team. Now that SMU is 8-5 and looks to be a competitive team, I look for Adam to transfer out of Tech and try to get on the field at SMU. At worst Adam becomes a student and finishes his college education.

2) Mike Leach ? No, he did not want to get fired, but he stood by his style of coaching. He was not going to allow anyone tell him he was wrong when he broke no rules or regulations. Some say if he valued his job, then he should have apologized and done what TT asked. I disagree, this make it look as if he did something wrong, which he did not. Mike Leach will coach again; he did a great job of the situation that was given to him at Texas Tech over the past 10 years.

3) The Texas Tech Football program, fans, recruits, and returning players --- This is the people who are effected the most and in a negative way. One man (Adam James) and his family helped TT get rid of a coach who spent 10 years build a program into a national champion contender (which was never thought possible). It took the James family a half of season to tear it down. The underclassmen have bought into the Leach system and were looking forward to playing for him in the future. Now if a new coach comes into Lubbock, he will re-evaluate the talent and could possibly look into a different direction. The program --- It will take TT at least five years to build back what Mike Leach had. I am not saying they won`t win, I just do not seeing them do it with the consistency that they have had over the past five seasons. The fans/alumni --- The situation was handled so rapidly and without a proper investigation that the many fans will be split on the decision. We all know they will support Texas Tech, but there will be a lot of animosity for quite some time.

In conclusion, Mike Leach was the best person for the job at Texas Tech. It is very hard to recruit a top athlete out of Houston/Dallas/Austin or any other major city and get them to come to Tech unless they are a WR /QB or skill offensive player. He has a selling point to those kids to come play for him. It is a fun, exciting offense which distributes the ball to multiple players. I truly feel the Texas Tech Administration made this decision based on more than just the punishment of Adam James. Texas Tech will probably never be a National Championship contender due to many reason, one is because of the proximity of where it is located. Mike Leach surpassed expectations in his 10 years there. He was one win away from a National Title Game and because a few admins/boosters/Craig James who did not get along with him seized their opportunity to relieve him of his duties. The only reason Texas Tech football was on the big stage in 2008 is because of what Mike Leach has built 8 years prior.

Just my Humble opinion! :clap: :clap:

[BreckTxLonghorn]

The facts I've seen, with opinions. Please clarify any misstatements on facts. And as I'm sure many will do, flame away.

Fact: Video surfaced of an April tirade Leach let out on Adam James at practice of front of the public.
Opinion: This should mean nothing. However, in the 'right now' age we live in, and considering the circumstances, it can be used to show Leach having a negative opinion of James.


Fact: Adam James suffered a mild concussion at practice. He was ordered not to practice.
Fact: James did not wear the standard gear to sit out in practice, including street clothes and sunglasses.
Opinion: Mike Leach did not appreciate this insubordination.

Fact: Leach told trainer Pincock to place James in the darkest room possible. Leach later went on the record to ESPN quoting both Pincock and team physician Phy as having no issues with the treatment Leach requested; Pincock was supposed to have even noted he sat down and ate ice chips.
Fact: In sworn affidavits from 12/22 (signed 1/1 once Leach gave his side of the story), both Pincock and Phy said they did not agree with this treatment. Phy ruled it inappropriate. Pincock stated that Leach would not allow James to sit and that Leach wanted James to be uncomfortable.
Fact: When asked about the information retrieved from the affidavits, Leach offered no comment.
Opinion: This is why coaches at USC, Florida, Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, Penn State, etc do not let themselves make any choices about when a player can practice, play, or how they are treated. I don't care who the father is, treating any player like that can get you in hot hot water. Leach thought the university didn't do due diligence and gave Phy/Pincock's words out of context. Once the affidavits came out, he realized he was busted and (rightfully) clammed up.

Fact: Once activity was reported, Tech administrators asked Leach to sign an apology admitting wrongdoing (which in accordance to the affadavit and going against physician/trainer opinion, was wrong). Leach refused.
Opinion: Insubordination.

Fact: Since the firing of Leach, two current players have spoken out for Adam James and against Leach, both directly and indirectly.

Guard Brandon Carter: "this is not the first situation that something like this has happened [with Leach]. This is just the first time someone stepped forward. I don't want fans thinking that Adam James did this because he was upset but it was just kind of the last straw, and sooner or later something was going to come out. This is the first situation that someone spoke up about." "Things just kind of turned for the worse and it became a big distraction this year to us."

Running Back Brandon Batch: "You know, I love Adam. I support him 100 percent, and the administration did what they had to do. The Double-T, it's bigger than one person and I hope people realize that it's bigger than me, it's bigger than Ruff, it's bigger than one person. The thing that Ruff knows is, he holds that to be true: The Double-T is bigger than just one person."

Opinion: I think Batch's reference to 'one person' was Leach. According to espn.com, many other current players expressed views but no others would go on the record.

So the players saw an issue, the physicians saw an issue, the university saw an issue, but Leach thought he was right and refused to comply with University request. He thought they wouldn't fire him because he was too important. In the end they did, and he blamed it on contract negotiations - which, to be honest, probably played a factor. Reading the emails, he didnt do himself any favors with what his agents requested, and Sowell made some good points. It does show they (university & boosters0 had some contention through it with Leach's agents, but if anything, that should signal to the employee he's on a tight rope and to play it safe. All in all, it's a firing with cause in my opinion. I can see Leach getting the $800k for TTU not giving a full '10 day cure-all' process as stated in the contract, but unless there's other verbage we don't know, or Tech settles, I don't see how Leach can show he was fired without cause.



Lastly,
Fact: Tech won on Saturday using the same Tech offense being called by Lincoln Riley and helmed by Ruffin McNeil.
Opinion: Keep McNeil and let him give OC to Riley. They offense didnt' miss a beat, they never took points off the board (going for it when they couldve kicked the FG for example), and trusting the offense when they needed to. I think Tech will be just fine in the long run.

[headhunter]

If you were a player at Tech, would you speak out for Mike Leach? Heck no, because you need to keep your scholorship, you also want to play football and want playing time. Many players liked Leach, Brandon Carter (a senior who is on his way out) is not everyone. Sheffield want s to be the starter, of coarse h is not going to be negative.

When they were winning last year, you didn't hear any complaints. I think they forgot that they lost a few key players (Harrell and Crabtree) this caused them to take a step back this year. However Tech would rebound sooner if Leach would have stayed then if he was fired IMO.

We will see how much Leach is missed. Only Time will Tell.

You comment on how no one person was bigger than TT, well Adam James and his Daddy just proved that they cld take down the head coach along with a small group of others (boosters/administrators). James was told to go in a closet and he didn't like it so he cried, and cried very loud.

Now I will agree that if Ruffin stays then I think Tech can keep winning, I just do not see Ruff being the guy to take them to a Big XII Championship, however I just do not know if Ruff will get the job, maybe he will.

[BreckTxLonghorn]

Originally posted by headhunter
James was told to go in a closet and he didn't like it so he cried, and cried very loud.


And the physicians and the trainer agreed with his crying. Everybody but Leach agreed. In this day & age when lawsuits can occur over hot coffee, you don't think the university saw a huge red flag, whether the kid was Adam James or not? Especially considering all the news that has come out about playing with concussions? This was bad publicity waiting to happen, the university recognized it and tried to move past it with a quick apology, and Leach refused. It is simple CYA, and Leach thought he could get away with it. While I know you will disagree, I firmly believe that if any other player had been the accuser, the exact same thing would have happened. Only difference is Leach may have signed it that time.

[wimbo_pro]

Originally posted by headhunter
Bottom line is the administration is wrong, not Mike Leach.

I think there is plenty of blame to go around. I think the bonus will be paid, but used as a bargaining chip. This whole thing will be settled out-of-court before summer work outs.

[zippy]

Let us also note that Brandon Carter was suspended earlier this season by Leach, after the UH loss. Do you think he would take Leach's side on anything?

[bigwood33]

Originally posted by BreckTxLonghorn
The facts I've seen, with opinions. Please clarify any misstatements on facts. And as I'm sure many will do, flame away.

Fact: Video surfaced of an April tirade Leach let out on Adam James at practice of front of the public.
Opinion: This should mean nothing. However, in the 'right now' age we live in, and considering the circumstances, it can be used to show Leach having a negative opinion of James.


Fact: Adam James suffered a mild concussion at practice. He was ordered not to practice.
Fact: James did not wear the standard gear to sit out in practice, including street clothes and sunglasses.
Opinion: Mike Leach did not appreciate this insubordination.

Fact: Leach told trainer Pincock to place James in the darkest room possible. Leach later went on the record to ESPN quoting both Pincock and team physician Phy as having no issues with the treatment Leach requested; Pincock was supposed to have even noted he sat down and ate ice chips.
Fact: In sworn affidavits from 12/22 (signed 1/1 once Leach gave his side of the story), both Pincock and Phy said they did not agree with this treatment. Phy ruled it inappropriate. Pincock stated that Leach would not allow James to sit and that Leach wanted James to be uncomfortable.
Fact: When asked about the information retrieved from the affidavits, Leach offered no comment.
Opinion: This is why coaches at USC, Florida, Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, Penn State, etc do not let themselves make any choices about when a player can practice, play, or how they are treated. I don't care who the father is, treating any player like that can get you in hot hot water. Leach thought the university didn't do due diligence and gave Phy/Pincock's words out of context. Once the affidavits came out, he realized he was busted and (rightfully) clammed up.

Fact: Once activity was reported, Tech administrators asked Leach to sign an apology admitting wrongdoing (which in accordance to the affadavit and going against physician/trainer opinion, was wrong). Leach refused.
Opinion: Insubordination.

Fact: Since the firing of Leach, two current players have spoken out for Adam James and against Leach, both directly and indirectly.

Guard Brandon Carter: "this is not the first situation that something like this has happened [with Leach]. This is just the first time someone stepped forward. I don't want fans thinking that Adam James did this because he was upset but it was just kind of the last straw, and sooner or later something was going to come out. This is the first situation that someone spoke up about." "Things just kind of turned for the worse and it became a big distraction this year to us."

Running Back Brandon Batch: "You know, I love Adam. I support him 100 percent, and the administration did what they had to do. The Double-T, it's bigger than one person and I hope people realize that it's bigger than me, it's bigger than Ruff, it's bigger than one person. The thing that Ruff knows is, he holds that to be true: The Double-T is bigger than just one person."

Opinion: I think Batch's reference to 'one person' was Leach. According to espn.com, many other current players expressed views but no others would go on the record.

So the players saw an issue, the physicians saw an issue, the university saw an issue, but Leach thought he was right and refused to comply with University request. He thought they wouldn't fire him because he was too important. In the end they did, and he blamed it on contract negotiations - which, to be honest, probably played a factor. Reading the emails, he didnt do himself any favors with what his agents requested, and Sowell made some good points. It does show they (university & boosters0 had some contention through it with Leach's agents, but if anything, that should signal to the employee he's on a tight rope and to play it safe. All in all, it's a firing with cause in my opinion. I can see Leach getting the $800k for TTU not giving a full '10 day cure-all' process as stated in the contract, but unless there's other verbage we don't know, or Tech settles, I don't see how Leach can show he was fired without cause.



Lastly,
Fact: Tech won on Saturday using the same Tech offense being called by Lincoln Riley and helmed by Ruffin McNeil.
Opinion: Keep McNeil and let him give OC to Riley. They offense didnt' miss a beat, they never took points off the board (going for it when they couldve kicked the FG for example), and trusting the offense when they needed to. I think Tech will be just fine in the long run.

Isn't it interesting how different our opinions of the situation are. I agree with Breck...
I am quite sure that Adam James is a spoiled, pain in the neck, kind of kid but Leach was way out of line here. I know that some people want to let Leach off the hook because James wasn't "endangered" by being closed away for 3 hours in a dark room but for centuries that has been a form of torture used to extract information. I challenge any of you to stand in a dark room with no outside interaction for 3 hours. They will be 3 of the longest hours in your life.

[mlb04stangs]

Lots of coaches do other things to make kids quit. The kids who think they can get by with whatever r the ones who get made an example of in front of everyone, and that's how it should be. Like they were saying earlier TT is bigger than any one person so if he can't follow rules, no mater what they happen to be, then he should be punished. If u can't follow rules then it seems that u don't want to be part of the team, and at that point any coach will do whatever he can to make you quit so he doesn't have to worry bout distractions. If the kid really wants to play and b part of the team then he'll listen and do whatever he has to to get back in the good graces of his coach.

[waterboy]

I've done "similar".:D I'll tell you why..............it's called DISCIPLINE! This was a power-play by a spoil-rotten, lazy, rich kid and his daddy! It was unorthodox, but in no way hurt this kid.............except his pride. That hurt pride got a good coach fired........and that's the TRUTH!

[mlb04stangs]

As far as the dark room anybody who has had a concussion knows that u shouldn't be exposed to direct sunlight.

[ssgmp5150]

Right on! :inlove:


Originally posted by waterboy
I've done "similar".:D I'll tell you why..............it's called DISCIPLINE! This was a power-play by a spoil-rotten, lazy, rich kid and his daddy! It was unorthodox, but in no way hurt this kid.............except his pride. That hurt pride got a good coach fired........and that's the TRUTH!

[lakers]

Originally posted by zippy
Let us also note that Brandon Carter was suspended earlier this season by Leach, after the UH loss. Do you think he would take Leach's side on anything?

It doesn't matter who you are, if you throw a chair and a helmet through a wall you are going to get suspended.

[Ranger Mom]

Originally posted by bigwood33
Isn't it interesting how different our opinions of the situation are. I agree with Breck...
I am quite sure that Adam James is a spoiled, pain in the neck, kind of kid but Leach was way out of line here. I know that some people want to let Leach off the hook because James wasn't "endangered" by being closed away for 3 hours in a dark room but for centuries that has been a form of torture used to extract information. I challenge any of you to stand in a dark room with no outside interaction for 3 hours. They will be 3 of the longest hours in your life.

I don't place blame on any one person...there were plenty of egos involved in this one.

As far as the 3 hours in a dark room goes....he obviously had his phone with him....I "interacted" on my phone all the way from Dallas to Midland one time!!!:D

[LE Dad]

Originally posted by lakers
It doesn't matter who you are, if you throw a chair and a helmet through a wall you are going to get suspended. He is just mad his daddy didn't call Myers.:doh:

[Eagle 1]

Originally posted by bigwood33
Isn't it interesting how different our opinions of the situation are. I agree with Breck...
I am quite sure that Adam James is a spoiled, pain in the neck, kind of kid but Leach was way out of line here. I know that some people want to let Leach off the hook because James wasn't "endangered" by being closed away for 3 hours in a dark room but for centuries that has been a form of torture used to extract information. I challenge any of you to stand in a dark room with no outside interaction for 3 hours. They will be 3 of the longest hours in your life.
Nobody put Adam in a closet, so what's your point?

[NateDawg39]

Originally posted by Eagle 1
Nobody put Adam in a closet, so what's your point? So is the lock to the conference room located on the outside of the building with no way to get out? I think Adam saw this as a way to get some publicity since it was not happening on the field like he expected it to. ;)

[IP-HAWKS]

Originally posted by headhunter
The Mike Leach story started on Monday and by Wednesday Texas Tech had made the decision to fire him for insubordination. I have a huge problem with the so called “investigation” Texas Tech did. I want to start out by saying; I am not a huge Tech fan nor do I think Mike Leach is the greatest coach in college football. However I appreciate what Leach has done over the past 10 years for college football and for Texas Tech.

The first point I would like to make is that Craig James used his power to try and get his son more playing time. This is a FACT; Craig James continuously called Leach and other coaches to lobby for playing time. When he didn’t get the results liked, he then went to the administration.

Second point; Adam James signed on and agreed to play football for Mike Leach and TT. He knew the rules and what was expected of him when he did this. PLAYING FOOTBALL IN COLLEGE IS NOT A RIGHT, IT’S A PRIVILEGE. The young man broke a team rule by not wearing his TT athletic issued gear out to the practice field, he then continued to walk around and act as if he could do as he wanted. Mike Leach punished him for his actions, all the other injured players were in their athletic gear, why not Adam?

The punishment --- Yes, it may have been out of the ordinary, yes it may have been weird, but if Mike Leach dumped a pile of dirt in one endzone and told Adam to haul it in a wheel-barrow to the other end and pile it up, then that was his punishment. Just because we did not like the punishment does not make it wrong. Adam’s health was never in jeopardy.

Third point; Who are the real winners and losers in this battle? There are three parties in this war.

1) Adam James and the James family – They will come out of this just fine, Why? Because Craig always wanted his son to play for his great alma-mater SMU, but due to the lack of winning, Craig did not want his son to be a part of a 1-10 team. Now that SMU is 8-5 and looks to be a competitive team, I look for Adam to transfer out of Tech and try to get on the field at SMU. At worst Adam becomes a student and finishes his college education.

2) Mike Leach – No, he did not want to get fired, but he stood by his style of coaching. He was not going to allow anyone tell him he was wrong when he broke no rules or regulations. Some say if he valued his job, then he should have apologized and done what TT asked. I disagree, this make it look as if he did something wrong, which he did not. Mike Leach will coach again; he did a great job of the situation that was given to him at Texas Tech over the past 10 years.

3) The Texas Tech Football program, fans, recruits, and returning players --- This is the people who are effected the most and in a negative way. One man (Adam James) and his family helped TT get rid of a coach who spent 10 years build a program into a national champion contender (which was never thought possible). It took the James family a half of season to tear it down. The underclassmen have bought into the Leach system and were looking forward to playing for him in the future. Now if a new coach comes into Lubbock, he will re-evaluate the talent and could possibly look into a different direction. The program --- It will take TT at least five years to build back what Mike Leach had. I am not saying they won’t win, I just do not seeing them do it with the consistency that they have had over the past five seasons. The fans/alumni --- The situation was handled so rapidly and without a proper investigation that the many fans will be split on the decision. We all know they will support Texas Tech, but there will be a lot of animosity for quite some time.

In conclusion, Mike Leach was the best person for the job at Texas Tech. It is very hard to recruit a top athlete out of Houston/Dallas/Austin or any other major city and get them to come to Tech unless they are a WR /QB or skill offensive player. He has a selling point to those kids to come play for him. It is a fun, exciting offense which distributes the ball to multiple players. I truly feel the Texas Tech Administration made this decision based on more than just the punishment of Adam James. Texas Tech will probably never be a National Championship contender due to many reason, one is because of the proximity of where it is located. Mike Leach surpassed expectations in his 10 years there. He was one win away from a National Title Game and because a few admins/boosters/Craig James who did not get along with him seized their opportunity to relieve him of his duties. The only reason Texas Tech football was on the big stage in 2008 is because of what Mike Leach has built 8 years prior.

Just my Humble opinion!

You did good! I think like you on this!

[Snydertigersrul]

Originally posted by headhunter
So I guess your telling me that when someone tells you do to something and go along with their opinion, then no matter how you feel about what is right and what is wrong, your just going to say yes sir and keep playing their game?

Come on man, nobody should play that game. Mike Leach ran the program the way he thought was best. He was within the rules and regulations given to him when he signed his contract.

Wasn't Tech on PROBATION with the NCAA when Leach took the program over? Make no mistake, they want Briles and already had a plan in place to get rid of him and then go after Briles. I belieive McNeil or Briles will be the next coach, possibly by Friday.

[BOCEPHUS]

tech will suffer
james will transfer
leach will get new job AND NOT CHANGE HIS STYLE ONE BIT
and again tech football big loser here
admin don't care.

i think they will hire briles hc, and he will leave ruffin dc. will do all this to calm the natives, but will be a good deal for tech football, briles helluva coach