Texas Tech fires coach Leach

espn ^ | 12/30/09 | espn

[rintense]

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech has fired football coach Mike Leach.

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

Liggett says the letter says Leach is "terminated with cause effective immediately."

[rintense]

Classic case of a father in denial over his son’s lack of talent, and a son trying to live up to his father’s expectations, thus becoming a spoiled jackass.

[bfree]

Your post is nonsense. Hope the other players treat James “very well”. Another spoiled brat. His dad took money illegally as a student and his kid is a jerk.

[behzinlea]

My understanding is that Leach got almost 80 percent of his scholarship athletes graduated in four years, placing Texas Tech in the top five D-1 schools nationally. You don't achieve that kind of success by treating players as mere hunks of meat in uniforms.

How did Joni Mitchell sing it? "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone."

As Texas Tech slips back into football mediocrity and low graduation rates, it's AD can thank himself.

[rintense]

I hope my Spartans pound the hell outta James if he is on the field. This will carry over to MSU. There is a brotherhood in college football. When one pansy ruins it for a team, the pansy gets planted, whether by his own team or the opposition.

Someone floated the idea that Tech players protest the bowl and not play. Very interesting.

[TexasNative2000]

The James family moved from Plano (a large 5A school) to Celina (a smaller 3A school) so Adam could be a starter - he couldn't make it against the big boys.

Craig was a regular 'visitor' at spring football practices in Lubbock, and not in a journalistic capacity.

In addition, Adam asked for a release from his scholarship so he could transfer to SMU, a move which Leach denied.

Finally, the last report I heard was that James demanded that Leach promise his son would be a starter next year.

It stinks.

[Responsibility2nd]

I think James and the AD set this whole thing up to get rid of Leach.

__________________________________

Just days before they play the Alamo bowl?

I agree that Leach’s days were numbered. But nobody can be happy that this happened now,

[rintense]

I’d heard all that as well. I sincerely hope the players support Leach.

[Sir Gawain]

:-D

[starlifter]

As a parent of a student at Tech, it is a colossally stupid episode. It’s football - nothing else.

[starlifter]

You must be kidding.

[Responsibility2nd]

Certainly not worth firing a coach without a spot on his record in 10 years.

_________________________________

Say What??????

Leach has been on the hot seat for years.

You can argue for or against his being fired. But to say he has had a spotless record is foolish.

[TexasNative2000]

Now that I think about it, I would love for the Tech offense to run EVERY play to Adam James. Don't pull him off the field - throw every pass to him and let Sparty ring his bell a few times.

If he thinks he's so damn good, let him prove it.

[muawiyah]

It’s all that other stuff though ~ kid sounds brained damaged. Football can be rough.

[Overtaxed Patriot]

Sounds like the James gang maybe should have kept quiet. Now they’re going to get dragged through the mud.

[behzinlea]

What are the other spots on Leach’s record?

[rintense]

Give me one example where Leach has put a player in jeopardy. Just one, where Leach was later disciplined for.

Leach has been on the hot seat because he's an unapologetic, un-pc rogue who wasn't liked by the Tech intelligencia.

[bfree]

Hope the blockers just stand there when he gets the ball. I’ll bet he doesn’t play.

[starlifter]

Huh? So I’m not allowed to comment in general chat?

It’s still silly “crisis”.

And speaking of being pompous...

[Responsibility2nd]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Leach_(coach)#2007_Texas_game_controversy

[Responsibility2nd]

I said his record was not spotless. Said he has been on the hot seat. And you agree.

But I never said or inferred he has put a player in jeopardy.

Leach - like Bobby Knight - was just too high maintenanced for Tech to keep around.