Texas Tech football situation

There's a lot more to this story than we know or Tech would not have taken the dramatic action they did. It may not all be related to Adam James. Leach's vocal support of ex-KU coach Mark Mangino (fired for his treatment of players)was a bit surprising as all the details were coming out. I suspect there's a pattern of treatment at Tech the administration was not comfortable with and the James situation pushed it over the edge...when the administration was already none too pleased with Leach from the contract situation earlier in the year.

We're starting to see a pattern with coaches that have been fired of late. They seem to think they are above question and rules don't apply to them. Anyone that feels that way is signing his own pink slip...it's just a matter of time.

I agree. The quick response to suspend him for the bowl game made me think that there was more to this story. Also it is reported that James team mates have come to his defense in this situation. Its going to be very interesting to see how this all plays out.

Mike Leach has been there for 10 years and there has not been 1 single problem on his watch until he interviewed for the Washington job. So before we talk about a "pattern of mistreatment" or stating that coaches are "above question" we need to ask what are Tech true motives with treating this situation the way it did.

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Tech true motives

Seems pretty clear Tech wants to get rid of him. There has even been threats the whole staff would quit if Leach was fired. Would Tech really do that to a coach of 10 years, less than 1 year into his new deal, when the school has had recent success beyond any in school's history? Clearly not. There's more to the story and it's going to paint Leach in an even more negative light that his actions already have.

I do not know any facts firsthand -- just those I have read in the media. According to reports, James has a reputation of being a soft primadonna, and Leach said James' dad acts like the quintessential Little League dad.

Leach can be a tough hombre; after Tech's loss to A&M earlier this season, he was quoted saying:

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[The coaches failed to make] our points more compelling than their fat little girlfriends. Now their fat little girlfriends have some obvious advantages. For one thing, their fat little girlfriends are telling them what they want to hear, which is 'how great you are' and 'how easy its going to be' and we had a bunch of people who wanted to win the football game but nobody wanted to play the football game.

Of course, if medical records can prove that James had a concussion and it is confirmed that he was punished for not practicing, Leach's behavior is inexcusable.

If Leach is fired -- deservedly or not -- there will be a heckuva lot of upset fans in the Texas Panhandle.

Here is more on the story:

http://www.texasmonthly.com/2010-01-01/webextra.php

Incidentally, I find it kind of ironic that Texas Tech was the school that chose to give a second chance to bad boy Bobby Knight.

Let the mud slinging begin...

The one thing I get from this so far, is that Texas Tech has no problem being mercenary. The other is that Leach has some antiquated ideas about coaching.

The first thing that strikes me is when we go back to the "Fat little girlfriends" press conference. That was obviously directed at a player or a small group of players. It's also fairly obvious, that at that point, Leach had already lost those players and was resorting to public berating as a strategy to get them back in line. Probably not a strategy that is going to endear you to administration, potential recruits, or current players. I think the most recent revelations are just supportive of the assumption that he seems like an, old school arse kickin' coach, who believes that intimidation and autocratic abusive authority are the best means to his end. While this may have been in vogue in the 40's through the 70's, what happens now is that it wins for a little bit, then everyone gets tired of it and you get fired. I would think he's soon to be unemployed and will probably get picked up as an NFL coordinator where they can keep him away from microphones.

On the other hand, Texas Tech has probably been looking the other way for some time. Unless Leach has overnight become addicted to drugs that instantly altered his personality, I think you're probably looking at some coverups similar to the Corn Husker days when Tom Osborne was winning championships. It's pretty amazing how college administrations can use their conscience like an American Express card. Pull it out when they need it, and put it in their wallet in case of emergency.

JMHO's

Here's a link to the story in the Lubbock paper. Be sure to read the comments to see who the Tech fans are backing.

http://www.redraiders.com/2009/12/29/leach-suspended/

Don't you all think we're doing nothing more than speculating, and that none of us know anything about the true situation, other than what we've seen in the news?

I think we should all watch this with interest, but the truth is that none of us know what happened or led up to the suspension.

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Originally posted by 06catcherdad:
Don't you all think we're doing nothing more than speculating, and that none of us know anything about the true situation, other than what we've seen in the news?

I think we should all watch this with interest, but the truth is that none of us know what happened or led up to the suspension.

C'mon 06, it's right there in black and white in the Lubbock Avalanche Journal. Geez, how much more proof do you need!

No way that Craig James is being a helicopter parent or little league dad in this situation. When it comes to the safety and well being our our kids, helicopter goes out the door then. It's called being a concerned parent. End of story.

I think he deserves to be suspended for the bowl game and fired.

Just when I thought I had my fill of fruitcake for the holidays, here's another one!

Coach May, I also thought about what would happen if this wasn't Craig James son. I mean, ESPN is ALL over this story and you talk about legs! Had this been John Doe's son this happen to would the son even mention it for fear of being released or benched rest of the season?

quote:

Originally posted by 06catcherdad:
Don't you all think we're doing nothing more than speculating, and that none of us know anything about the true situation, other than what we've seen in the news?

I think we should all watch this with interest, but the truth is that none of us know what happened or led up to the suspension.

I would disagree. He has been out in front of cameras, i.e. The "fat little girlfriends" press conference, and speaking his peace. That's not speculation, that's witnessing. Big, HUGE, red flags went up over that one. A coach doing that in the press is a coach that has lost his team.

ESPN brought up Leach's contract. He gets $800K 'roster bonus' if he is still coach as of 12/31/09, then a seperation clause kicks in- $400K per year remaining (4, as of today) if he is terminated. By taking action now, rather than later, TTU has saved itself $2.4MM. (I don't know if Leach is paid by TT or the boosters.)

Who knows what exactly happened, but it sure looks like somebody has a thing for Leach and wants him out of there.

No way that Craig James is being a helicopter parent or little league dad in this situation. When it comes to the safety and well being our our kids, helicopter goes out the door then. It's called being a concerned parent. End of story.

I think he deserves to be suspended for the bowl game and fired.

Totally, AGREE!

I'm the ultimate hands off parent. But lock my kid in a closet and I want to hear the reason for it first hand. The question would be is the closet leading the dad's emotions or is playing time?

I never would have thought there would be so much talk of "coming out of the closet" on this site. 2009 was a year of the unexpected.

I agree with Good Eye Leach Needs to go!

ESPN is reporting that Mike Leach has been fired.

MSN reports the same.. with a single sentence article!

I won't go into details, but I have seen first hand how bad HS coaches can be. So I am not one of those who automatically assume the coach is always right. However, there is something about this whole situation that does not feel right.

Reading the articles linked above paints a slightly different picture of what happened. The "shed" was in fact the equipment building. The kid had been sitting out of practice, walking around the field in sunglasses. There are also questions about his effort and attitude. Just based on these articles it sounds to me like Leach got tired of him walking around practice Hollywooding and told him to go hang out in the equipment building. What's the difference in him walking around outside or standing around inside? From a medical standpoint there is absolutely none. The treating doctor apparently gave an affidavit to that effect. Was it humiliating? Probably. But that ain't no reason to fire the coach.

If you haven't read the articles linked above you should. AND you should also read the articles attached that I came across on CBS. http://dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssp...try/6270202/19238949 Young Mr. James coaches and teammates, including Graham Harrell, paint an ENTIRELY different picture.

There may be additional facts yet to come to light, but based on what I have seen so far this is absolute BS. Leach is the scapegoat, but Adam James and Craig James may end up the posterchildren for helicopter parents and spoiled brats.

I'd expect Leach to file a lawsuit before the year ends. Too many contract implications to him being fired today.

It takes two...


I'm not sure either party comes out the other side of this one with vindication...they'll look like a marriage of flawed ideologies.

I doubt Leach was fired just because of the situation with Adam James. I'll bet there's a whole lot more to the story and James is just the frosting on the cake for Texas Tech to dump the coach.

Interesting article.

Leach Fired!

No coach has the right to punish or humiliate a player who's been medically diagnosed with an injury, especially a concussion. There's a reason that the diagnosis and treatment of concussions are so much in the news these days, given the long-term effects they can have on a player's life. I don't care what size the building was or if the James kid was a slacker, you can't treat players like this. All he reportedly had to do was apologize to the kid to make it go away, but he instead chose to take the school to court over the suspension. There's a guy who simply doesn't get it. I don't blame the school, and I'm also guessing that this was probably a final-straw sort of deal between TT and Leach, who had an ugly battle with the AD over his contract this past year.

RJM, I think your sig says it all, as it pertains to Adam James.

Interesting that Adam James went to Texas Tech as a baseball player, then quit the team. After talking to his dad, Craig James, Coach Leach offers a football scholarship- against the advice of position coaches who felt A James was not even a D1 player, let alone a TT receiver.

I'm sure this story is just beginning.

Did some research on the player. Seems he has been down this road before. Quit baseball. complained about playing time. Was he punished or humiliated. I guess that depends on who you talk to. I read what is out there concerning the incident or non incident. Seems there is other stuff involved and it only reinforces my belief "if they want to get you they will"

I can not imagine a college player getting his father involved but in a way today I can sort of understand it because with some it is standing operating procedure.

An interesting comment from a columnist (link "LEACH FIRED" above in thread) about the situation:

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Let me say that I have seen and known more than one player to fake a concussion to get out of drills or practice. Because concussions must be dealt with so seriously, and they are near impossible to "measure," they are the go-to fake injury for most collegiate athletes. I'm not saying that this is the case with this particular situation, but I'm saying it's definitely possible. A player who is unhappy with the current coaching situation might do such a thing.

You go, Driller Man!

So we have a player with a history of whining and goldbricking versus a coach with a history of eccentric behavior towards his players.

May the best lawyer win!

You're right about that, Jimmy. The only winners is this saga are going to be the lawyers. Can you say billable hours?

The "shed" was a large equipment garage with ice machinefan, and lights. The "closet" is a large conference room where visiting coaches are often interviewed. Craig James is a lying cheat who ruined one program and now just took down the only coach willing to give his spoiled brat son a chance in D1 football. Read the Emails from other players and coaches and you will see the James kid was one of the type you always have on almost any large roster you coach--a lazy know-it-all always last in everything due to lack of effort. Luckily he had daddy to enable and an AD that hates the coach. Maybe the AD didn't get enough of the credit for the turn around. When other players defend a "tough" coach against one of their own teammates it tells you all you want to know.

Anyone remember the Vinny/Jimmy saga at the Univ. of Houston? In the end, father/son ended up looking WAY worse than Head BB Coach Raynor Noble. You have to wonder what the reputation of Craig James and his son Adam will look like when the dust settles.

Here's another interesting column:

http://www.sportingnews.com/co...get-revenge-on-leach

Infield08- Yes, some players feign injury to get out of practice. Others hide injuries in order to continue practicing and keep their spot. Football's always been that way.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimmy03:
So we have a player with a history of whining and goldbricking versus a coach with a history of eccentric behavior towards his players.

May the best lawyer win!

You, sir, are correct!

IF, I repeat IF, I understand the time frame correctly, the complaints of concussion like symptoms came AFTER he had been disciplined by the assistant coach for goofing off. Makes me wonder if he had a concussion or not. This is especially true since the diagnosis was "mild concussion." These diagnoses are usually based purely on history, and not on any objective test. In essence, the doctor gives you the benefit of the doubt based on your complaints.

Should Leach have apologized. Perhaps. But the bottom line is he did nothing to hurt this kid, other than his delicate feelings.

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Originally posted by catfish342:
No coach has the right to punish or humiliate a player who's been medically diagnosed with an injury, especially a concussion. There's a reason that the diagnosis and treatment of concussions are so much in the news these days, given the long-term effects they can have on a player's life. I don't care what size the building was or if the James kid was a slacker, you can't treat players like this. All he reportedly had to do was apologize to the kid to make it go away, but he instead chose to take the school to court over the suspension. There's a guy who simply doesn't get it. I don't blame the school, and I'm also guessing that this was probably a final-straw sort of deal between TT and Leach, who had an ugly battle with the AD over his contract this past year.

I would like to add that no one should forget that self-righteous Craig James was a prominent part of one of the dirtiest athletic programs in college sports history at SMU in the early 80's, which led to the football program being the first recipient of the NCAA's newly enacted "death penalty" in 1986.

I understand what you're saying, and it may be true that Adam James isn't a great teammate or a hard worker (although we don't know that for sure). But if a doctor says he has a concussion, and I believe that part isn't in dispute, then a coach simply can't dismiss the diagnosis by punishing the player. Why wasn't James simply sent to the training room or locker room instead of a garage/shed to stand alone for hours? Leach was trying to send a message, but it was the wrong time and wrong way to do it. Nobody, not even a head football coach, has the absolute authority to treat players how they want, especially if that player has suffered a possible head injury. In an obvious way, he's trying to send a signal to other players that they'd be better off not reporting mild concussions and keep their butts on the field. That to me is the bigger issue. It didn't make sense that he couldn't see that. But he was too stubborn to take a step back. Even if nobody likes the James kid, you have to recognize the reality of dealing with injured players in a reasonable manner.

quote:

Originally posted by catfish342:
I understand what you're saying, and it may be true that Adam James isn't a great teammate or a hard worker (although we don't know that for sure). But if a doctor says he has a concussion, and I believe that part isn't in dispute, then a coach simply can't dismiss the diagnosis by punishing the player. Why wasn't James simply sent to the training room or locker room instead of a garage/shed to stand alone for hours? Leach was trying to send a message, but it was the wrong time and wrong way to do it. Nobody, not even a head football coach, has the absolute authority to treat players how they want, especially if that player has suffered a possible head injury. In an obvious way, he's trying to send a signal to other players that they'd be better off not reporting mild concussions and keep their butts on the field. That to me is the bigger issue. It didn't make sense that he couldn't see that. But he was too stubborn to take a step back. Even if nobody likes the James kid, you have to recognize the reality of dealing with injured players in a reasonable manner.

No doubt there is some level of revisionist history and exaggeration occurring already. The first casualty of war is the truth. And this, no doubt, will be war.

I suggest holding off on accepting either side's story as gospel for a few weeks.

quote:

Originally posted by catfish342:
if a doctor says he has a concussion, and I believe that part isn't in dispute,

It's not in dispute. Everything I've read says he was medically cleared to practice by the TTU team doctor (not athletic trainers). I've also read that James' own doctor cleared him for practice.