Trojan-skipper, below is the interview taken from workinghard's link above. It answers your question about James' dad meddling about playing time.
quote:
Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach ripped Adam and Craig James and questioned Tech's motives for firing him in his first media interview since his firing at about 11:30 p.m. on New Year's Eve on ESPN. Leach, speaking from Crested Butte, Colorado and interviewed by Rece Davis, said he had few regrets.
Leach was fired Wednesday for his alleged mistreatment of Adam James, a sophomore receiver, and for insubordination. Leach allegedly ordered James put in a dark place twice when he couldn't practice after suffering a concussion. James' father is Craig James, an ESPN analyst and former SMU star.
Here's what was said:
On Adam James' attitude:
"I think he's lazy. I think that there's a sense of entitlement and really this isn't an independent thought on my part. It's pretty well documented in a number of statements by teammates and both of his position coaches. I can assure you that everybody in our program wants to win badly enough that it's far, far, far too important to all of them to play the best one instead of: A.) show preferential treatment or B.) deliberately cheat somebody that's got a father looking over our shoulder all the time, but also has a lot of money and influence and a big microphone."
On how he defines meddling:
"When you call coaches, you call me, call his position coaches, both of them, you call other administrators on campus or you come to practices and want to have constant discussions on your son and their playing time. Craig James required more time than all of the other parents combined."
On where he suggested James go during practice:
"I didn't. I said, find some place dark and one place was as good as the next, and that was close to the field, and plus they had the ice machine."
On what a coach's role should be in handling injured players:
"I think you defer to the doctor, which brings up a good point. I have a statement by Dr. Micheal Phy, who's the doctor that treated Adam James and diagnosed him with a concussion. The most important line on the statement says, 'according to the information given to me, no additional risks or harm were imposed on Adam by what he was asked to do.'"
On at what point he felt he'd be unable to resolve the situation with Tech:
"They suspended me and there was no explanation on that. You saw the letter on the suspension and the letter is all I've been given on the subject. I think it probably has to do with power and control... Given how hard my staff and team had worked to go to the bowl, as we have all 10 in a row, it was important to me to exercise my right to have my opportunity to play in the bowl."
On why he was fired:
"I think it has to do with they don't want to pay the money. Last year they didn't want to pay the money [in contract negotiations]. Based on popular opinion and public pressure and things like that, they got in a position where, to save face, they had to give me a competitive contract, which they did. Then I think whether it's for financial reasons or what, they decided not to follow through. Now essentially they're trying to steal the money."
On what he would do differently:
"I can't think of a great deal that I'd do differently. I don't have a lot of regrets. I go out and do the best that I can.. and just let the rest take care of itself."
