Mike Leach, thanks for the fun
Written by Greg Shelley, Tuesday January 05 2010
A few days back in this Mike Leach saga, I found myself awake at 3:00 a.m., compliments of the anger I felt over the whole situation coming out of Texas Tech. I made a comment on Facebook about how astonished I was about how angry I felt. A few days later, a friend of mine from California was expressing her concern over how I could feel such compassion for a man who “put someone in a shed.” She just wrote it off as a symptom of living in Texas. The truth is closer to the notion that I actually feel compassion for all parties involved and I am angry at all of them at the same time. Actually, when it comes to Texas Tech’s Athletic Director, Gerald Myers, I am just angry without much compassion.
Some kind of lunatic fringe has been let loose here, one which has been heavily, if not unfairly, espoused by ESPN and the majority of its pundits. And, while I will readily admit that lunacy does often seem to follow Coach Leach around, I do not think that is a good reason for persecution. Like most things in life, this is not a one-sided or even a two-sided tale—it is somewhat more complex than that—but like most everything else it is sometimes easier for our own understanding, and our ability to sleep well, to oversimplify events into an us-versus- them sort of deal. I, for one, have not been able to do that yet and as a result, I have had more than one night in which thoughts of injustice, unfairness, and disloyalty have raged through my sleepless mind. Please try to bear with me, as I attempt to sort this out in a rational manner.
I am primarily angry over all the individuals, including many in the media, who continually want to sum up Leach simply as some crazy guy who stuck some kid in a shed because he had a concussion. Never mind the fact that the “kid” is 21 years old and playing football at a division 1 school on scholarship, a scholarship granted by the coach in question against the advice of at least one other coach. Never mind the fact that Leach obviously did not put Adam James into a shed himself. Never mind the fact that Leach was not angry with James for having a concussion, but he was angry over James’s less than cooperative behavior, not just that day but in several days leading up to it as well.
What we know from the trainer, Steve Pincock, is that Leach instructed him to “lock” James in a dark place near the practice field. Pincock chose the shed, and after placing Adam in it, he informed Leach of the location and Leach apparently said he was fine with that. A few days later, James was placed in the media room and instructed not to go into the electrical closet by the same trainer. Even though that part was known, ESPN continued to run the video that James took of the closet, implying that he had been placed in there instead.
Now, even though, no one has been able to say that James was harmed in any way, or even put at any risk of injury, I agree with the notion that these actions constituted poor judgment on Leach’s part. I am angry at Leach for letting his anger get the better of him, for allowing this apparently troublesome player to get into his head and lead him to make such a rash decision. And, even though the best that the university can do in regard to the incidents is get their doctor to call them “inappropriate,” I do understand how a parent could be upset over such handling. Although, for the privilege to play football on a division 1 team on scholarship, I am sure I can find some parents who would be willing to allow their son to endure much worse, particularly if their son was demonstrating similar behavior.
Still, I do understand why the James family brought their complaints forward and I do not hold any grudges toward them for doing so. I do not necessarily agree with the manner in which they chose to proceed, and I definitely feel that Craig James was allowed to use and perhaps abuse his power as a broadcaster to cast the incidents in a far more negative light than they should have been. Ultimately though, I think we all can agree here that Leach made a mistake and he was called on it.
He should not have been fired for it, and apparently he wasn’t. According to the university Chancellor, Kent Hance, he was fired for insubordination and a lack of cooperation. Evidently, Leach did not want to sign off on their suggestions because he felt that the due process laid out in his contract had not been followed. The Athletic Director, Gerald Myers, then suspended Leach with pay. When Leach attempted to get a temporary restraining order so he could coach the Alamo Bowl, he was fired. Hance referred to the attempt to get a TRO as suing the University and quipped about how you don’t sue your boss. Apparently, the school didn’t want that hearing to take place, so they fired Leach “with cause.”
Suspiciously, the firing came one day prior to an $800,000 payout Leach was due to receive according to his contract. Even more odd is the fact that several emails from earlier in the year show that the school perhaps intended to fire Leach, or at least hoped to fire him, before they had even renewed his contract. Those contract negotiations are exactly where much of the anger from everyone began. The fact that the school had not given their coach an extension during the year in which Leach won three coach of the year awards had many fans puzzled to say the least. In the end, it took considerable public pressure for the university to award the coach with what many thought he deserved, but evidently, that contract was not done in good faith, at least with regards to Gerald Myers and at least one of the school’s regents and boosters, Jim Sowell.
Some folks are saying that Leach got what he deserved for failing to get along with his boss, and to some degree, that is perhaps true. However, with all that Leach has done for the school and the football program over these last 10 years, with all the 20+ years of successful coaching experience behind him, he didn’t deserve to be treated this way and have his reputation so irreparably harmed. Before this incident, look at what the school had to say about Leach:
"Arguably one of the most innovative coaches in the country, Mike Leach not only has transformed Texas Tech Football, but also the face of college football with an all-out aerial assault. This is evidenced by the number of programs incorporating more passing into their schemes than before. Leach's offense has become a hot commodity as coaching staffs from across the country have come to Lubbock get a glimpse into what makes the program tick; but none have mastered it like the 10th-year coach."
You can read the full thing under his bio on the Texas Tech site—it’s very telling of his many accomplishments at the school.
And, it’s not just all the wins that made him so popular. He took them from last to first in the Big 12 for player graduation rates, making the program the 8th best in the country for such, and according to him, the best of any public institution in the country. In the process, he essentially put the school on the national map and he brought in money well beyond the salary he received. He created a program that was fun to watch even for folks who weren’t necessarily fans of Texas Tech.
Here in Houston, I can remember a time back in 1999 when you rarely saw a Texas Tech fan emblem anywhere. Nowadays, it’s fairly rare to take a drive without seeing someone displaying their Red Raider pride. Back in 2000, I was among the very few fans of Tech football you could find amidst all the A&M and Longhorn fans in a sports bar during the games. Now, you can always find lots of company in Raider Red. I was among the few Tech fans left in a local sports bar the night Leach rallied the Tech troops back from a 38-7 deficit to Minnesota with 7:47 left in the third quarter to mount the biggest comeback in bowl history, finishing with a 44-41 overtime win. That’s just one of the many fond memories Captain Leach gave the fans with his leadership and his schemes on offense.
Oh sure, there were days when I would cringe watching him in interviews, never knowing what sort of crazy thing he would say, but that was all part of the fun. And, I really don’t remember getting to use the word “fun” to describe much in regards to the Tech football program before Leach. Once upon a time, you couldn’t get a good word out of the Houston Chronicle in regards to Tech. Whenever the Red Raiders beat the Aggies, the Chronicle staff seemed to decide it was due to an A&M collapse, not anything that Tech had done. Then, just last year, after beating the Aggies seven of the previous nine showings during the Leach era, even the Chronicle had to acknowledge that Tech had surpassed A&M as the number 2 program in the state.
In the end, I guess, I am simply sad to see him go. I disagree with Chancellor Hance when he claims that Mike Leach is the only one responsible for his firing. Gerald Myers had options and he had options back before the contract negotiations went sour. Mike Leach was not one of the good old boys and he was never going to be, but he is a great football coach and according to many of his former players and coaches, a great leader too. Gerald Myers’ decisions have cost us fans a beloved coach and captain, and they are sure to cost the school much more. I doubt that the James family intended things to get this crazy, that they intended Leach to get fired, so they too have Myers to thank for this and all the baggage that has come with it. I just have to remember that Justice is much bigger than me and often far too complicated for me to fully understand, but I do believe it comes regardless and sometimes in spite of us.
Naturally, I have friends, particularly those from outside the state, who cannot imagine why this is such a big deal. I’m not sure myself why it is, but I do feel as though someone in my own family has been wronged. Captain Leach has been struck down by politicos. I guess I just felt the need to express my gratitude for all the entertainment and football optimism Leach has given me over these last 10 years. I guess it’s the same reason why over 52 thousand people are fans of Team Leach on Facebook now. I guess it’s the same reason why so many people plan to show up to salute their former captain on January 14th.
Some will say that all of this is a silly waste of time. Perhaps, they are right too. For me, at least, I guess it is just a way of mourning and expressing gratitude at the same time. I’m hoping that Leach lands on his feet in good stride again soon. I will miss him, but I am glad to get some of my own time back, the time I used to spend obsessing about Tech football. I still plan to catch some of the games, but it will never be the same, not likely to be nearly as enjoyable, and I fear, in the long run, they will never be as good.
Tags:
Recent Texas Tech Articles
- Texas Tech AD Stepping Down After Tuberville’s First Season
- Former Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach to speak at Under Armour Coaches Clinic
- January 10, 2010
- Mike Leach, thanks for the fun
- Texas Tech tackles its own team
- RED RAIDERS ROLLING STRONG
- Welcome to Red raiders beat
Leave a comment
Not So Fast! To publish your comment, you have to login
Not Registered? Register now as it only take 20 seconds!
Click here to browse
0 comments