Leach Suspended Indefinitely

[leemajors]

http://www.freep.com/article/20091228/SPORTS07/91228046/1356/sports/Texas-Tech-suspends-coach-Mike-Leach-indefinitely

AP content, not pasting.

[IronMexican]

That blows. He's my second favorite coach in college.

[Amarelooms]

He is a weird ass guy...putting someone in a closet? WTF lol :elephant

[mookie2001]

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/clubhouse?teamId=2641) coach Mike Leach has been suspended while the school investigates complaints from a player and his family about treatment after an injury.
The school said in a release Monday defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill will be the interim coach and lead the team in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2 against Michigan State (http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/clubhouse?teamId=127).


Texas Tech officials declined to identify the player.
McNeill will remain in charge of the team until the investigation is complete.
Sources told ESPN's Joe Schad that the parents felt the player was treated inappropriately by Leach because he was unable to practice after a mild concussion.
The Red Raiders went 8-4 this season.
Leach did not immediately return a call or a text message from The Associated Press seeking comment. A message left on McNeill's cell phone was not immediately returned.
There's been internal strife this season with the Red Raiders and Leach has resorted to some tongue-lashing.
He chastised players after a loss to Texas A&M in October for listening to "their fat little girlfriends," and thinking the Aggies were a pushover. And after the Red Raiders' loss at then-No. 12 Houston in September, Leach suspended indefinitely starting offensive lineman Brandon Carter for violating team rules.
The loss to the Cougars was the second straight for the Red Raiders, who had fallen 34-24 at No. 2 Texas in an early Big 12 matchup. This season is the first since 2002 -- Leach's third season -- that the Red Raiders dropped two of their first four games.
That same week Leach banned his players from having Twitter pages after linebacker Marlon Williams asked on his account why he was still in a meeting room when "the head coach can't even be on time."
ohh hes a character

[jag]

What if some of their girlfriends are small and fat, is it still wrong? And how does a grown ass man allow someone to lock him in a closet?

[clambake]

texas tech has a defensive coordinator?

[CubanMustGo]

More details from ESPN. Craig James' little boy apparently got his feelings hurt, Daddy went and complained:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls09/news/story?id=4776848

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has been suspended while the school investigates complaints from a player and his family about treatment after an injury.

The school said in a release Monday defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill will be the interim coach and lead the team in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2 against Michigan State. McNeill will remain in charge of the team until the investigation is complete.

The player, Adam James, is a redshirt sophomore wide receiver for the Red Raiders and the son of ESPN college football analyst Craig James.

Sources told ESPN's Joe Schad that the Jameses felt Adam was treated inappropriately by Leach because he was unable to practice after a mild concussion. A source close to the James family told Schad that Leach directed a trainer to confine him to an equipment room for three hours and, days later, told a trainer to place James in an electrical closet. An attorney for Leach said that while James was secluded twice, the circumstances were not as portrayed by the James family.

"Mr. and Mrs. James took the step with great regret and after consideration and prayer to convey to the Texas Tech administration that their son had been subjected to actions and treatment not consistent with common sense rules for safety and health," the family said in a statement released on Monday.

The statement went on to say they felt the matter was important to "protect all the fine young men involved in Tech football and the University's reputation for developing and educating young men and women.

"Over the past year, there has been a greatly enhanced recognition of the dangers of concussions and the potential for long term physical damage to players. At virtually every level of football coaching, cases where children and young men have sustained concussions have generated serious discussion of the importance of correct treatment and diagnosis."

The Red Raiders went 8-4 this season.

Leach did not immediately return a call or a text message from The Associated Press seeking comment. A message left on McNeill's cell phone was not immediately returned.

There's been internal strife this season with the Red Raiders and Leach has resorted to some tongue-lashing.

He chastised players after a loss to Texas A&M in October for listening to "their fat little girlfriends," and thinking the Aggies were a pushover. And after the Red Raiders' loss at then-No. 12 Houston in September, Leach suspended indefinitely starting offensive lineman Brandon Carter for violating team rules.

The loss to the Cougars was the second straight for the Red Raiders, who had fallen 34-24 at No. 2 Texas in an early Big 12 matchup. This season is the first since 2002 -- Leach's third season -- that the Red Raiders dropped two of their first four games.

That same week Leach banned his players from having Twitter pages after linebacker Marlon Williams asked on his account why he was still in a meeting room when "the head coach can't even be on time."

[Doug Collins]

If I had to deal with Craig James' son, I'd lock his ass in a closet too. What a pussy.

[Whisky Dog]

So the silver spoon fed James kid got a mild concussion and Leach had him sent to a dark room. Wouldn't you want to be in a dark room? Why an electrical closet is beyond me and he was probably wrong for that, but I doubt it was as bad as this spoiled kid made it out.

[lebomb]

*chuckles*

[MajorMike]

Hmmm... Leech and Mangino; both former uo O-Coords, both gonna get fired for mistreating kids.

Welcome back to mediocrity, ttek.

[pkbpkb81]

Hmmm... Leech and Mangino; both former uo O-Coords, both gonna get fired for mistreating kids.

Welcome back to mediocrity, ttek.

it's sad but that is the 1st thing i thought of as well

[TFloss32]

Hmmm... Leech and Mangino; both former uo O-Coords, both gonna get fired for mistreating kids.

Welcome back to mediocrity, ttek.

What will be the bigger headline, though?

a.) Mike Leach getting fired
b.) Mike Leach's new home/new position (might be an OC somewhere)
c.) New coach of Texas Tech

This is the craziest college football season in recent memory.

[DMX7]

He's not getting fired. Tech doesn't have the resources to get an equally good coach and still pay him off unless they can get out of his contract.

[johngateswhiteley]

Meh...who cares. tekk is an irrelevant program.

[TFloss32]

He's not getting fired. Tech doesn't have the resources to get an equally good coach and still pay him off unless they can get out of his contract.

I would absolutely say the same if it weren't for the precedent set by Kansas a couple of weeks ago (by firing Mark Mangino) when it comes to mistreatment of players.

It will be interesting to see how this story unfolds since Craig James works for ESPN. They will run, run, run with this story as long as they can. Part of me feels like Leach wants out. He called Adam James a "slacker" and Craig James a "Little League dad." What is this guy thinking unless he actually wants to get fired??? I don't care if Adam James is a little bitch...how are you not smarter than that?

[johngateswhiteley]

I would absolutely say the same if it weren't for the precedent set by Kansas a couple of weeks ago (by firing Mark Mangino) when it comes to mistreatment of players.

It will be interesting to see how this story unfolds since Craig James works for ESPN. They will run, run, run with this story as long as they can. Part of me feels like Leach wants out. He called Adam James a "slacker" and Craig James a "Little League dad." What is this guy thinking unless he actually wants to get fired??? I don't care if Adam James is a little bitch...how are you not smarter than that?

Cause maybe its true. And in this fucked up pussified world...not many can handle criticism or confrontation. I respect that, speak your mind...there should be nothing wrong with that.

Leach can come to A&M and assist.

[DMX7]

If this kid wasn't the son of ESPN analyst Craig James, this complaint would be in the garbage.

[TheGodfather]

Good take by Stewart Mandel at si.com. Pretty fair and balanced, which is more than you're going to get from ESPN. A lot of people have a lot to lose in this.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/stewart_mandel/12/29/texas.tech.leach/index.html

[TFloss32]

Not sure if that article breaks down Leach's contract (sorry don't have time to read it). Sportscenter broke it down this morning...

If he's still the coach by THIS Thursday, he's owed a $800K bonus. If he's fired, he's owed $400K for each year remaining on his contract. I would assume that's $1.6M? There is no lump some buyout designated in his contract. Should be interesting to see what happens in the next couple of days.

[MajorMike]

They said on 2 Live Stews that ttek will move to get rid of him with cause before his bonus is due (Thurs). With cause means he will not be due any of his future salary, altho it is expected that a severance package will be offered if he goes away quietly.

[lebomb]

Ive been hearing Leach is all but gone.................. *chuckles*

[redraiderinfiji]

Meh...who cares. tekk is an irrelevant program.



What was the ags record this season? Fucking sucked.....

[Whisky Dog]

Since we're already running the spread anyway Mack should convince Greg Davis he has an Urban Meyer like heart condition and a season or two off is needed. Then bring Leach in as OCoord for a season or two until this blows over and he gets another HC job.

[leemajors]

Dana Holgersen (Houston OC):

"I am writing this letter on behalf of Mike Leach in regards to the Adam James situation," Holgorsen writes in his e-mail. "I was the inside receiver coach at Texas Tech when we made the decision (to) sign Adam James in January of 2007. Adam had no offers to play NCAA D1 football during and after his senior year. After a conversation between Coach Leach and Adam's father Craig, Coach Leach acquired a brief highlight tape of Adam and made the decision to take him as a scholarship student athlete.

"I was opposed to doing so in (the) belief he was not a D1 football player," Holgorsen writes in his e-mail. "Coach Leach overrode my opinion and Adam became a Red Raider. During the rest of my time at Texas Tech I was Adam's position coach where I always remained critical of Adam's ability to play at this level due to being lazy in not only the classroom but also in the offseason and during practice.

"Coach Leach was the one who kept saying he believed Adam would eventually contribute. Adam's teammates believed he was selfish and were constantly getting on him for lack of effort as they sensed entitlement on his part due to his father being a very good football player. Adam eventually ended up playing a little after I left due to his body type being able to do some TE (tight end) sets which consists of around 5-10 plays a game.

"Adam should be thankful for the opportunity to play at Texas Tech and for Mike Leach, who gave him the opportunity," Holgorsen writes. "In my opinion playing 5-10 plays a game in an outstanding offense is more than he would get at any other school in NCAA D1 football."


To Who it May Concern:

During the last two years of being the inside receivers coach, I have
had the chance to learn alot about Adam James. He came to Tech
because of one person: Coach Leach. Although we adamently doubted
his talent, we as coaches came to see that Adam actually had enough
talent to help us out. The problem, though, is that Adam is
unusually lazy and entitled. Many other players on this team,
specifically receivers, have a much larger role on this team with less
talent. I have always been worried about Adam's effect on my other
players because of his weak and conceited attitude. I recently found
out that Adam deliberately undermined my authority on many occasions.
This is particularly disturbing because Coach Leach hired me to make
our receivers the best group in the country, and Adam has damaged this
group far more than I even realized. He should be grateful forthe
opportunity that was given to him here that was not offered at any
other Division 1 football program. He has an unvelievable sense of
entitlement because of who his father is; one that hurts himself and
people around him. Adam is the kind of person thatakes excuses or
blames people for things that go wrong in his life.
Furthermore, I don't have children yet, but when I do I hope they are
coached by someone like Coach Leach. I have learned so many great
things from him and am incredibly lucky to have him in my life.

Lincoln Riley

Couple more letters here:

http://dennis-dodd.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/19238949

Should be interesting to see how the fallout affects Craig James.

[johngateswhiteley]

The more I think about it, the more I can't believe tekk is willing to give up on leach. They aren't going to find a better coach and considering what he's done for the school...what an unbelievable slap in the face. I think he'll leave.

[FromWayDowntown]

Fired.