Mike Leach Fired at Texas Tech

[Dback Jon]

Breaking on ESPN

 

[boisesuns]

Not surprised by it. I guess he was owed 800k if he was still coach the first of the year. I don't condone what he apparently did, but if Adam James is anything like his dad, he probably deserved some type of punishment.

Probably a punk kid that got a punishment that might have gotten his attention, but instead get's the coach fired.

 

[Russ Smith]

Yeah it's really hard to get a read on this one. ESPN seems to have the most on it but much of their stuff comes from Craig James so they're not impartial. I'm seeing other stuff that says teammates didn't like Adam, they thought he was a prima donna, was soft and had faked or exaggerated injuries in the past. They also deny that his claim is true, that the rooms he was in were not closets.

Really hard to know of course, when something liek that happens it's generally going to be polarizing and any players who didn't like the one involved are likely going to find someone willing to write down what they said whether it was true or not.

Craig James of course has a sort of stilted view of what college should be like, he was at SMU during the years when they had an organized slush fund paying the players with full cooperation from the athletic department which ultimately led to the death penalty for SMU.

 

[Southpaw]

Just a spoiled punk. There is plenty of background on him, including statements from teammates who claim James vowed to get Leach for lack of playing time. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Daddy James was one of the primary reasons SMU got the death penalty way back when.

 

[ajcardfan]

My friend, who is a Red Raiders booster, says the roots of the firing go way back before this last inicident. He rubbed a lot of people with power the wrong way because, unlike the typical college coach, he wouldn't kiss up to them. Then, he flat out made enemies during his contract renegotiation. When this hit the fan, he basically gave the administration the finger and that was that.

 

[Southpaw]

My friend, who is a Red Raiders booster, says the roots of the firing go way back before this last inicident. He rubbed a lot of people with power the wrong way because, unlike the typical college coach, he wouldn't kiss up to them. Then, he flat out made enemies during his contract renegotiation. When this hit the fan, he basically gave the administration the finger and that was that.

Hope they enjoy their program back in the tank at the bottom of the Big 12. If Mangino got his buy out, I am quite sure Leach will also.

 

[boisesuns]

Former players including Graham Harrell coming to the aid of Coach Leach, and further confirming what what a punk James is.

 

[Southpaw]

..and now the other side of the story comes out.

Trainer says James was monitored

By Mark Schlabach
ESPN.com


Texas Tech head football athletic trainer Steve Pincock said Red Raiders receiver Adam James was placed in a "sports medicine garage" and media room as "big as a two-car garage" while recovering from a concussion, and was monitored by two trainers at all times.

Pincock's account of the incident, given in a statement to representatives of former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, contradicts James' version of events that led to Leach being fired Wednesday.

James, who is the son of ESPN college football analyst Craig James, sustained a concussion on Dec. 16. He was examined the following day and told not to practice because of the injury and an elevated heart rate.

Pincock's statement was obtained by ESPN.com on Thursday night from Leach's representatives. Pincock refused further comment when reached on his cell phone in San Antonio, Texas, where the Red Raiders are preparing to play Michigan State in Saturday's Alamo Bowl.

A source told ESPN's Joe Schad that Leach called a trainer and directed him to move James "to the darkest place, to clean out the equipment and to make sure that he could not sit or lean. He was confined for three hours."

According to the source, Leach told the trainer, two days later, to "put [James] in the darkest, tightest spot. It was in an electrical closet, again, with a guard posted outside."

However, Pincock said James was initially placed in a "sports medicine garage, there is no lock on this building." Pincock said injured players are typically asked to perform exercises during practice, but "James could not participate in these drills, and was originally asked to walk around the field."

"Adam showed up to practice in street clothes, no team gear, and dark sunglasses," Pincock said, according to the statement. "Adam walked about 40 to 50 yards, very slowly and with a non-caring attitude."

Pincock said Leach then asked that James be moved to a location "where sunlight could not bother him as he was wearing sunglasses."

"I instructed Adam to stay in the garage and out of the sun, so the light would not worsen his condition," Pincock said in the statement. "While in the garage, Adam was walking around, eating ice, sitting on the ground, and, at one point, sleeping; at no point was there any enforcement to make Adam stand up."

Two days later, while the Red Raiders practiced at Jones AT&T Stadium, James was placed in a room that is used for postgame interviews involving opposing coaches and players. James told school officials he was placed in an electrical closet inside the room.

"I walked Adam to the room, which was at least as big as a two-car garage," Pincock wrote. "Inside the room there is an electrical closet. I looked in the closet and stated that there was 'no way that Adam would be placed in there.' I shut the door to the electrical closet, and it was never opened again. At no time during this practice was Adam ever placed in the electrical closet."

Mark Schlabach is a college football writer for ESPN.com

 

[boisesuns]

Maybe James and his daddy conspired to get a story out because he was pissed about the treatment. Espn has too much power. At least they are reporting something from the other side now.

Could they just have cut him for his repeat bad attitude? Seems like he had plenty of chances to improve it. Too bad little leauge daddy James Isnt the best example to follow.

 

[Southpaw]

Maybe James and his daddy conspired to get a story out because he was pissed about the treatment. Espn has too much power. At least they are reporting something from the other side now.

Could they just have cut him for his repeat bad attitude? Seems like he had plenty of chances to improve it. Too bad little leauge daddy James Isnt the best example to follow.

Really uncomfortable watching games, Craig James is on, since the incident. I still can't get over his extremely embarrassing, on air mocking of Lou Holtz's speech impediment during halftime of a game, a few weeks ago. ESPN has a habit of hiring degenerate ass clown ex jocks. They must come cheap.

Craig James helped take down SMU in the 70's, and now has a huge hand in Texas Tech. He must have a knack for playing the boosters.

I guess we should take solace in the knowledge that Craig, his wife and Adam prayed to god for guidance before torpedoing Leach. Parents sometime need to take the blinders off when it comes to their children.

 

[Russ Smith]

Really starting to look like Leach got completely hosed. They've got emails from administration folks who were openly looking for a way to get Leach out to avoid paying the bonus. They've got former and current players saying Adam James was a primadonna and lazy.

And now the WR's coach is saying that 2 days before this happened James was disciplined for lack of effort in practice. 2 days later he said he had a concussion and this whole thing started. The coach is convinced James just made it up because he was unhappy with playing time and how the coaches dealt with his constant complaining.

I hope Leach takes the school to the cleaners if this stuff is true. They have done quite a bit of harm to his reputation.

 

[Southpaw]

I am wondering when the College coaches Ass'n. is going to get in on this. It seems that these big contracts aren't worth the paper they are written on. Coaches are finding more and more that living at the top is jeapardous and easily dissolved.

It seems that little Adam got bored in the equipment room and went exploring with his camera phone in hand. The video looked like Blair Witch Project cinema. The equipment room had a utility closet that he imaged and he told people that was the room he was locked in. The wiener is creative, if nothing else. My hope is that the Spartans lay a bomb on Tech.

 

[Southpaw]

The eavesdropping camera shots of Adam James, on the sidelines, during the game, were very interesting, to say the least. Ironic that for someone who seemed to crave the spotlight and attention, he was mostly ducking it last night. I wonder why, if the treatment was so bad, as "imposed" by Leach, he didn't just walk away and say I refuse this treatment. Maybe because he is part attention *****, whimpy, and immature.

On second thought, maybe Leach's intent was to get Adam to quit, with this treatment. Can anyone in this audience say they wouldn't have gotten into Leach's face and say, "screw you, I am out of here and we'll deal with this later" ? Actually, I don't think Adam James is different than many of his generation. Many are attention seeking ****** immune from prosecution, irresponsible and blameless.

 

[Southpaw]

Maybe these guys should have showed a bit more loyalty as Leach was being thrown out with yesterday's trash. Wonder if they are now trying to save their severance paycheck?

Updated: January 14, 2010, 10:43 AM ET
Six assistants out at Texas Tech

ESPN.com news services

Texas Tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill and four other assistant coaches were fired Wednesday as new Red Raiders coach Tommy Tuberville cleared the way for his own staff.

McNeill and assistants Lincoln Riley, Clay McGuire, Brian Mitchell and Eric Russell were let go on Wednesday. A sixth assistant, Carlos Mainord, is retiring.

So far, Tuberville has hired Neal Brown, formerly of Troy, as offensive coordinator. And The Tuscaloosa News reported Wednesday that Alabama linebackers coach James Willis had agreed in principle to become the Red Raiders' defensive coordinator, according to a source close to the situation. Willis worked with Tuberville at Auburn for three seasons, according to the report.

McNeill was named interim coach at Texas Tech when former coach Mike Leach was suspended and then fired over the treatment of a player who had been diagnosed with a concussion. Tuberville and McNeill were the only applicants interviewed to replace Leach.

Riley, who called offensive plays in Texas Tech's 41-31 win over Michigan State in the Valero Alamo Bowl, released a statement asking the school's supporters to support back the new regime and the players, according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

"I know many people are upset about many things that have happened, but that is the hand that we have all been dealt," Riley wrote, according to the report. "During this time it is important for all Texas Tech fans to pull together behind the new staff and, most importantly, the players. You have a special group of young men that represent you, and I encourage every Red Raider to never take that for granted."

Meanwhile, "Team Leach," a group of Leach's supporters, was planning to demonstrate Thursday on campus in support of the fired coach.

"[The rally] is to show there are a significant number of people who have concerns about the way coach Leach was fired," group spokesman Charlie Hodges said, according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. "We have a number of questions we'd like to have answers to. We don't want anything swept under the rug."

 

[Gaddabout]

TT's new staff is going to get pounded attempting to save this recruiting class and get pounded trying to recruit the next one. No one with strong Texas recruiting ties on staff. Top 3 are outsiders. Tuberville hasn't recruited east or central Texas since 1995. He knows no one there.

 

[Southpaw]

Welcome to oblivion Texas Tech. They had 2 of the most recognizable and controversial coaches on staff in Knight and Leach. They now have Knight's son and Tuberville.

 

[Southpaw]

Judge just ruled case must go to mediation. That really sucks. I was so looking forward to the courtroom drama and Leach firing away at Craig James. Now it looks like Leach will get a settlement, with a gag order attached.