Leach and Texas Tech unlikely to reach common ground

By John Hillman  |   Monday, February 16, 2009  |  Comments( 13 )

 Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech has issued head football coach Mike Leach an ultimatum. Red Raider officials have given Leach until 5 p.m. Tuesday to accept their latest contract extension, or the offer will be withdrawn. But Leach appears unwilling to accept the new pact. If the deadline passes without his signature, two years remain on the current contract, and...
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CommentsComments: 13
 No.1
John Hillman		 06:49 PM
02/16/2009
Booster relations has never been Leach's strong suit. He can communicate Donald Trump and garner airtime on Larry King and 60 Minutes.

But Leach has no patience and tolerance for eating barbeque and chitchatting with Amarillo bankers, Midland oilmen, or Lubbock farmers. Mack Brown holds the masters title in the realm among Big XII coaches.

Most Texas Tech fans believe Leach leaves Lubbock at the end of next season. He appears to have grown tired of the situation and needs another challenge in his coaching career.

Most football coaches would simply take the money and run. But Leach doesn't fit the traditional mold.
 No.2
John Hillman		 07:21 PM
02/17/2009
Texas Tech fans aren't happy with the way negotiations have been handled between Gerald Myers and Mike Leach. Below is an e-mail I received from a Red Raider supporter in the Dallas/Fort Worth-area, who allowed me to post his thoughts.

I began going to Tech Games in the early 60’s Dave Parks, Donny Anderson, and attended Tech the year Jim Carlin began coaching. I feel like a Cubs fan thinking maybe next year.

Since Coach Leach has arrived Red Raider Football has been fun to watch, has made Tech a respected program, and is about to finally, in my opinion, Take the raiders to the top level of college football.

I would like to point out a few things you gentlemen (Texas Tech BOR, Kent Hance and Gerald Myers) obviously don’t get. This is not about Coach Leach winning or losing. This is about Texas Tech winning or losing.

We already know Coach Leach marches to a different drummer. I think we all would agree if he can win in Lubbock he can win anywhere. He is going to get big money for doing so. He has already said the money was ok. The reason he has been successful in Lubbock, to your credit, you took a chance on him and have allowed him to be himself and because of that he has built a winner. I believe he is on the brink of building a big time winner and a perennial power in Div 1 Football. Have you stopped to think what the long term ramifications of that are to Texas Tech and Lubbock? If you gentlemen screw this up they should railroad all of you out of town.

You see the sticking points in the contract are not based on common sense or what is good for Texas Tech… This whole mess has been created by Gerald Meyers. I would appear he has no clue about business and certainly has no clue about human nature. Just because Myers has been at Tech nearly 50 years does not mean he owns it. He may be great at hiring coaches but that has never been a problem at Tech the trick has been to keep them. I still cannot believe he took away Coach Leach’s Parking spot and gave it to Knight. That is the same disrespect he is showing now. Gerald needs to retire before he totally screws up the football program.

1. The buyout clause If you terminate him without cause you should pay 40% of his contract for being so stupid. He has won more than any coach and brought more positive free press to Tech than any coach including Bob Knight or Gerald Meyers.

2.Not allowing him to talk to other Schools without permission are grounds for termination. Are you trying to run him off? If you have one of the prettiest girls at the prom the quickest way to lose her is to not allow her to talk to any one else.

3.Personal Property Rights. Coach Leach is now a celebrity. If you are limited on what you can compensate him in the contract it is stupid to disallow him to own his own property rights. Texas Tech did not make him a celebrity he made Texas Tech a winning program. He will be a celebrity where ever he coaches. If you run him off the only loser will be Texas Tech. Tech will once again become and be seen as an also ran.

4. Remember you are dealing with a Pirate, not a Politician (Mack Brown, Bob Stoops) Like it or not Tech needs him much more than he needs Tech.

Myers reminds me of the guy who finally bought the goose that laid the golden egg. As an after thought he asked oh by the way what do I feed him… The old farmer smiled and said gold dust.

Get a grip guys you have a choice. You can make Texas Tech a great football school or you can make some other school a great football school it is your choice.
 No.3
John Hillman		 10:35 PM
02/17/2009
The 5 p.m. CST deadline passed without Leach signing the contract extension.

The Tech Texas Board of Regents have now scheduled a Friday afternoon teleconference to discuss the situation.

The Red Raider football coach could get another contract offer, be given his walking papers, or simply told to abide by his current pact.
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