Leach nabs Big 12 coaching honors
BY ADAM ZUVANICH
AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Texas Tech won’t be playing for a Big 12 Conference championship on Saturday, but Mike Leach got somewhat of a consolation prize Tuesday.
The ninth-year Red Raiders head coach was named Big 12 coach of the year by The Associated Press, adding another accolade to the team’s best season to date.
Leach guided the No. 7 Red Raiders to an 11-1 regular-season record and their first share of the Big 12 South title – although No. 2 Oklahoma will play No. 20 Missouri in the conference championship game after winning the three-way tiebreaker with Tech and No. 3 Texas. Tech also beat a No. 1 team for the first time and attained its highest ranking, spending three weeks at No. 2 before losing at Oklahoma on Nov. 22.
“I don’t know what to say,” Leach told The AP on Monday. “I have good people around me. We had a good year, and I had something to do with it, too, you know.”
In balloting by a panel of conference media, Leach received 16 of 20 votes. Texas’ Mack Brown garnered the other four votes.
Also Tuesday, Leach was named co-Big 12 coach of the year in a vote by the league’s coaches. He shared the honor with his former boss, OU’s Bob Stoops.
Leach is Tech’s first conference coach of the year since Spike Dykes, who received the award in the Big 12’s first year in 1996 – but not according to The AP – and three times in the Southwest Conference.
“It’s really flattering because I think we’re in the best conference with the best coaches,” Leach said, “and it’s incredible and tremendous company.”
Tech athletic director Gerald Myers said the honors are “well-deserved.” The Red Raiders were picked to finish third in the South in a preseason media poll, but they took control of the divisional race with a 39-33 win over then-No. 2 Texas on Nov. 1. Tech remained the Big 12’s only unbeaten team until a 65-21 loss to the Sooners, and then wrapped up a share of the division title with Saturday’s 35-28 win over Baylor.
The Raiders went 7-1 in the Big 12 to match the program record for conference wins in a season set in the SWC in 1976, and with a bowl game to go, they’ve already matched the program-best 11 wins by the 1953 and 1973 squads. Tech was 10-0 this season for the first time since 1938.
“We’ve had a couple of good years in the past,” Myers said, “but I would have to say that this year has probably been the best that we’ve had from the standpoint of number of wins, capacity crowds and wins we’ve had over ranked teams.”
Stoops, the only man to beat Leach this year, couldn’t argue with The AP’s selection.
“I think it’s a great choice,” Stoops, who hired Leach as his first offensive coordinator in 1999, told The AP. “His team’s incredibly competitive, and just year in and year out they’re always a team that you always have to be very prepared for.”
The 47-year-old Leach, an eccentric California native with a law degree from Pepperdine and innovative offensive scheme, is 76-38 in his nine seasons at Tech, having led the Red Raiders to a bowl game each year and to wins in five of their last six bowl games. Dykes is the only Tech coach with more wins, having gone 82-67-1 in 13 seasons, and Leach’s .667 winning percentage is second only to Pete Cawthon’s mark of .693 from 1930 to 1940.
Myers wouldn’t call Leach the best football coach in Tech history, saying it would be difficult to compare him with coaches of the past, but Leach certainly is part of the conversation.
“He’s taken his place as one of the top coaches we’ve had here at Tech,” Myers said.
Leach wasn’t the only Red Raider to be honored Tuesday. Receiver Mike Crabtree, defensive end Brandon Williams and free safety Darcel McBath were named to the coaches’ all-Big 12 first team, and defensive end McKinner Dixon nabbed defensive newcomer of the year accolades. Crabtree, a sophomore who earned the honor for the second straight season, was the only unanimous selection on the first-team offense.
Tech running back Shannon Woods, strong safety Daniel Charbonnet and offensive linemen Rylan Reed and Louis Vasquez were named to the second team. Tech’s honorable-mention picks were quarterback Graham Harrell, running back Baron Batch, offensive linemen Brandon Carter, Stephen Hamby and Marlon Winn, defensive linemen Dixon and Colby Whitlock, linebackers Brian Duncan and Marlon Williams, and defensive back Jamar Wall.
Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.
To comment on this story:
adam.zuvanich@lubbockonline.com 766-8733
jeff.walker@lubbockonline.com 766-8735
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go leach!!!!!!!!!!!
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No, Devin, you got it wrong. STAY Leach!!!!!! A well-deserved and earned honor. Stick around, Coach, because your program is only going to continue to its upward path here.
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Has anyone heard that ESPN reported that Mike Leach was in Seattle yesterday to interview for the UW job??
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No kidding, STAY!!!!!
I don’t see why Leach shouldn’t be Coach of the Year nationally, not just the Big 12.
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Congrats to Coach Leach!
Wreck ‘em Tech
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Dave, he is currently in the running for the National Coach of the Year award.
Wreck ‘em Tech!
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we should make a site
http://www.keepmikeleach.com
or something like that :)
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I don’t think he interviewed for the job at Washington, but I bet that U of W officials contacted Leach about the position, who wouldn’t? Why would anyone think Leach would take a step down to a less desirable program. Doesn’t really matter because Jim Mora Jr. will be announced as the U of W coach tomorrow.
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Great job Coach Leach. You deserve it. Enjoy!!!!!!!
TTU Grad ‘72
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Yeah i have kept reading that Jim Mora is still an option. Even though he is set to be the seahawks coach next year.
Stay leach.
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According to this article, he was on the place to Washington. Two reasons he would want to move out there are he and his wife would be closer to their families and he would get more money by moving while soaring to one of Tech’s best years. It all makes since but will Myers pull his grumpy head out and make sure it does not happen. Myers already stabbed Dikey & Sharp and they were two of the four that secured the AD position for him. He shows loyalty means nothing.
WAY TO GO LEACH NOW LETS GET BEHIND HIM AND MAKE SURE HE DOESN’T LEAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Sorry the article did not display. Here it is, http://www.examiner.com/x-610-Washington-Huskies-Examiner~y2008m12d2-UW-coaching-search–Mike-Leach-on-the-plane-to-Seattle
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The onus is on Gerald to get this done, yesterday. There is no excuse for this to go on much longer, unless the coach, himself, is dragging his feet. I am afraid that Gerald and the boys are just going to be unable to pull the trigger; just like with the opportunity to be the first college team to set a deal with Jerry Jones to play at his new stadium (let’s call it the Billion Dollar Halfway House for now, since he has Tank Johnson and Pacman back; probably just waiting to sign Michael Vick when he’s sprung). Good gosh, Jerry and his kid flew out there to make the pitch, but noooo, he allows a&m to upstage Tech, and Tech is still nowhere on that deal. Gerald’s a good guy and all, but he appears just to plod along, like he’s coaching 70’s style basketball. Granted, he did get Coach Knight here, and he did hire Coach Leach. Now, he has to keep him. Someone ask him why an offer wasn’t tendered to Mike Leach as soon as the Baylor game ended. Again, could be that Mike Leach is the one stringing this out. Nevertheless, it’s up to the administration to make sure this resolved. Please, get that done, now!
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There is already a website to keep Coach Leach at http://www.keepleach.com – go check it out!
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Harrell doesn’t even make 2nd team?!?!? What a shame. All because our defense couldn’t stop Oklahoma, which also cost him the Heisman.
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My friend sent me text today that he saw Mike leach in seattle this week….Leach do not let the currupt system of the big 12 south get to you…We finally have a neutral game site with OSU next year..It’s not the same as having one with TX or OU but it’s something..TECH BETTER GIVE LEACH WHAT HE WANTS OR YOU CAN KISS MY ALUMNI DONATIONS GOOD BYE!
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I wouldn’t say that UW is a better program then Tech but I guess I could understand a good coach riding a high might want to take his mojo and get out of a division (not even just the bigxii) that has to face OU and UT every friggin year. Really hope we can hang onto him. Leach is a great coach to have.
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we got a keeper do whatever it takes!!
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Great award to an extremely deserving coach! I definitely hope Coach Leach stays at Tech and know he will be rewarded for what he has accomplished with the Raiders. Just the graduation rate of his players makes him a winner and very unique in the coaching profession. It is really great to know that any young man going to Tech to play ball will be in good hands. Thanks Coach for all you have done for our university.
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leach has to stay we need him to win the big twelve next year help keep the mad scientist wreck em tech
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Dear Coach Leach,
You have my undying respect, and my unending gratitude. If I were you, I would be on a plane to Washington, Tennessee, and anyplace else it takes to wake up Gerald….
Consider this scenario….
You stay in RAIDERLAND….continue to build on this program from where we are now….a finally respectable, and viable program…to the POWERHOUSE that YOU, COACH LEACH, can build it into….Let’s make the terms “Guns Up” and “Wreck ‘em” synonymous with a SUCCESSFUL LEGACY the same as ‘roll tide’ and ‘hook ‘em horns’ has become. YOU, COACH LEACH, CAN TAKE US THERE….My checkbook is out…
Can I get a
RAIDER!!!
POWER!!!
Wreck ‘em!! TTU’85
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um, Adam Z, isn’t Leach a WYOMING native?
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If Leach leaves, you might as well cancel the expansion of the stadium, because I and many other will be cancelling our season tickets. And I have 8 of them. Get your head out, get your ego in check, and sign the man, Gerald Myers!
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Absolutley amazing, the Big 12 hasn’t gotten any smarter. ANOTHER TIE, at least this one doesn’t have to be settled by rankings. Coach Leach is my coach of the year, not just the Big12, but the nation.
GRAHAM HARRELL the 3rd best QB in the BIg 12, an absolute atrosity(sp) Why are they choosing now, the championship hasn’t been played. Wait til it’sover and choose, Arrowhead in Dec. might be a little harsh on fair weather players. I think it’s only fair, since whole seasons can be judged on one bad game.
Guys and Gals, I have choosen the entire RED RAIDER football
FIRST TEAM ALL LEAGUE in my book, and that the only one that matters to me. Nice job #53, I am ever so proud to name you my personal M.V.P.
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Yes, that is ridiculous. Graham Harrell, Baron Batch, Shannon Woods and Brian Duncan should all be first teamers. Complete BS the way Tech gets screwed in these scenarios. I can’t wait for all of them to just “go off” during the bowl game and show all these doubters/haters.
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People,
Tech’s athletic departement ran a deficit last year for the first time in forever. I read a few years ago that only about 5 Division I teams ran positive athletic budgets. Football subsidizes many other sports. To give Leach a raise, the program has to make more money or reduce another programs budget. As Meyers stated earlier, the contract between Tech and Leach will dependent on what the department can afford.
Once the financial figures for the year are in, Leach will get a new contract and all this smoke will blow away.
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What was the weather like in Seattle Monday & Tuesday?? Give me tumbleweeds and prairie dogs any day to cold, rainy days.
This 56 year-old gal just became a REAL football fan this year. I was at the TX game and I finally got what all the football fuss was about. That was absolutley THE most fun I’ve ever had at any sporting event!
Mike, DON’T GO!
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