Lubbock brothers go hi-tech to keep Mike Leach a Red Raider
BY TRAVIS CRAM
AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
A new iPod, bike or Nintendo Wii may be the most popular things on some people’s lists this holiday season, but for two Lubbock residents, they’re doing everything they can to help keep Mike Leach in Lubbock.
Dr. Erik Medina and brother, Jason, an personal injury attorney, launched the Web site, www.keepleach.com, in an effort to not necessarily make enough money to meet the Texas Tech coach’s demands but maybe stir the pot just a bit and make sure Leach knows how much his fans in West Texas want him to stay here and remain their coach.
“My brother and I were having dinner and discussing how Leach was going to be pretty high in-demand after the win over Texas,” Erik said. “So we thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if Tech alum came up with a grassroots almost (Barack) Obama-campaign style funding to help create some awareness.’ So we thought, ‘Why don’t we do it?’”
The two brothers discussed the idea with some friends and launched the site on Nov. 21 before the Tech-Oklahoma game. Erik, an anesthesiologist in Lubbock, said they are in no way associated with the university and that the money would not go directly to Leach but into a Tech foundation for the athletics department.
Landon King, who is a former Tech student and works for GAP Broadcasting in Lubbock, was the first to make a donation after the site launched, sending his $20 in support of Leach staying put. He said he never had any question about whether or not his donation would be sent to the proper place.
“When you have people like Erik and Jason involved in something, they’re stand-up guys and it was smart to get something like PayPal involved, something everyone already trusts,” said King, who is a friend of the Medinas.
Erik said Ki Corp, a local consulting and management firm, will provide an audit for the Medinas once all donations are closed out.
The two brothers got the idea from the recent elections and how Obama went to online and internet donors to help raise money for his campaign differently than how Sen. John McCain was raising his funds. They also remembered the group that helped start a Web site to help pay Leach’s record $10,000 fine from the Big 12 after he lashed out at officials following Tech’s loss to Texas last season.
Donors can remain anonymous or post their names on the ‘Pirate’s List’ on the Web site. The site had received more than 5,000 hits as of Wednesday — 300 alone that day. There are currently 14 names on the donor list and Erik said he was not sure of what the total amount raised was but that maybe this is just the beginning of things since news of Leach’s AP Big 12 Coach of the Year honors and reports of talks between he and Washington surfaced recently. Getting the word out is the biggest thing right now.
“On any given Saturday,” Erik said, “Jones (AT&T) Stadium packs around 50,000 people to watch Tech play. If we can get 50,000 Tech alum around the country involved to donate $20, that’s $1 million. So even if we don’t raise enough money it’s a vote of confidence to the coach.
King said he would love to see Leach at the helm for Tech next season but still wouldn’t mind, if Leach does leave, for his donation to go to general funding for Tech athletics.
“Anything that helps benefit Tech athletics,” he said. “If anything, it’s at least a thank you to Mike Leach for what he’s done here.”
To comment on this story:
travis.cram@lubbockonline.com 766-8736
jeff.walker@lubbockonline.com 766-8735
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The Medina brothers have a great idea, It would be great to see Coach Leach stay at Tech until he is ready to retire, nobody can argue what he has meant to Tech and the Lubbock community. He has changed the face of football in the Big 12 and has made Tech a force to be reckoned with. We NEED him to stay, especially with all the renovations to the stadium, Coach Leach commands attendance at games…Go Raiders, Go Leach.
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Leach is gone. Too little too late!
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He hasn’t accepted any job yet!
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Just a matter of time.
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We’ll see, I have read in the last hour though, Leach will accept the job if Washington does offer it to him.
Lets hope myers gets something out.
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WU is looking to pay in the $2.5M-$3M range and Myers is talking about a $3M deal so it won’t be money that makes Leach leave for WU. One of the other schools might offer a lot more though. If Leach leaves for a deal in the $3M range than you will know that Myers had failed Texas Tech and should be the next one out the door!
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Myers is a moron.
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First of all, a member of the morning show team on KLLL-FM Radio began a Keep Mike Leach Web site as far back as … before the 2008 season began! I only know because it has been discussed on the radio station all season.
I am not writing to cause site wars. Obviously, the radio jock forgot to call or e-mail The A-J and inform them of what he had done, or send a press release. And the paper may have done nothing back then anway, as Leach leaving was not perceived as a major issue at the time.
At the least, it strikes me as lazy reporting by Mr. Cram (and A-J), taking it for granted that these brothers were the first with the idea without at least researching the possibility of another, earlier site.
Moving on to the more important issue, should Mike Leach leave Texas Tech, the fault most definitely will lie with athletic director Gerald Myers.
And the grapevine — i.e., talk around the athletic department water cooler, so to speak — is that Myers won’t be able to keep Leach just by shaking more money under his nose.
Yes, Mike Leach has time left on his contract (and no doubt a buyout allowing him to leave). But look at any other successful program and you will see coaches rewarded with extensions and raises. Gerald Myers has, from day one of this season, sat on Leach’s contract and smiled. Make no mistake: Leach wanted his contract refined. Leach’s agent even contacted city media members and said they could report that.
But Myers just dilly-dallied. He told the TV and newspapers that Leach understood why they had to wait until the end of the season. He showed no faith in Leach. He took a cheap approach, and he and TTU may very well be burned.
We watched as Tennessee and Wyoming hired other coaches, but the competition for Leach always was going to be the University of Washington. And even after Leach and his wife were flown to Seattle, and even as Leach was being invited back for a second interview, Myers says everything is in control and he plans to fight for Leach with a new contract — and yet the board of regents had not sniffed hide nor hair of a contract submission by Myers at the time.
Myers can take credit for some massive stadium improvements. He can take credit … well, for being Bob Knight’s friend and luring Coach Knight to Texas Tech.
But he has personally FUBARed his relationship with Coach Leach, perhaps assuming that innovative and successful coaches are easily found.
One hopes and prays that Coach Mike Leach does realize that he has been embraced by West Texas … that he can see the progress he has made at Texas Tech, and will want to stay here and continue building the program — HIS program — into one that increases in national stature and national media respect each year.
I doubt that it was ever about the money as much as being wanted to be compensated as well as similarly successful coaches.
Myers could have sealed the deal early in the season. Here’s hoping Coach Leach will accept the $3M and coach the red and black.
But yes, Leach has been simmering under the surface about Myers’ insulting behavior through 12 games. So he may already have made his decision.
I hope Coach Leach stays. I have very mixed feelings about Coach Myers. We’ll see.
Go Tech.
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Red Raider Nation fans are just that, Red Raider Nation fans and they will be until the sun sets on their living….no matter who is the Coach or AD and no matter the sport or other academia on Campus.
Red Raider ‘wanna-be’s’ use name calling and only identify who they are.
Guns Up, Go Raiders…..
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I think anybody that knows Myers that he is an Idiot. He was the one that found and hired leach though, if im not mistaken.
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Bob you need to call a nurse to change your bed pan.
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Gerald Myers is an outstanding individual and A.D.!!! He has seen Tech thru several storms and we are very lucky indeed for his devotion to his alma mater and that he hasn’t retired. Many of us have no idea of all the inside goings on of the ath dept. Coach Myers (an all-SWC basketball guard at Tech in case you forgot) has done an incredible job with what he has… take it any way you want. We gotta play with the cards we are dealt most times. Be cool. I believe this will all work out for the best. Either way , THE BEST is yet to come. Hang in there Raiders. Stop bickering and start encouraging.
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Same to you 86 Grad and the horse you rode in on!! I’d rather have a John freakin Wayne as my head coach instead of a quirky pirate anyday!! Spike was 5and 5 against the horns in the 90’s. The horns don’t fear us anymore – they don’t! I want the real deal – the whole tortilla for the long term and not just a whimpy flash in the pan. We’ll see…
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Leach withdraws his name for UW!
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Maybe Myers is talking to Tommy Tubberville!
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Bob, Spike is history-old news. Move on!!! Time for your sponge bath.
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spike was likeable, but 50/50 coach, we would win a big game every year and lose to smu or tcu or new mexico……..9 years is not a splash in the pan!!!!!!!
get a life!!!! the wishbone is dead………
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This web site and idea are great and helpful, why do we need to post negative comeents about Meyers or anyone else, let’s just KEEP LEACH and be positive!
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