Texas Tech may have battle to keep coach of the year
At the end of the day Wednesday, Mike Leach appeared to be on the radar of two other universities while Texas Tech officials were preparing their pitch to keep their football coach.
Tech Chancellor Kent Hance on Wednesday said the university will do what it can to retain Leach, but remained consistent with earlier statements from athletic director Gerald Myers about having to watch spending.
“My comment is, we want to keep Mike,’’ Hance said. “We like him. We’re a good fit for him, and he’s a good fit for us. We’re going to do what we can to keep him. Anytime somebody wants you, you’ve got to listen to them, I think. I don’t blame him for listening, but I don’t want him going.’’
Auburn joined the University of Washington as a possible suitor for Leach. Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville stepped down on Wednesday, and the Birmingham News called Leach “a strong candidate” to replace Tuberville. The newspaper, citing unnamed sources, reported unofficial Auburn representatives had contacted those close to Leach to gauge his interest before the announcement of Tuberville’s departure.
A source told The Avalanche-Journal that Leach was in Seattle late Monday and into Tuesday to visit with Washington officials about their soon-vacant head-coaching job.
After this season, Leach has two years left on a contract that pays $10 million over five years. Hance said he wanted to take up discussions by Wednesday or today.
Myers said he placed a call late Wednesday afternoon to Leach’s agents in Minnesota but wasn’t able to speak directly to anyone.
“I did learn that Mike did not want to be involved with the talks with me about the contract, so I put in a call to his agents,’’ Myers said. “I’m sure I’ll hear from them (Thursday) because I left a message.’’
Washington announced on Oct. 27 that head coach Tyrone Willingham would leave at the end of the season, and Willingham made it clear that his resignation was forced. The Huskies were 0-7 at the time and now are 0-11 with their regular-season finale coming up Saturday at California.
Leach might not necessarily be the Huskies’ first choice. Media reports in Seattle have mentioned several other possibilities, including Fresno State coach Pat Hill, who has interviewed for the job.
Myers said Tuesday he plans to offer Leach a three-year extension with a raise to get him back on a five-year agreement. He said the offer is close to finalized and could be extended this week.
“We want to get it sewed up pretty soon,’’ Hance said.
Some Tech fans wondered why a new deal wasn’t sewed up over the summer. Their anxiety grew as the Red Raiders went 11-1 during the regular season and Leach’s name again popped up as a candidate for jobs elsewhere, which has become a routine occurrence the last few years.
Asked about the reasons for Leach’s contract not being addressed before the season, Hance mentioned several points that Myers made during the summer.
“He was in the middle of a three-year contract,’’ Hance said. “We told him, after the season we would look at (redoing) it. We didn’t feel like the money was there at that time, and we felt it would be at the end of the year.
“We wanted to concentrate on winning games and getting the stadium expanded. If you renew a contract in August and have a great year, those agents are going to come back in December and want another bite at the apple.’’
Tech had a ground-breaking ceremony Saturday for a $25 million project to add a stadium building with suites and club seats to the east side of Jones AT&T Stadium. Over the course of the season, fund-raising efforts devoted to the project generated about $9 million, bringing the money earmarked for stadium expansion to $28 million.
During the summer, the Web site CoachesHotSeat.com, which links copies of head coaches’ contracts, showed Leach to be the 31st highest paid out of the 120 major-college head coaches. But with Tech athletics having run deficits two of the last three fiscal years, Myers and Hance say they have to draw a line.
“In any position, there are limits of what you can do and remain financially stable,’’ Hance said. “ … You have to look at your revenue and what you can afford and what you can’t.’’
Hance, Myers and Leach’s staff members said he did not tell them he was going to Washington to check out the job. Hance said he didn’t know until word began to spread Tuesday afternoon.
“We were going to visit with him this week – which, he was out on Monday,’’ Hance said. “I figure (Wednesday) or (Thursday) we’ll be visiting with him – Gerald or I will.’’
Counting a pair of contract-completion bonuses, Leach stands to make at least $2.65 million next year and at least $2.35 million in 2010, not counting incentives.
To comment on this story:
jeff.walker@lubbockonline.com 766-8735
terry.greenberg@lubbockonline.com 766-8700
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The TTU admin has to be craizy. It would be a major letdown to te gan base to lose Leach. Trxas Tech has always been short sighted. All of this agter asking alimni to doante $25M for stadium club boxes. They would not have a case for raisingthat kind of money if not for Leach.
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Let’s hope Hance handles this. Myers is a moron.
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Leach has brought Red Raider football national recognition and has finally brought tech to the next level. We have had a spectacular season this year and he has laid the groundwork to have continue that tradition.
They should have renegotiated his contract before the season started, after going 11-1 the “lets wait and see what happens” adittude of the administration is going to bite them right in the wallet…
there will be some angry fans if he gets let go
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Coach Leach is the best thing that has happened to Texas Tech Football and his loss would be major. I can’t emagine the Football Team without him. Doris
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If Leach leaves, we should ask for Myers’ resignation immediately. He fooled around and didn’t get this done last year. All the argument about not doing it last year is ridiculous. Even in high school’s, coaches and superintendents have 3 year contracts, which are renewed annually for job security. Myers has been a joke of an AD ever since he got the job, and I’m sure other AD’s know this. I think Hance and the Regents need to get involved in this immediately, before we have the need to downsize our stadium to keep it full.
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which oone of you sugar daddies have an extra million a year to give Texas Tech to give to Mike Leach?
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Reality,
If giving the million would keep Leach while guaranteeing they would fire Myers, I’d do it.
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I don’t understand the criticism of Gerald Myers. We seem to have good coaches in place in our sports programs and Myers brought them here and has kept them. What is wrong with putting good coaches in place and retaining them. Point me to a Tech athletic program that is clearly headed in the wrong direction, and I’ll recognize your argument. This is a great time to be a Red Raider and like it or not, Gerald Myers has put the pieces in place to be more successful than teams from many of the traditional powerhouses. If you think that looking down at A&M, Ohio St., Michigan, Florida St., Miami, Tennessee, LSU, UCLA, Notre Dame, Nebraska and Georgia is a bad thing, then keep right on complaining.
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I find the negative comments unbelieveable. At the end of last season’s evaluation, a few of you don’t remember having lost two games that we should have won. (same ole Tech).
Mike has done a great job of knocking the monkey off our back with bowl games, most of the time knocking it off for big games except for OU, and finally doing something to develop a legitimate defense and running game. That all equates to results that as good stewards of our university needed to see achieved before bringing more money.
Now that the Mike has lead us to a wonderful season, we will gladly pay as Meyers (who brought and recruited Mike here in the first place and gave him his HC start, and Hance have firmly stated) and we will gladly pay.
Be patient and hold the negative comments for something that is based on reality.
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I couldn’t agree more Eric. Myers has done tremendous things for our athletic dept. If anyone has handled this situation wrong, its Leach.
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I hope we can get Leach signed very soon, because it will hurt our recruiting of top prospects who may wait to see what happens to Leach. If he leaves, I hope Myers has a short list because we will need to get someone in quickly so our recruiting won’t fall off. I realize signing date isn’t until Feb. but many prospects have made up their mine way before that. I know Hance will make as big an offer as possible, but we aren’t UT with unlimited funds to pay our head coach. Anyway, I hope Leach realizes that he may make more at Auburn, but unless he plays for a national championlship or SEC championship in 3-4 years he will be our on the street.
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Are those of you bragging on Myers his kids or something? Myers must realize that without Leach his athletic budget will dwindle. While other AD’s are actively working to keep their coaches, Myers is busy lying to ESPN saying that negotiations are in process, while Leach and his agent says there have been absolutely none! Myers needs to quit lying to hide his inactivity, and get on the ball and get Leach signed.
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And where exactly besides football and track is our university so wonderful in sports?
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Who says Myers is good? He sucked as a basketball coach and as a a.d.I know all you you that say we do not have the money to pay leach take this fact-at this time the jonez holds 53,000 fans at say just 25 a ticket and that is a cheap seat that is what ?$1,325,000 then the hot dogs and cokes bought, the sale of T.T shirts ect that is generated by a good football team,oh how bought the tv rights did we forget that so we are not in a bcs bowl this year and by the way we should be but we are not, the cotton bowl pays tech 3 mil. to play and when Mike gets us to a bcs bowl that is 17 mil to tech so all of you that say boo hoo we can not pay Leach do the math T.T. football brings in mill to the universty each year
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Myers has his whole office blogging today! Everyone needs to email the Texas Tech Athletic office and ask if Myers is at work this week. Just email anyone in the AD office the email adress is on the TTathletics website. Do it!!!!!!!!!
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You know these kind of comments that have been moving around this past week truly amazes me and is one of those things that embarasses me as a 20+ year Raider fan. These are the same fans that drove Spike Dykes out of job. As someone who suffered through the early ’80s I do remember 2-9, 4-7, 3-8 records and being the joke of the conference. During those years the only program that Tech fans could have any pride was the Basketball program (two conference championships). Oh but Myers is no good. All he has done is bring Coach Knight and Coach Leach to Lubbock. Yes, I do remember BOCKRATH, the guy who wanted to kill the masked rider (and personally is responsible for the death of Double T. So lighten up guys.
Since I don’t get the pleasure of living in Lubbock, I can’t go to all the events anymore. This is the first year every home football game sold out, but still basketball is barely filling up half the arena. Fact is the department has been losing money!!!! I think the actions of the leadership have been just fine.
I have been and will continue to love this program no matter who is on the sidelines and in the offices. I attended every game when I lived in Lubbock. Jerry Moore (a championship coach and the one who brought down “Big Blue” in the “Big House”) I sat and watch his teams for three years and during that time we got as many wins at this team had in a year. Still I supported my school and loved anyone that did likewise. Since 1986 I was able to witness the fall of every other major program UT, A&M, OU. All have had losing seasons since the last Tech losing season.
Personally If Coach Leach decides to leave then I will miss him and I will not hold any ill will against him. I will also continue to love this program and this school without all of the whining.
I do however support these guys in doing what they can to keep the coach here, but I will not blame the administration for his leaving. If he leaves it is obviously his decision, and I will not blame the university which seems to have been very forthcoming with their position.
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It’s almost 4pm in Lubbock and I’ve been reading several other stories and one at ESPN has come out the Leach has withdrawn his name from the Washington coach candidates list. My question in all of this is “Why is Gerald Myers blowing smoke?” The weekend of the Texas game rumors were already flying arounf that Tech was renegotiating Leach’s contract and it has been repeated over and over since then. But when someone contacts one of Leach’s agents, they are told nothing has been done or talked about, and now Leach is said to be letting his agent(s) handle the contract and won’t be personally involved. Sounds to me like there is some mud in the water so to speak. If Myers is lying, then something should be done about him. You don’t talk out both sides of your mouth if you are truly trying to keep the best football coach your school has ever had. If a man will lie to you then he will steal from you. Belly up and shoot us straight Gerald!
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From ESPN’s website: Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers says the school is negotiating a contract extension with Mike Leach, amid reports that the Red Raiders’ coach has met with the University of Washington about the Huskies’ top job.
However, Leach’s agent told ESPN’s Joe Schad that no talks are currently under way.
“We have not received any information about Mike Leach’s contract from Texas Tech via phone, mail, e-mail or fax,” Leach’s agent, Gary O’Hagan, said Wednesday. “At no point has there been any offer. There have not been negotiations.”
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Let’s face it. Alumni follow sports. I can trace back my affection to TTU to the first Texas Tech football game I went to (the last time we knocked Texas out of the National Championship hunt). Before that I was planning on transferring.
So if they want to keep those Alumni dollars flowing, they better keep a winning team.
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John Myers wants your money and that is all he wants.
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i would like to say i fill your pain our ad at auburn is a lieing idiot ctt did not leve he was fired becouse one bad seson they need to fire him i dont think yall have any thing to worry about he could not hire a sack boy for the job he is a complet idiot but just know you are not alone with a dumb ad
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I’m frustrated with Leach pulling this every year which surely affects Tech’s recruiting. I do think he should be paid a top 25 salary, but Tech doesn’t have the stadium or fan base the size of an Ohio State, USC, or Texas to afford a very top salary. Leach has been the best thing to happen to Tech athletics. At least Myers is better than Bob Bockrath. Bockrath was horrible with getting Tech and Alabama into NCAA violations. Plus he removed a large portion of student seating while he was at Tech. I looked him up and he’s now at Yavapai College (never heard of it). I do think Myers cares about Tech athletics; though, I question his leadership abilities.
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Даа… Но, как говорится в пословице, а воз и ныне там :)
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