Coaching crisis opportunity for new university President
By Don Williams l Avalanche-Journal
Since he’s been on campus just five months, Texas Tech President Guy Bailey should have gotten to spend some time in the kiddie pool, don’t you think? No such luck. As fall-semester finals roll around, he’s going about the business of choosing a provost, which is the second-ranking official at the university and the top academic.
“Easily the most important hire since I’ve been here,’’ Bailey said Thursday.
Far be it from me to disagree. Yet, on Internet message boards, the faceless frenzied aren’t slugging it out over who should be the next provost. Those folks, if even aware of the pending choice, are preoccupied with whether Tech coach Mike Leach stays or goes.
Maybe Bailey, in a remarkable display of multitasking, can bring each to satisfactory resolution. Evidently, he and Leach struck up a mutual admiration during the president’s first fall on campus. One interested party I spoke with this week put it bluntly: “If this contract (negotiation) works, it’s going to be because of Guy Bailey.’’ The source cited “the rapport Bailey has developed with Leach.’’
Told that someone said that about him, Bailey sheepishly said his role was no more important than others’, but he readily acknowledged liking Mike and believing Mike likes him. That seems to be more than you can say for some of Leach’s bosses these days, at least from Leach’s perspective.
Tech’s decision not to rework his contract before the season left Leach feeling slighted and wondering if, and to what degree, he was really wanted here. So he struck out for Seattle this week, brazen enough not to apprise his superiors, and leaving Tech fans feeling like the Peanuts gang in “Snoopy, Come Home.’’
Talk about a chance for a new president to make an immediate impact.
“I’ll be happy to meet with Mike and people in athletics, whatever it takes to get the job done,’’ Bailey said. “I’ll work in every way I can to make it happen.’’
Bailey loves his football and appreciates that Leach makes the university look good with a fine graduation rate. But there’s more to it than that.
“The good thing about Mike is you can talk to him about a wide range of topics,’’ Bailey said. “About history. About the Kennedy assassination. He’s a fun guy to talk to, simply because of his breadth of interests.’’
Leach withdrew from consideration at Washington on Thursday, but now afoot is scuttlebutt about the Auburn opening. Opinions are all over the spectrum on how viable a candidate Leach could be there.
Athletic director Gerald Myers acknowledged Wednesday learning that Leach didn’t want to talk to him in the negotiations. But Myers visited with Matt Baldwin, one of Leach’s representatives, on Thursday, according to Tech Chancellor Kent Hance, while Hance began on Wednesday afternoon trying to reopen lines of communication with Leach.
“I just told him,’’ Hance said, “that we really wanted him, that we wanted him to stay here, that people love him here, he’s doing a great job and that we want to work something out.’’
Maybe the Tech president can intercede and tidy up a messy situation, which might just make him Newcomer of the Year.
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If Tech lets Mike Leach get away Mr Myers should be fired!!!!
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This will all fall on Gerald Myers if Leach is not back next year. Every year there are rumors that Leach is interested in this job or that job, but after Tech beat Texas this year, it should have been evident to Myers that the demand for Leach would be greater than ever. Either the Chancellor, the President, or Myers himself need to step up and get Leach’s contract extended and make him happy. People need to understand just how difficult it was to go 11-1 at Texas Tech. And if Michael Crabtree, who undoubtedly would be a top 3 pick, wants to come back and play his junior year, that reflects on Mike Leach and is further evidence his contract should be extended.
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Somebody do something. What a dream situation it will be in 2009 to have both Mikes back on the Tech sideline. I wonder how many TDs Taylor Potts will throw to Crabtree?
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Even if Coach Leach does stay, and I hope to goodness he does, it is clear that Gerald Myers needs to leave. The business and times have passed him by. If he doesn’t step down promptly, Kent and Guy Bailey need to take him by the arm and escort him out the door. They can give him all the “days” they want, as he’s leaving.
Man, when the most important guy in your athletic department has no interest in talking to the guy about his contract, something is severely wrong, and nothing I’ve read by Don and the crew at the A-J suggests it’s going to be fixed. It will only get worse. Myers is not any part of the solution at this time, but he has definitely become a big part of the problem. He’s become a hanger-on, and that has to potential to drag down the program.
Yes, he’s participated in some wonderful things at Tech, but he’s on the cusp of fouling it all up. At least, that’s the impression given from what’s being written. None of us fans knows what the truth is, but Mike, Kent, Guy and Gerald do. And, if Myers is problematic in that mix, it’s time to cut him loose. Even if Tech succeeds in keeping Mike Leach in the fold, it appears irreparable harm has been done in that relationship, and if the head coach doesn’t want to talk to the AD, that’s not going to work.
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Myers must not read any of these bulletin boards. In fact, maybe he can’t read period.
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Gerald Myers is just doing what 66% of the Lubbock voters vote for every year = CONSERVATIVE – budget (penny-pinching) basics.
Quit griping or start voting moderate/liberal. Lubbick = hypocrites.
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Maybe it’s time to offer Leach the Athletic Director’s position as well as head coach of football.
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GOOD POINT SANDY.
He’s about 80 years old I think. Put old Gerald out to pasture & ELEVATE MIKE!!
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What makes more sense: (A) Paying a deserving coach an amount comprable to his value which is what he has earned based on his performance here and continuing an exciting brand of football that everybody loves to watch and flocks to the stadium enmasse to see, or (B) not paying the coach, and possibly going back to what we used to see in the years just before Leach got here, where we averaged in the high 40.000 fan per game range only because of the Texas or Texas A&M games. Leach’s presence here commands 50,000+ fan attendance even if we play a team like Western Idaho Presbyterian Institute for the Mentally Challenged, which by the way where Myers may consider being AD of if we lose Leach.
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Who titled this article?
Crisis? What crisis?
There’s no crisis.
A school employee is thinking of leaving because he’s maybe not getting paid enough (at something around $2 mil/year, give or take a few hundred grand).
So what?
Hire someone else. And because that’s an easy fix, there is no “crisis.”
Look at the bright side. Maybe the next coach can actually figure out how to beat OU at norman — and ut — in the same year.
Leach never will.
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The last time I checked, Myers was Leach’s boss. He has never liked Mike. Remember the early days when the athletic department wouldn’t let recruiting letters be mailed because Mike was over budget?
If you have a situation where the coach won’t even talk to his boss about going or staying, one of them needs to go…immediately. It’s been a good run, Gerald. Bobby Knight is gone and you should be too.
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When recruits starts wondering if Leach is staying or not, then its time to act fast. Leach, get a grip. Your a HOT commodity. If you want more money then demand it and TECH will pay. If you want to leave then leave. What will hurt TECH is the unknowing. If player prospects are wondering if you are going to stay or leave they will not come to TECH and the chance of getting them narrows the window of time. We need to know, NOW. I want Leach here and always have. Pay him and get it done. Leach deserves it. If he doesn’t accept then he doesn’t want to be here. Either way TECH deserves to know NOW!
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It’s time for Gerald Myers to retire. He couldn’t retain Bobby Knight, and he’s willing to let Mike Leach go. He has second tier thinking in a first tier athletic program. The new president should ask him to retire.
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I totally agree with Sandy. Offer the AD job to Mike Leach, along with his football coach position…it’s time for Gerald Myers to “hit the road!” I truly believe Mike could handle both!!
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Myers is so out of touch. This is the same guy that arranged the so-called meeting that erupted into a salad brawl.
If he lets 2 great coaches leave in one year, he will be forced into a shameful retirement.
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Myers should be fired anyways! We should have had Coach Leach signed, sealed and delivered before the start of the 08-09 season! If our athletics program is going to grow and new comparable talent athletes to UT and OU are going to commit to Tech, then we need a younger, more in tune with what has to be done and not what just needs to be done kind of attitude. Yes Mr. Myers was a decent basketball coach, but he is not a decent athletic director.
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How serious are the problems between Mike Leech and Gerald Myers?
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Thank you Channel 11 for the breaking story and showing all alumni the truth!!!!!!!!
Myers has been out of touch for some time. To demonstrate such short-sightedness, and complete inability to negotiate shows his age in my opinion. Myers can barely complete a legible sentence during press conferences. Maybe we need a new progressive AD that is up with the times and not resting on his 70’s and early 80’s laurels. For an AD to tell a coaches agent, “sure, let him go elsewhere” after everything he has done for our school over the last 8 years, reeks of the same mistake Hawaii made with June Jones. Old school AD’s like Myers need to be gone before they do more damage that set’s our school back to the likes of A&M!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Boy, how soon we forget what Gerald has done for Tech as a coach and AD. Look how far this shcool’s programs have come since he’s been AD. Y’all, boys, are pathetic!!! Seems loyalty means nothing these days!!!
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noel, by bringing in scumbag Bobby Knight he has built our schools programs? Knight had less success than Dickey who was left out to dry by Myers who swore loyalty to the end. Myers is a notorius liar. Ask former Tech officials and coaches. Leach’s success has done more for our school than Gerald did with his lone Bubba Jennings years. Obviously you don’t have insight on who did the real work in regard to getting our outdated stadiums up to par with other schools in the Big 12!
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As an Auburn fan, I hope Tech decides to buck up or let him go soon. The not knowing on both sides is going to hurt recruiting for both programs. It’s a shame for you guys having Auburn in the mix b/c we take a half century with every contract negotiation and coaching search that happens. We would welcome Leach as he would bring a different look to the SEC. Good luck in your bowl game! We will be watching! War Eagle
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Crabtree is very likely gone…2010 begins the first year of the NFL rookie salary cap. He is projected as a top 10 pick..its makes NO SENSE for him to come back. I wish he would..but hes gotta do whats best for him.
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Lubbock & Tech are at the mercy of the men with money — (money=power).
This is poetic justice for a town that votes conservative 66%.
Quit bellyaching or can your ides of money.
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if you read between the lines, what concerns me is the lack of communication between our athletic director and leach. There doesnt appear to be a good relationship there, and that is very concerning….
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Block- you keep bringing up the fact that Lubbock voters are 66% conservative. What the heck does this have to do with anything? Get that liberal stick out of you rear and realize something here- first- we are talking about football- not polotics, second- you are out numbered, and third- when you keep making rediculous remarks like that you make yourself, as well as other liberals look like idiots. We are talking about football and a coach- grow out of it. If you don’t like it here- leave- we are not holding you down!
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Channel 11 tv news last nite had 2 letters from late summer that shows Myers didn’t care what happned to Leach.
He was looking at budget & that’s it.
I’m sure this was communicated to Leach.
How would like to work for somebody that didn’t care about you except as a budget line item??
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To conservatives, wage-earners are a chunk of meat — a line item in the budget.
Lubbockites shouldn’t be dismayed at that at all!
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Leach is no longer under consideration at Washington or Auburn. (The Birmingham News reported today that Auburn released a statement saying that Leach is not under consideration for the Auburn job.) That leaves Syracuse. An awful job at a Big East basketball school. Leach is under contract for two more years.
HE WILL BE BACK NEXT YEAR.
Cotton Bowl, People, Cotton Bowl.
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Melvin, we get it! You hate conservatives — or should I say anyone with a job who contributes to society. Isn’t that what you mean?
Now, go back to the Village Voice or New York Times blogs and leave the rest of us alone. Besides, don’t you have something else to do like burning an American flag or spitting on US soldiers?
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Leach ends up getting away after such an incredible season, and alumni donations will most definately fall. And I will be the first in line to pull my contributions! Finding an AD who can duplicate Myers’ performance will take about 15 minutes; finding a coach to duplicate what Leach has done for Tech is not possible.
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There are some real brainiacs posting…Seven Burke: How many teams have beaten UT and OU on the road in the same year? I’ll save you the trouble in your research…NONE. And I’ll ask you this simple follow up question. Also, do you know for a fact that the reason Mike went to check out Washington and Auburn is because he feels like he’s not getting paid fairly? Could you entertain the notion that maybe he is just shopping to see what school might just offer 3 million or more per /year? Wouldn’t you at least think about that if it were you? Of course.you would.
Melvin Block…seems like you got what you wanted. Obama is our next president.
Leach loves Lubbock, loves Texas Tech, loves the fans. Or have we forgotten the gunz up each time he leaves the field? Most coaches don’t have as much passion for their school as Mike does. Have we forgotten how Leach treats the students who camp out before home ballgames? Come on folks. Some have taken this way out of proportion. Have you all looked to see how many recruiting defections we’ve had lately? I’ll answer that for you. None. It’s no news until it is news. So why try to create it before the fact?
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So it appears TTU offered Leach a 5 year deal worth about $2.42 million a year. This is about the same annual amount that Oklahoma State just paid a younger and more accomplished Gundy for 7 years.
Leach should be insulted and should say $3 million or Auburn. Leach should also pull rank on Myers go directly to the Board of Regent to get his money and to end the career of Mr. Myers. from a dollars standpoint think about what this means to the University and the Lubbock economy. If Myers care about TTech he would step down and take one for the team.
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correctyion:
Gundy is not as accomplished as Leach.
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thats un true auburn is intrested in leach i saw it on fox news they are still intrested in the spred
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Myers is the epitomy of metiocre. No forward thinking or thinking outside the box. Myers has no energy. What a joke. Even if Leach stays Myers will never take TTU athletics where it needs to go. He should be gone. Time for a forward thinking young buck.
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Why has no one spoke on this since 12-06?
I say GM was a good coach and the right guy at a good time and 2o years may have been a bit to long at that job?
AS an AD not to bad in the begining, yet it is past time to move on.
We likely need a newer and more open minded AD I dare say that ML has led the way for TT to make plenty of coin that he should be paid 4 mill plus a year with incentives!
I do not know that he has the time to be AD?
Yet he should hand pick a qualified replacement, him and the knight’s togerther they took TTRR to a whole new level and previous to that I could only dream of the sucess we have had thus far!! I hope we are only beginnig?
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