Leach, Tech reach deal
BY DON WILLIAMS l AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
With the clock ticking — on Mike Leach’s negotiating window and possibly even his Texas Tech tenure — Tech Chancellor Kent Hance put the situation in terms a football coach easily grasps.
“Mike’s got a great sense of humor,’’ Hance said. “I told him, ‘Mike, it’s fourth-and-long.’ He said, ‘I go for it a lot.’ And I said, ‘You don’t want to get sacked, though.’ And he laughed, and I laughed, and we had a good visit.’’
Texas Tech University Chancellor Kent Hance looks on as Head Football Coach Mike Leach speaks during a news conference Thursday at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas about his new 5 year $12.7 million contract with the school. Leach and the school have been locked in tense negotiations for several days with Leach signing the new deal today.(John A. Bowersmith/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
When their sitdown ended Thursday, Tech and its football coach had a new contract signed, averting the possibility of a nasty end to a near decade-long relationship. The two sides firmed up the five-year, $12.7-million agreement they’ve had for weeks and finally hashed out four clauses Leach had rejected for more than a month. It brought an end to a year of consternation over Leach’s contract.
Tech pondered firing Leach when he let a Tuesday deadline pass, and Tech’s Board of Regents planned to discuss his future on Friday. Now there’s no need.
“To put it mildly, this has been a tough negotiation,’’ Tech athletic director Gerald Myers said with a chuckle. “It’s been a tough time, and it’s really good to get it behind us. I know a lot of you (media) said we wouldn’t get it done, but it’s done. I think everybody concerned is pleased with the agreement we have in place.’’
Leach and Hance met for 2 1/2 hours after lunch and finally ended months of anxiety for Tech fans and uncertainty for the Red Raiders staff and players.
“Me and my family are thrilled to death that we’re going to be in Lubbock for another five years,’’ said Leach, who is 76-39 after nine seasons. “It’s become a part of our family. At the rate I get folks saying, ‘We just don’t know if you like Lubbock,’ it’s like, I don’t know how we can get rooted in here any deeper than we already are. So I’ve decided that rather than mess with that, I’m going to say I love Lubbock every single press conference.
“My family all loves Lubbock, and I appreciate Chancellor Hance and Gerald’s efforts to allow us to stay here and the opportunity to coach for the Red Raiders for what I hope is many years to come.’’
For all the public displays of mutual affection, the two sides settled on a contract that’s fairly easy for either to walk away from. There’s no buyout for Leach if he finds another job, and he’s guaranteed less than 16 percent of the contract if he gets fired.
Texas Tech University Chancellor Kent Hance; flanked by head football coach Mike Leach, left, and athletic director Gerald Myers, right; explains the conditions of Leach's new 5 year contract worth $12.7 million Thursday during a news conference at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (John A. Bowersmith/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
Myers had scoffed at a Feb. 10 offer from Leach’s agents, IMG’s Matt Baldwin and Gary O’Hagan. He said their proposal could require a cost-prohibitive $4.4 million to fire Leach. With what they agreed to, Tech could fire Leach for an amount starting at $2 million and decreasing annually.
Tech’s latest public offer, made Jan. 9, included a clause calling for Leach to pay $300,000 a year for the balance of his contract if he opted out early. The contract under which Leach works now had Leach liable for a $500,000 buyout.
“After talking to him, I’m convinced that Mike — this is a five-year contract — but he wants to be here a lot more than five years,’’ Hance said. “And if he didn’t want to be here, why should we penalize him if he wanted to leave? So I just said, we’ll make that zero on the buyout. There’s no buyout in there, because I know he’s not leaving.’’
Leach now will have to notify his Tech bosses if he plans to interview for another job, but there will be no penalty for his doing so. The language in Tech’s Jan. 9 proposal said Leach would need permission to interview elsewhere and a violation would have subjected him to a stiff payment penalty.
Those were concessions for Tech, but Leach didn’t get everything he wanted either. His agents long sought — and later abandoned — a quest to make him a $3 million-a-year coach.
In the last month, Leach compromised on the percentage of his contract that’s guaranteed. It will be only $2 million ($400,000 a year for five years) of the $12.7 million, or 15.7 percent.
That’s up somewhat from Tech’s Jan. 9 offer of $1.5 million, or 12 percent guaranteed, but nowhere near what Leach and his agents originally sought. In January, they asked for a 50-percent guarantee, then 40 percent, and concluded from their research that the average for Big 12 Conference coaches is 55 percent.
In early December, Baldwin also offered Tech President Guy Bailey his informal opinion that Leach deserved a seven-year deal averaging $3 million a year.
Texas Tech University Head Football Coach Mike Leach listens during a news conference Thursday at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas as the university's chancellor Kent Hance explains the conditions of Leach's new 5 year $12.7 million contract with the school. (John A. Bowersmith/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
The fourth clause was resolved much as Tech had proposed earlier with the university and its marketing partner controlling items such as uniform and apparel contracts and the coach’s television and radio shows and giving Leach rights to items such as books and various IMG-arranged income opportunities.
Baldwin and O’Hagan were at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Thursday.
Hance and Myers had long expressed a desire to negotiate with Leach face-to-face. Hance credited Ted Liggett, Leach’s personal lawyer, with helping make it happen. Then it was easy, according to Hance.
“We had a long meeting,’’ he said, “but the negotiating part was probably 10, 15 minutes at the most.’’
Still to be seen is if the two sides can proceed amicably after more than a month of public bickering and nearly a year of wrangling behind the scenes.
Leach’s current contract was set to expire after 2010. Tech considered firing Leach rather than risk more distracting questions about his future. In addition, the brevity of the contract compromised the staff’s recruiting ability.
Hance and Myers lashed out at Leach’s agents in recent weeks, accusing O’Hagan and Baldwin of “shopping” Leach during off-seasons and expressing irritation at Leach’s failure to keep them in the loop when his name was linked to other jobs.
Then in the last 48 hours before the agreement was reached, Leach went on a media blitz, making potentially inflammatory statements about his employers. He told the A-J assistant coach Seth Littrell resigned last week because he was “fearful of the stability of our program” and questioned “the school’s commitment to our coaches.”
In an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Leach said the idea Tech might fire him was “ridiculous” and called the university’s most recent offer “a subpar deal based on the outside provisions.”
But he went further, especially with his dismay over the small percentage of his contract guarantee.
“What are they going to do after they (get) you to (sign) the sub-par deal?” Leach asked. “Then the next year they’ll come at you and say, ‘All right, we want to give you an extension again, and we’re going to knock off another quarter of the thing, so take this one or we’ll fire you.
“And they’ll just kind of extort me down to damn near nothing.”
On Thursday, though, Hance said it will be “pretty easy to get past it.’’
“That’s one thing Mike and I talked about before we talked about specifics,’’ Hance said. “I said, ‘Look, can we move forward on this?’ And he said, ‘Absolutely.’ I said, ‘That’s the most important thing. If we reach a deal, can we move forward and concentrate on the future?’ And he said, ‘Absolutely.’ And (he had) no problems working with me or coach Myers or anyone else, and we feel the same way.’’
To comment on this story:
don.williams@lubbockonline.com l 766-8734
jeff.walker@lubbockonline.com l 766-8735
Expanded Coverage
Feb 20, 2009
• Leach, Tech reach deal
• Tech fans glad to see contract extension
• Future players, assistant coach relieved Leach is staying
• Mike Leach Contract
Feb 18, 2009
• Tech, Leach drama moves to national stage
• Firing would shock Leach
Feb 17, 2009
• Leach’s deadline passes with no new agreement
• Dozens rally at Tech in effort to Keep Leach’
Feb 16, 2009
• Clock running down on contract
Feb 13, 2009
• Tech ‘will not even respond’ to Leach counter
Feb 10, 2009
• Agent: Leach has shown his loyalty
Feb 7, 2009
• Both sides frustrated with Leach contract process
• Records reveal regent’s frustration with agents
• Texas Tech’s Dec. 5 proposal for Mike Leach’s Contract Extension
• Mike Leach’s Dec. 5 Contract Counter-Offer
• Continued: Mike Leach’s Dec. 5 Contract Counter-Offer
• Texas Tech’s Jan. 9 proposal for Mike Leach’s Contract Extension
• Mike Leach’s Jan. 20 Contract Counter-Offer
• Mike Leach’s Feb. 10 Counter-Offer
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Great, great, great…I’m renewing my season tickets already!!
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YOU’RE LUCKY GERALD……THANKS MIKE……
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Now I’m curious to see how long Gerald remains at AD. I say it’ll be sometime late this spring he’s removed.
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I appreciate all Gerald has doen for Tech, but with the whole athletic department in such a mess it is time he retires or Tech lets him go.
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Good to hear… GUNS UP!
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Hey don’t forget that Myers is the one who discovered Leach and got Knight! oh and now because he didn’t take Leach’s terrible counter offer we probably won’t lose him as easy.
The stadium is expanding again and we have a top notch new baseball coach.
Think before you pour out garbage!
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No way they’re going to remove Gerald…holy cow…things don’t change that easily in Lubbock land
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Congrats Coach Leach (well deserved), thank you Mr. Hance, And thanks to mr. g.m, not for doing your job, but for bringing the national spot lights back to Saint Lubbock. Go Tech!!!
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Before y’all get all besides yourself, how will you feel if Mike decides to go on to greener pastures at the end of next season? Uh huh, perhaps we’ve heard the last of this, I doubt it though. Of course, leach lasted about five years longer than I thought he would, given his rocky start, we’ll see.
WRECK’EM!!!
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I hope Leach fires his good-for-nothing agents.
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For dignity’s sake I think they will nudge Gerald to resign or retire because Leach has done so much for the Football team and the school. He brought national recognition, aside from academics and is making Texas Tech known for what it is capable of. Lubbock is getting bigger and maybe Mr. Myers isn’t thinking Big Time. This isn’t a small West Texas town anymore it’s time to play with the big boys.
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If Myers was in such a strong position, why did he come to terms with Leach? I don’t think the AD had a winning hand.
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Noel quick yer whinnin’ All coaches move on. Don’t care. We’ll ride with the pirate as long as he is here.
Good days, Tech, good days.
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Dear Hulen
Myers did NOT “discover” Leach, he was a well-respeced asst. coach at a very successful Oklahoma program when he came to Tech. Myers couldn’t “discover” his butt with two hands and a mine detector. After this embarrassing episode, I say DUMP MYERS!
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Congratulations. the hard work on both sides has overcome their own stubborness.
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Leach asked to speak tomorrow and was going to lay it all on the line. Tech means the world to Hance so for coach and Ken , a huge thank you.
Leach is a good fit at Tech. He was willing to speak from his heart if it came to that. .
Now we can concentrate on football.
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Now, let’s get rid of Gerald Myers. I give him a month and he’s done. Let’s get Spike in as AD………
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YAY!!!!!!
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Finally, some closure, and security for the players, coaches, fans and recruits… thank you :)
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I always felt that once the board of regents were involved a deal would be worked out. and cooler heads would prevail…..When the whole story is told I think we’ll see how the Regents provided Mr. Hance the cover he needed to make the deal…Congrats to Mr. Hance and Coach Leach. Thanks for putting Texas Tech and Lubbock first.!
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it didn’t say anything about the AD it said leach and hance met together…also it didn’t say that IMG was anywhere around either. i still think there should be some sort of buyout clause in there for both sides. if leach doesn’t pay anything if he leaves, then i hope tech doesn’t pay anything if he is fired. looks to me it is a win for leach and if he leaves tech gets screwed. i hope he doesn’t want to leave, but i have a feeling he does and will if anyone bites. now lets see how everything goes from here.
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LOOK OUT BIG 12, THE MAD MAN IS STAYING. LET’S GO KICK SOME A_ _.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Good deal. Fair deal. Good for Tech. Good for Lubbock. Good for Coach Leach. Now, will Leach’s agents be back at the bargaining table a year from now, as they promised?
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I am glad this deal is over. I only hope that Leach and the University can start treating each other with mutual respect instead of trying to play games to gain an advantage over the other all the time.
Last time I looked, we were all supposed to be on the same team.
Look how much can be accomplished face-to-face, WITHOUT THOSE IDIOT AGENTS!!!
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Today is my Birthday.Could not be any better.Now I also renew my tickets plus UP my donation.See how that works Myers?Come on you are a good man, just pull your head out.
ATTENTION:And now for a prediction:UPSET IN AUSTIN……
TECH 28 TU 21…….
“WRECK EM”
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I’m glade Coach Leach is signed up!!! BEST COACH IN THE SCHOOLS HISTORY AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED. Lets just make him AD. But , no way in hell make Spike Dykes AD. I saw enough of his crap when he was coaching. His lack of attention to the players grades is what got our athletic dept. in trouble when
he was head coach.
Robin
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rick,
if leach was in such a strong position, why’d he meet w/ the BOR?
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Tech has never once in 9 years expressed anything but complete satisfaction with Mike Leach. Leach has looked elsewhere many times in the last few years without bothering to notify anyone at Tech about it and embarrassing the university. When Leach acts so hurt that Myers put in language that Leach had to notify Tech and get permission and that his buyout of his contract would be the same as if he was fired that is only fair. If he was really committed to the guarantees that Tech was makingand if he didn’t intend to leave, then what is his problem with the buyout clause? None of it matters if he intends to honor the contract he would sign. I like Leach and he has been great for Tech but I am a firm believer that he (Leach) is wrong on this one. I don’t blame Gerald one bit on this one either – Leach needs to stand by his agreements and honor his contracts past , present and future. It is a real stretch to feel sorry for him when the university is willing to guarantee him $12.7 million dollars over 5 years. Just honor your contract and commitment to Tech!
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Tech caved simple as that. Leach leaches 2 million more plus his rights and benefits of using “Texas Tech” coach etc. I think he’ still will leave and Tech gets nada (or else it’s IMG bluff all along) and or other teams learn to win against him and we have to fire him. Also ticket prices are sure to double next year (2011 season).
I think Tech had the upper hand and smarts which in this economy the line needed to have been drawn on ridiculous salaries. I do like Leach and think he’s a good coach for Tech and wanted him to stay, but please at what cost?
I also sure would like to renew all my season tickets but the reality will have to force me to cut back. Guess Tech lives in a different world.
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I still believe Myers has to go!!!!!
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Great to keep Leach but the agreement does nothing to contain his rov:ing eyes; here’s hoping he is really dedicated to building a champion at Tech!
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Well Shiver Me Timbers,
Coach Leach – I want some major revenge on Oklahoma now! I mean when they leave Lubbock next November, I want all of those Sooners to be seeing stars and hearing carary’s chirping.
And one more thing, Can we now have that wonderful Retirement Party of Gerald Myers? I’ll bring the cokes & popcorn!
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Guns up! Lock and Loaded! Now let’s go get us a Big 12 title.
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Williams and Hyatt have it so incredibly and watchdog for once has it right. This is Tech caving in. Why? Because Tech was looking like an institution run by complete and utter fools. This BOR meeting was not about getting rid of Mike Leach. It was to put Kent Hance in his place. Why else would Mike Leach get everything he wanted in this contract?
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And it’s all because of http://www.39-33.com !!!! LOL
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W&H have it so incredibly wrong
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good work tech
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Mike,
You have it all wrong. Kent Hance is no fool. He is a very seasoned politician. He gave his A.D. a shot – when it didn’t work out he took over. Hance even managed to keep the Regents out of a very public meeting. When it finaly got down to crunch time, Kent Hance took care of business.
Now let’s have that feel good retirement party for good ole Gerald.
Did I hear, Cold Beer?
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I’m glad a deal was made. I’m siding with Leach on this one that Tech was trying to pass a really bad deal here. Maybe things will change (probably not), but at least we have Leach for another year!!!!
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The downfall of all of this mess is that it cost Leach his top recruiter and running backs coach Seth Littrell and a 4-star wide receiver in Emory Blake. We’ve also made it easier for him to leave us while we are paying him more money.
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This is great news. I hope Coach Leach knows how much we appreciate his hard work. We need to continue to work hard and improve. It is time to remove Myers. We need to improve our other sports. Coach Curry needs to be replaced, too. Coach Knight deserves a few years so he can reruit his players. Our track program is great and I think baseball will improve with the new coach. I am hopeful the new volleyball coach will be good, too. Myers loves Tech and has made some good moves, but he obviously has something personal against Coach Leach. Football pays the bills. The stadium has been packed and that is due to Coach Leach, his offensive system and players he has recruited. We need to give Coach Leach complete control over the football program. Our new AD should have a strong busines and fundraising background. I will be sending a donation tomorrow.
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Hance asked Leach to sit down face to face with him. If Leach would have done this when asked we might not have had to go through all this junk. I hope we don’t regret it in a year or two when Leach decides to go elsewhere. Probably won’t because no one else will put up with him.
Leach is a good fit for Tech. He is not the savior. I hope he learns that defense wins championships and that special teams are important.
I will continue to support the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Not the Mike Leach Pirates.
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YEAH….. Go Leach!!!! I’m drinking a cold one for YOU!!!
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Great News!!!!! Now it’s time to do a National Search for a REAL Athletic Director and Give Coach Leach complete control of the Football Program.
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Give the credit to Hance for taking over the negotiations from the village idiot Myers. Give Leach credit for coming in and saying something other than it’s out of my hands. The bottom line is when the regents announced a public meeting regarding State money ( state school football coach is a government paid postion) then the public had every right to be privy to what was said in those meetings. Hance did have the foresight to intervene and get this done behind closed doors where it should have been handled in the first place. It saved alot of backlash with a publicly observed BOR conference. And this only looks worse and worse for Myers. There are only two options here for him; 1- He is a pawn and was used like one throughout the whole game played here or 2- he is incompetent, arrogant, and needs to start drawing his pension. Either way Myers still looks the part of the local village idiot who was appointed medicine man because no one ever got sick and he had been around the longest. He needs to be gone, yesterday. Lastly, this sudden turn of events only proves that Leach had the upper hand in all of this from jump. No one other than yankee arrogant Boston College penalizes their coach from interviewing. Frankly it is good pub that other schools mention they want your coach. If he wants to stay then it is a fit and if he leaves then the time has come and you move on, this is how athletics go in this era, period. And to have your employer own you 100% is bad policy, if Tech got all of Leach’s personal identity he would never do anything outside of be seen on the sideline on Saturdays and the post game press conference. I wouldn’t. Especially after said coach just organized your entire athletic department to be outfitted and financially supported by the most innovative athletic clothier in the industry. Leach was in the right and Myers sucks is the end of the story. Thank you Kent Hance for getting this accomplished and Leach for coming to the table personally. Now can we get back to the preparation of Taylor Potts and Co. to face the biggest road game of the year in Sept please. And for the regents to schedule Myers’ retirement party during that teleconference on Friday. I think i read someone already volunteered to bring cokes and cookies. Hell, I’ll even drive to the strip to get the beer if we can find a date open in the next month for the man to be GONE GONE GONE GONE GONE.
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Give the credit to Hance for taking over the negotiations from the village idiot Myers. Give Leach credit for coming in and saying something other than it’s out of my hands. The bottom line is when the regents announced a public meeting regarding State money ( state school football coach is a government paid postion) then the public had every right to be privy to what was said in those meetings. Hance did have the foresight to intervene and get this done behind closed doors where it should have been handled in the first place. It saved alot of backlash with a publicly observed BOR conference. And this only looks worse and worse for Myers. There are only two options here for him; 1- He is a pawn and was used like one throughout the whole game played here or 2- he is incompetent, arrogant, and needs to start drawing his pension. Either way Myers still looks the part of the local village idiot who was appointed medicine man because no one ever got sick and he had been around the longest. He needs to be gone, yesterday. Lastly, this sudden turn of events only proves that Leach had the upper hand in all of this from jump. No one other than yankee arrogant Boston College penalizes their coach from interviewing. Frankly it is good pub that other schools mention they want your coach. If he wants to stay then it is a fit and if he leaves then the time has come and you move on, this is how athletics go in this era, period. And to have your employer own you 100% is bad policy, if Tech got all of Leach’s personal identity he would never do anything outside of be seen on the sideline on Saturdays and the post game press conference. I wouldn’t. Especially after said coach just organized your entire athletic department to be outfitted and financially supported by the most innovative athletic clothier in the industry. Leach was in the right and Myers sucks is the end of the story. Thank you Kent Hance for getting this accomplished and Leach for coming to the table personally. Now can we get back to the preparation of Taylor Potts and Co. to face the biggest road game of the year in Sept please. And for the regents to schedule Myers’ retirement party during that teleconference on Friday. I think i read someone already volunteered to bring cokes and cookies. Hell, I’ll even drive to the strip to get the beer if we can find a date open in the next month for the man to be GONE GONE GONE GONE GONE. Wreck em!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love Tech.
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Bittersweet. But I’m glad there were concessions all around, and I do think this is what’s best for Tech (at least in the short term).
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Amen to that. Myers couldn’t handle the task of hiring a competent coach 10 years ago and got that task stripped away from him by the president. Now, he can’t manage to see the benefit this man named Leach brings to Lubbock and Texas Tech and find a way to keep him here. Thank you Kent Hance for seeing that your AD is incompetent.
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Thank goodness the insanity is over and cooler heads prevailed! I believe Mike Smith has it right. It just seems like there has been something between Myers and Leach going back to ‘00 or 01′ when Myers decided to bring the hammer down on Leach and his assistants over expenses. I’ve always liked Coach Myers but too much has happened and it is time to go! We need to let Coach Leach do his thing and continue to build the program to the level of competing for the Big 12 Championship every year!
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Glad it is over. Please note that it was Hance and Leach that got it done __ no agents and no Myers. Sounds good __ “no Myers.”
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I think two intelligent gentlemen sat down with a like purpose and good things happened. Thank you. I don’t care who gave up what, TT is the winner.
Wreck ‘ em!
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I burned my diploma! I wonder if I can get a copy from Tech?
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Gerald Meyers will always have Tech’s best interest in his heart. Mike Leach will ditch Tech as soon as he get’s a chance.
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I wouldn’t even serve beer at Myers retirement party. It would be water and crackers. All the fools who are bashing Leach on here are either not true raiders or they are UT or A&M fans. He is the best thing that’s happened to Tech in years. People are always saying he will leave when another school comes along with more money. You seem to forget or not know that he has repeatedly says he likes Lubbock. Rock on Raiders! P.S. I know A&M is so disappointed. Ha Ha!
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This should never have gotten to the point that it did.
Myers showed no respect for what Leach accomplished in his years at TTU. When he got out of the way… as if by magic…..there was a solution to this problem.
Hance and Leach had mutual respect. That was the difference.
And…..nobody gives up their name. That was the most idiotic stipulation of all.
Hopefully, Leach can still get some decent recruits.
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Hill Country Raider, I hope you didn’t attend Tech. You make us look bad. You misspelled straight. You must have gone to UT. It is not spelled stright.
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At least the Regents didn’t have to let the common students and taxpayers and supporters see and hear their meeting.
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It is a good thing Gov Rick Perry appointed Kent Hance !!
TTU Football – Going great
TTU Basketball – a joke
TTU baseball – Does Tech have this sport ?
Fire Myers Hance !
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Congratulations to both kent and Mike. Most people still do not understand Mike Leach, This is a person with high personal and professional standards who passes these to the young men who play for him. He will never be the type to charm you like Brown at Texas and Stoops at Oklahoma and could end up being at Tech for years to come. He probably enjoys coaching and working with young people as much if not more than any other active coach. We should be proud to have him and the 78% graduation rate his players have accomplished. The expectations of Mike and his entire staff help make this possible.
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Hey those Republicans stick together.
They don’t really mind big government and spending up taxpayer’s money — as long as they’re doing the choosing and spending!
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There seems to have been an abundance of give and take and it shines brightly that pirates still wiin a lot of battles. One of my hopes is that we at Tech don’t find ourselves on the wrong end of the plank.
Now, congratulations to Texas Tech and Coach Leach. We should all feel better handling this mess in a ethical way (perhaps even unusual).
Double T
Trust the plank will not be needed any time soon!
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Any mutiny will cost Mike = zilch. Thank you Mr. Conservative Hance.
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any walking the plank to mike will cost $12 million = thank you Mr. Conservative Hance!
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Spike Dykes for AD.
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#1) welcome back from Siberia coach – finally got your head out of your…… , well uh.. Siberia I guess
#2)Coach Littrell probably questioned YOUR commitment to the coaching staff and their families and not TTU’s
#3)The interview with FW Star-Telegram sounded like Vietnam communists at the bargaining table – they always purported THEMSELVES as leaders of the free world!
So am I a happy camper??????? ya think????????
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Spike’s older than Gerald.
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Vietnam won, i know that.
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all Spike wants to do is keep it between the fairway boundaries.
Actually I think we should honor him as a BOR since this “problem” will simply not go away as everybody thinks. Leach lost coach Littrell and I’d bet he’ll lose others after the next yr as well. Hope not, but I wouldn’t be looking for a job at Tech anytime soon if I were an up and coming assistant!
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Brett on February 19th, 2009 6:58 pm, wrote:
“Leach is a good coach, but he is also selfish and a narcissist.”
Actually, Leach did nothing to be called a narcissist. Now, if he were to have his insignia (say, skull & cross bones..ha,ha) placed on the tail of a Texas Tech-owned airplane to replace the American flag, then he could be a narcissist.
This is what needed to be done, leaving out the two irritating factions and allowing cool heads to discuss and end this bandwagon’s trip. Personally, I feel Myers will soon retire, but not because of this. Also, I feel Leach will remain at Tech for a long time, just as he says he will, because this is where he can do things nobody else can anywhere else, given similar circumstances. Kent Hance allowed his political self take over and provide a means for this closure. My hat is off to him. All of Techdom is thankful. Now, are you all ready for a GREAT RIDE!??!!
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Tech was very lucky when they hired Leach. Meyers had no idea what he was getting. They were wanting Rich Rodriquez but he was not interested. Every Blind Squirel finds an acorn. Lucky for
Tech.
Thanks Mr. Hance for taking care of business,.
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Don’t be surprised to see Tech go 7-5 this year. The years’ of beating up on Nebraska & A&M are coming to and end. Beating OU & UT in ‘09 won’t happen and the OSU game is a toss-up. Tech will settle into it’s mid-tier level once again. Don’t you get it; 11-2 was a “FLUKE”!!!
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Coach – I guess rumors of your death were greatly exagerated!!!!! So, welcome back to the red and black.
I feel we got one big time house damage problem though and that is replacing coach Littrell who is off to Az with a lot more money I heard. Anyway who do you think could possibly replace him to recruit Oklahoma. While there is potential on your staff (and they are good) I just don’t see anybody with OU or Akie State credentials.
I truly wish you would offer Josh Hueppel the offensive backs and (pretend) offensive coordinator job. Being an ex-sooner and ex-Heisman surely he could recruit for us. YOU HELPED HIM GET THE HEISMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now show us the money coach Leach – show us some talent man! Go recruit Josh Hueppel and pay him whatever it is gonna take to get him away from Stoops. Man would that ever burn Stoops – ha! And maybe we could change up a few signals or something to get a little more success against OU.
Mike – you beat OU and UT in the same season and get us to a BCS and I will forgive you for your outbursts. Hey ! I’ll just wipe the slate clean and give you a fresh start right here right now> But you NEED to get Hueppell A S A P !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Like most of the above comments, I’m glad that Coach Leach finally signed the contract extension this afternoon. He and the Chancell Hance should have sat down alot sooner and worked this out instead of it dragging out for so long. It didn’t take long…once it was just Kent Hance and Mike Leach in the room with no agents or AD Myers present. I watched the news @ 6:00 tonight and I’m sure I’m not the only one that noticed the sourpuss expression on Myers face. He looks mad all the time…never cracks a smile. I also agree with one of the other above comments…GM is 72 years old and it’s time for him to retire (or get fired) and ride off into the sunset!!
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Funny how 24 hours ago, Hance was a low-down, filthy, apple pie hating, wife slapping, moron. Now he has become the saviour of the entire free world by re-signing the I’m outa here in 2 years, throw the ball 65 times a game, coach of modest means. My, how fickle you are!
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That’s the way a contract ought to be decided: two men go behind closed doors and come out with a satisfying and gratifying agreement. To H_ _ _ with greedy, idiotic egocentric mediators!!
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ok Blockhead pootpie———– last time I was there the North Viet Namese Army was totally retreated (kicked out entirely) of the South. Our land forces out fought them again and again to push them past the DMZ. Our jets ruled the skyways and bombed whatever -WHATEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we pleased. LBJ was too chicken to let us bomb over the border at Red CHina, but when Nixon came in we finally got to clear out Cambodia of most of the cancer there. It was all just a liitle police action from 71 til 74 and then we announced we were coming home and turning it over to the so called S Vietnam Army. So when we left the NVA came back and being a supperior force to the south they took em over. Another ultimate Democratic Party (started with IKE & ended with Nixon but was lost in the middle by policticing LBJ – a UT ex I might add!) failure even tho we lost 57,000 young men and women . I don’t cry many tears over 5,000 in Iraq with the friends and numbers we lost in Nam. We won that war and then had to just let the NVA walk right back in .
I don’t tremendously value your pea-brain comments anyway. I can see you are just an elderly Obamamite democrat, too.
Now I just hope Mike Leach is man enough to MAN UP and put all this behind him and get on with coaching and winning the BIG 12. Gee – maybe some day we can even beat UT and OU in the same season.
You better heed the above warning and hire Josh Hueppell to recruit Oklahoma since you couldn’t hold on to Coach Littrell.
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Mr. flashlite; FYI, Josh Heupel (notice the spelling) did not win the Heisman Trophy at OU. He finished runnerup to Chris Weinke from Florida State in 2000. He is currently the QB coach at OU and prior to that, was tight ends coach for Stoops’ brother @ Arizona. Now, why do you think Heupel would come to Tech and work with the egomaniac Leach when he can be QB coach @OU! Why drive a Pinto when you can drive a Lexus??!! Since the egomanic left OU, they have had 2 Heisman QB winners, White & Bradford.
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srw, what makes you think 11-2 was a fluke? Sure, Harrell and Crabtree are gone but, Leach is building a good program. You must be an Aggie dumb a__.
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YES YES YES YES YES YES!!!
Hats off to Kent Hance…. I still think Gerald Meyers was the problem.
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raiderfortheweek, er, forever, I’ve never been to College Station, nor am I a dumb ass. As Abe Lincoln said (paraphrase) Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open it and people to know it!
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flashlite; nice comment about not crying many tears over 5000 in Iraq. I’m sure your momma must be proud!!
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I’ve never been to College Station nor am I an Aggie da! “Better to remain silent & be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt”; Abe Lincoln
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still fire Myers
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Way to go Kent Hance !!! Just sit down and Get Er Done !!!
Now we can get back to the real business of recruiting and figuring out how to beat Texas in Austin !!!
Guns Up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Thank goodness this mess is resolved. There appears to be a great need to evaluate the negotiation process in hopes of minimizing future conflicts. It should not have taken a greater part of one year to come to terms for someone who appears to genuinely enjoy living and coaching in Lubbock. Let the Coaches do their jobs to the best of their ability and let the remainder of the “non-athletic” administration focus on the academia side of our Great University.
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It’s about time!!
The whole rest of the country was wondering just what the good ole boys in Lubbock were thinking. Because outside of Lubbock, everybody who knows football knows that Mike Leach is the best thing to ever happen to Texas Tech football. Without him Tech goes back to being little more than a perennial doormat in the Big 12 south.
I’m glad that this “soap opera” (as a local radio station here in Houston described it) is finally over and now we can worry about next season.
WRECK EM TECH!!
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Leach wont leave for a long time. No other school in there right mind would give Leach the leeway to do the things he does at Tech. No body from the College was in his business till now and that’s the way he likes it. Kent Hance is not stupid, he knows what he is doing…even if it doesn’t look like it to you simple minded people.
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Correction to earlier post. “is” instead of “was”.
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I’m a happy Red Raider tonight! Thanks Coach Leach and congratulations!!!!!
I’m glad you’re our guy!
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Hey flash lite! LBJ was not a UT grad. He went to Texas State, which at that time was Southwest Texas State (in San Marcos).
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Looks like Leach just cost himself about $400,000 or so by hiring such a (bozo) agent when he personally sat down and hammered out the contract details with Hance in about 15 minutes.
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Alright leach,
the ball is in your court now, u say u LOVE Lubbock, u say your LOYAL to Tech, then it’s time to shut up and play ball! It’s time to do something that you have YET to do n your 9yrs here and thats WIN the BIG 12 SOUTH!
The bottom line is this if you DON’T want to be here, then I DON’T want u to be here. Now, I feel that he will stay and the main reason is because no other program will give him as much freedom as Tech has and he knows this aswell. It’s true what some of u have said in your statements and that is that leach knew he had them at jump all along, and as long as he and kent can continue to communicate and respect one another it won’t be to long before they make him Head Of Football Operations and he also nows this aswell to.
So like i said if u want to go then go, but no other university will give u the freedom that Tech has given u, PERIOD!
Now ive said all that to say this I’m Glad Leach is here, I feel we’re right on the edge of something Big here and i’m glad to be apart of it. And I think I speak for alot of us when i say We’d like for u to be around for a long time aswell Leach.
But enough of this TALKY,TALKY, it’s time to WALKY, WALKY!! We’ve showed u the $$$$ now it’s time for u to show us theTROPHY!! BIG 12 SOUTH that is. Now it’s time for u to do something that we’ve been BEGGING for over the last 9yrs, and thats give us a FREAKIN D-FENCE!!!! So that we can take this thing to the next level.
GUNS LOCKED AND LOADED!! GETT’EM TECH!!!
Oh, and by the way Littrell can say all he wants about why he left tech but theres a few that know exactly why he HAD to leave tech, and those of u that saw him the night before the cotton bowl at the hotel know exactly what i’m talkin about. He doesn’t give a RATS U KNOW WHAT about Tech. What a JOKE!! Don’t even get me started on that whole cotton bowl thing.
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I would just like to say “Thank You Coach Leach” …. for the patience and understanding you have shown Lubbock and Texas Tech. Like it was brought up in the “60 Min” interview “Lubbock is a unique and corky West Texas town and Coach Leach is unique and corky coach it makes for a good fit. I sure would have hated to have to become a Texas Longhorn fan just to spite TTU for the biggest mistake they almost made in the schools history. We love and appricate all you have done for us Coach and we look forward to many more successful years to come …… “GUNS UP!!!!!”
(WATCH OUT LONGHORNS AND AUSTIN HERE WE COME!!!!!)
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Shaybo. Tell all about Coach Seth L. He might be what you say but he sure can recruit. Who is going to fill his void?
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Bubba Jennings for AD
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I really think the way this was handled was bad, bad, bad. The idea that Tech would fire Leach with two years remaining on his deal for not agreeing to a contract extension is ridiculous. Trying to force him into staying by saying “sign or else we will fire you” is NOT the way to win over people. There was no real rush or emergency here. Leach wasnt going anywhere this year or he would be gone already. Now, I suspect Leach will start applying for other jobs mid way through next season.
Personally, I’m of the opinion that Leach may not really be worth big time $$$ since he hasnt really won anything that significant as a coach (was a regular season win against UT highlight of career?). However, he should be treated with more respect than he has been treated with. Its OK if the university didnt want to pay the money, again I’d probably support that. However, strong arming a deal is not the way to go here.
So what does tech get? They spent a boatload of $$$ to support a program which is more or less mediocre on the national scene, in the process made the coach they gave all the money to a very unhappy, disgruntled person, and to top it all off their strong arming / interference made the position alot less attractive to other future coaching candidates nationally.
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Yay….the latest Leach nontroversy is over, and all you rabid GunsUppers can go back to happily supporting our very own team of highly talented choke artists, living out your own frustrated sports dreams vicariously in the process.
(((((((((((((yawn))))))))))))))))
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I can’t help but laugh at ya’ll that think you even have a chance in Austin. It was a fluke last year and this year ya’ll will get you a$$ handed to you in a basket.
I’m really glad ya’ll are wasting good money on a mediocre coach. Welcome back to 7-5 and 6-6 seasons and going to Shreveport, if that.
Oh, and by the way………….ya’ll are still in Lubbock.
LOL
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Five will get you nine, this is the start of the demise of the Raiders. Tragic end to the whole process.
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$2,000,000.00 a year is “…And they’ll just kind of extort me down to damn near nothing.”
Damn they over due pro sports so people go to college sports now college has gotten out of hand. Guess I’ll drop down to being a fan of high school till it gets corrupted as well…
Im a depression everyone should be glad to HAVE a job!
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During all of this, did ya’ll see that Texas got a commitment from ANOTHER top QB in the State?
Colt, Case, Garret and now Connor, the stars just keep rolling in.
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Quotes from In My Opinion by Gil LeBreton in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, February 20, 2009 re: Leach’s Air Game Routed Texas Tech’s Weak Defense:
1. “Mike Leach taught Texas Tech’s bungling AD an expensive lesson.”
2. “Gerald Myers must not have watched.” (Re: the victory celebration on the field after Tech’s win this year over UT)
3. “How embarrassing — for Tech, but especially for Myers, who’s fumbling words followed him to Thursday’s news conference.” (Re: how Myers had handled the negotiations after Tech’s winning season)
Now my option, not Gil LeBreton’s: Gerald Myers may have contributed a lot to Tech, starting with his enrollment in 1955 as a freshman basketball player. However, he has become a liability to our university and it is time for him to gracefully move on. If he does not the Kent Hance needs to step up and allow him to resign. We all want Tech to continue to improve its status as an excellent university, scholastically and athletically.
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Great job, finally, by both sides. Let’s move on and win a dang conference championship now!!
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And no, Tex, we really don’t care that much about that.
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Hey Tex… didn’t your shift at Wal-Mart start an hour ago? You better get going.
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Ok hes back in the fold now start working on DEFENSE! He could have won the national title 2-3 years ago if he just had a DEFENSE! Last years defense couldnt even shut out the small schools.
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Hilarious! Chancellor Hance stepping in to get this done is the equivalent of Gerald having his pants pulled down in front of a capacity Jones Stadium crowd. The administration tried, for once, to actually let Gerald make a decision and wear “big boy pants” and, as usual, he blows up and gives Leach an ultimatum. I’m 50/50 on Leach, so I was fine if he stayed or left. I’m 0/100 on Gerald, though – and I know him personally – VERY well.
Myers was, is and will continue to be an embarrassment to our University. This move effectively neuters him of what little authority he had in the first place. He needs to go and he needs to go yesterday! Here in Dallas, the region of the largest alumni base outside of Lubbock, everyone in the media is laughing at us.
As I have always said, Gerald is a moron.
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“Tex on February 20th, -I can’t help but laugh at ya’ll that think you even have a chance in Austin. It was a fluke last year and this year ya’ll will get you a$$ handed to you in a basket.
I’m really glad ya’ll are wasting good money on a mediocre coach. Welcome back to 7-5 and 6-6 seasons and going to Shreveport, if that.”
Tex- Mack Brown is a TERRIBLE X’s and O’s coach and you’re here running your mouth about our coach?
When was the last time Tech was 7-5 or 6-6? Have they ever been to Shreveport with Leach?
The only fluke that I saw last year was TU beating the sooners.
Get your facts straight.
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Tex – Crazy how we beat UT when they have all those shiny recruits. Should never happen. Who’s coach is overpaid?
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Myers and Hance did an outstanding job of representing the interest(s) of Texas Tech. Period! The resolution of this thing was assured when all parties-of-interest actually and constructively removed Leach’s narcissistic agents from the equation.
It was Benjamin Franklin who said, ” ‘Tis better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak up and remove all doubt.” not Abe Lincoln. Abba Eban (former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations) said, “Men and nations can act responsibly once all other alternatives have been exhausted.”
And finally, to that ESPN talking head regarding Kent Hance’s Texas drawl……..”Please dispose of your opinions in such manner as will cause you much physical discomfort!” Also, to so very many TV announcers and sports newscasters who insist on pronouncing it “Lubbick” instead of “Lubbock.” There is no “i” in Lubbock. To wit: When you buffoons learn to correctly pronounce ‘hawg’, ‘dawg’, and ‘Texiz’, plus when you realize that the plural of ‘you’ is ‘y’all’ and not ‘you guys’ then you will have escaped the gravitational pull of the arrogance of your ignorance and you may comment on Hance’s Texas drawl.
Glenn Dippel, Texas Tech class of ‘61.
Temple, Texas
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I am not an anti-Leach person. But it amazes me how so many of you think a coach is bigger than the university. You did the same thing with Knight and now you are doing it with Leach. The coach is not the university. If it is, then I will sadly remove my degree that I worked to obtain from my wall and put a picture of the coach of the month on my wall.
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Ya’ll make me laugh.
Don’t ya’ll need to go pick cotton or something?
I don’t care what you say, you still live in LUBEbock. AstroGlide anyone?
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Point is, Mack has to turn away top recuits and ya’ll have to lie and beg to get mid-pack guys.
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You have to love the Aggie fans who say that 11-2 was a fluke and A&M will back to the top. The Aggies are the real losers in this. What I like most about Leach is that he has conveyed the belief and reality to all Tech fans that beating A&M is just par for the course, nothing worth storming the field over. And the Aggies think Mike Sherman is leading a revival, it’s good to have a nice laugh early in the morning.
Looking forward to Taylor Potts and a few more long balls in the Air Raid Attack. Go Raiders!!!!!!!!!
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Ya’ll heard it here first, RedRodent will go 6-6, and 3-5 in BigXII play.
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Even better than the Aggie fans are the Longhorns who underachieve year in and year out. You have the best facilities in the country, get the most taxpayer money, have the most alumni (all in the greatest high school football state in the land) and have only one National Championship in the last three plus decades. And that one was thanks to one player, namely Vince “Wunderlick” Young. How’s that graduation rate anyway? Ha Ha! It’s great to be back to lampooning the Horns and Ags.
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Like I really give a rats a$$ who graduates and who doesn’t.
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At least my coach doesn’t play pirates and dungeons. My players don’t act gay and play dress-up like it’s Halloween.
It’s just a game people, give it a rest.
Oh, I forgot, ya’ll still live in LUBEbock and that’s all you’ve got, a mediocre football team and a great view of…………dirt.
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At least my coach doesn’t play pirates and dungeons. My players don’t act g*y and play dress-up like it’s Halloween.
It’s just a game people, give it a rest.
Oh, I forgot, ya’ll still live in LUBEbock and that’s all you’ve got, a mediocre football team and a great view of…………dirt.
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I still say we dump Myers!
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OOOOHHH. Tex is soo Sensitive!
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Tex. What Weenie. Probably never even went to UT.
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I still say Tech should fire Myers, he is the problem!!!!
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Tex, your guys spend a lot of time dressed in orange on the field and in city hall. need a branch campus in jail and the grad. rate would rise immeasurably.
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I had the honor and opportunity to work with Gerald Myers at Texas Tech for three years from 1971-74. He is one of the finest men I’ve ever met and honest as the day is long. He’s given the greater part of his life to Texas Tech–as a Tech basketball player, later a Tech assistant basketball coach, then a SWC championship winning head coach at Texas Tech, then an assistant athletic director and currently as the longtime athletic director. I consider him a most astute athletic administrator who has made great hires throughout his tenure and has greatly expanded and renovated the football stadium. Your fine basketball arena was also built during his tenure. His loyalty to Texas Tech is unquestioned.and he should be lauded and honored for all he’s done for the school.
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Ya’ll keep hanging onto that graduation rate. I don’t really care.
I see that really helps your recuiting.
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Who cares if a kid gets busted for a little weed. We’ll just bring in another and move on.
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Leach is the coach even though he is basically saying “the first chance I get I am out of here.” How desperate !
The Tech fans (all 40 of them) who showed up to support Leach are the only TRUE fans.
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Can you guys please just place some expectations on Coach Leach in the future now that he has a massive deal?
The 4th down against Nebraska was an epic blunder, yet it worked out. The clock management and field management on the last drive against Texas was more mismanagement of epic proportions, yet it worked out.
While so many of you are praising Leach’s accomplishments, I don’t think you understand how close he personally came to blowing those two games. His team won those games, but he just damn near gave both games away with his incompetence.
I love the chance Leach’s offense gives us in every game, but I hate the never-ending, never-improving blunders in game management.
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Told ya so, now all the whinnie hinnies can get their wedgie relief. Pootpie, Noel, and Watchdog you guys can get back to the Brittany Spears website and stream away, just a nice way of saying stream off. Come on back when you are more informed and not just spraying all over Leach who just happens to be a great man, he’ll talk to anyone. Stop by and visit sometime, I hear he is serving crow for lunch, eat much?
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Leach’s in game decision making leaves something to be desired.
I think Leach himself is somewhat of a wonderful quandry. His offense gives Tech its best chance to win with who they are and who they have. But, at the exact same time, his clock management and game management devastate his team’s chance to win.
He seems simultaneously to be his team’s greatest asset and greatest liability.
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The Permian Basin Red Raiders are tickled to death because we love Mike and We think Kent Hance and Guy Bailey are top notch leaders for Texas Tech and West Texas. Good move on Mike’s part calling for a public meeting with the BOR but better move on Kent’s part to negotiate head to head with Mike. Congratulations to all Red Raiders who won a significant victory today. BCS here we come.
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Well!! Let all God’s Children say AMEN!
With the exception of tex, melvin, boombersooner, and all you other Red Raider haters creepin’ on this wall, Ya’ll are all invited to join me in a virtual celbratory toast to our Red Raiders and Coach Leach!!
Cheers!! Here’s to the Big Twelve Championship 2009!
Wreck ‘em TTU’85
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Consider Leach’s two best seasons, 9-3 in ‘05 and 11-2 in ‘08. Are they a sign of things to come?
Try your best to remember the circumstances of the Nebraska win and OU win in ‘05.
Try your best to remember the circumstances of the Nebraska win and Texas win in ‘08.
Are those aberrations or the norm? Consider Tech’s leads in all of the aforementioned games. Consider Leach’s game and clock management in the final stages of all of those games. I ask you again, can we solidly count on those things to happen regularly?
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The 4th down against Nebraska this year was an epic blunder, yet it worked out. The clock management and field management on the last drive against Texas was more mismanagement of epic proportions, yet it worked out.
While so many of you are praising Leach’s accomplishments, I don’t think you understand how close he personally came to blowing those two games. His team won those games, but he just damn near gave both games away with his incompetence.
I love the chance Leach’s offense gives us in every game, but I hate the never-ending, never-improving blunders in game management.
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A Big XII Championship in ‘09???????????
Please put down the crackpipe, it’s making your brain all mushy. You can’t even win the South division, let alone the Championship.
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I don’t think Hance wanted Leach to go before the BOR and lay it out. All of a sudden he had time to talk to Leach. The bidness in Austin was put in a differenent light. Much of the blame that Myers is taking was coming from above, in MY opinion
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Raiderdefender – what you are missing is that Tech is finally in a position where luck (and good calls on the field) can help win games like that. I’m telling you – as a whole the program keeps slowly improving. I expect that next year we will probably go back to 8-9 wins. Who knows maybe we do better and make another run at it – but all the same, I won’t cry, because the year after we are going to be in a great position to win the south. Even the elite programs have to reload every so often, and they have better recruiting to work with. As the self appointed “Raider Defender” – time to start defending you coach – as he is the program.
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Many valid points and many mo rons. Communication is awesome. To be a fly on many walls would be so good. I choose to hold the beleif that he likes TT and sees that the fit is one of a kind for both. If more of the idio-mo-rons had played or taught the game they would be less foolish. We never trult know much but the surprises shall win out. Leach rolls with the universe and he always find a new fit when a peice of the puzzle is hurt or leaves. Forgive my sentence structure or run ons, please I am highly medicated and fighting 2 viral infections.
TT always in my heart and mind!
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DD I have and infact I’ve got his autograph ;-)
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73,
I’m pretty sure most TT fans on this site are highly medicated.
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Dog,
I’m sure that’s your most prized possession, right behind the jackalope and the singing fish.
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Tex- We did win the division this year.
Lost a TIE-breaker…just like the boys from Austin. There was a tie because all three teams were termed South Division champs.
Your facts are incorrect over and over again.
You’re very classy Tex, “Who cares if a kid gets busted for a little weed. We’ll just bring in another and move on.”
Cedric Benson and Ricky Williams…great people right?
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Someone from Austin pointing fingers about “medication”. Hah!
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tex….stop being a hater and creepin’ around on our wall. Don’t you need to go back and stand in the unemployment line?
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Haha, haha, ha hahaha. Still cracking up over that medication thing. “Hey, Pot….it’s Kettle……….. .”
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No it’s two Knight BBalls. :-)
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But really it’s the diploma I got from Tech!
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Hardy har har.
Gun, shouldn’t you be at Dairy Queen by now? It’s almost time for the lunch crowd. Or do you work shoveling horse sh** at the feedlot?
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Why in the world is this guy Tex even on this site? He must not have a job. The thing about tu is they can only get attention by paying for it. Or if one of their great players gets picked up selling crack on 6th street.
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Good points Dunka. Leach has gotten Tech to a point where fortunate bounces can win big games for us.
And Leach does have Tech to a point where we “Reload” rather than “Rebuild.”
I just think Tech has become a major player in a power conference and that we are worth a lot more than many of you think. I can’t believe how many people say we’ll never be as good as OU or Texas rather than saying, “Why should we just accept finishing behind OU and Texas every year?”
I believe Texas and OU should finish in front of us rather often. But, I think we should finish in front of them occasionally as well.
In 9 years, Leach has provided us a nugget or two. But we have only finished in front of OU once and Texas none.
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Nobody on the national scene takes Tech seriously, because we always flash upon the scene but fizzle out. Every time.
When we were gonna play Texas, many national guys picked Tech, citing the way Tech boys get up for the Horns or Ags and how rowdy the Jones can be. We won, got to 9-0, and how many people believed Tech was for real? None. They all picked Ok St the next week. And after Tech blasted them, how many thought Tech was for real? None. They all picked OU, citing Tech’s emotional wins at home being impressive, but probably not a true sample of Tech’s staying power.
Guess what, they were all correct. And none of you care. You are just happy to be there.
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UD
’cause it’s a free country and it’s called retirement. LOL
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We weren’t even a top 30 team those last 3 games. And that’s not 1 game, its 3! We lost by 44 at OU! In the Cotton Bowl, we lost by two tds and Ole Miss turned the ball over twice at our own one!
Teams like that come along rarely at Tech, and Leach embarrassed us with that finish.
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Remember the three way tie, 45-35, and the way we were just dismissed from the conversation. Remember 39-33.com and how boldly we all wanted to make our case. Remember how much it stung for everybody to say we had a fine season but we just were not in the same tier as OU and Texas. Remember how everybody said we were a novelty act– just an overachieving group of pretenders who had a lucky stretch. Remember how badly you wanted all of that to be wrong!
And, do you remember how badly it stung at the Cotton Bowl, when all of that stuff turned out to be correct!
It seemed to me like Leach did more to cement our second class status than move us toward top tier.
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Raiderdefender true and Spkie was compertative during the preseason against big boys. Couple of call go Tech way or lucky bounce we would have won a few of those games. Anyway I hope Leach is as good as everyone hopes, only time will tell. Wreck’em Tech! Though that is A LOT of money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hope Leach has Tech in his will. ;-)
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dang still medicated from yesterday apparently. ;-)
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Thought you’d hooked up w/ tex there for a minute Watchdog…
Whew!!
UD ~ High five your comment to tex. Some call it retirement, some call it welfare. You sure you’re not from the black hole of Oklahoma tex? And I don’t live in a town where there is a DQ, dangit…and would rather shovel Horse S**t than read your Bulls**t , ol’ tex, ol’ buddy. Now, lets stop this bickering and get back to the game….30 seconds left to play…..AHHHH!! Crabs goes in!!! and the final is 39-33!!
Sorry tex….you ain’t gonna rain on our Happy Day….Go Burn Some Orange.
Wreck “em! TTU’85
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Tex, you retired at the age of 13? Family money?
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“Plastics, my boy, plastics”
I remember a 52-17 a$$ whooping. Don’t really recall a 39-33 score?
All ya’ll have is Red Rodent football, too bad, so sad.
Lubbock, Texas, where men are men and the sheep are scared.
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43-15-0 since 1928
.741 winning percentage
39-33, even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then.
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tex is enjoying more attention than he has probably ever had in his life. ignore the poor fellow and he can go on with his miserable existance
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At least I call spell.
Good thing you got the college education from TT.
Good luck with that.
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Using safari will highlight spelling errors automatically, but we like to go incogneto.
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Good points Raider Defender.
Kelsofan – let Tex keep going. He represents the average UT fan. We get to laugh at him and they can all be embarrassed and wish that he’d go away.
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Was one of the clauses be that Lubbock would go wet? Give em hell Mike, Wreck ‘em Tech!
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Hey Doc,
Nobody here gives a crap about your opinion. The Austin American -Statesman site can be found elsewhere.
Cudos to Hance and Leach for avoiding any further negative publicity and settling this matter. Now let’s go to work and get ready for the 2009 football season. For the increased prices of these season tickets Tech fans are gonna want to see results.
Let’s reload not rebuild.
Go Tech !!!
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Great to hear…Leach is a great coach and will continue to make progress with the program, and I truly believe with him here we will eventually be a national contender every year. Thanks to Kent Hance for handling things the right way, even if it may have been a bit overdue. It feels to good to be a Red Raider!
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BCbud420,
Nope you still have to go to the strip, where big brother can keep an eye on you.
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Kent Hance knows his AD is a ROYAL JERK and that if he let him stay in charge of things, it would end up bad for everyone. Instead he stepped up like all men of character do and spoke to Leach on his level instead of talking down to him and treating him like trash, which is what Gerald Myers is famous for doing. Way to go chancellor and way to go coach. GUNS UP RED RAIDERS!!!
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Well said..Kent Hance is a man of character and wants what is best for Texas Tech. Looks like the head pirate has docked his ship at the Jones, I pumped for next season already! I hope Leach is here longer than Joepa has been at Penn St. haha..literally though
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Traffic to the Strip was backed up past the loop last night to get ready for Gerry’s retirement party. When and where is it?
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Tex, you’re a little behind the times. The last time they picked cotton was in the 1930s. That was replaced with “pulling bolls”. That’s what gins do, seperate the cotton from the boll. You need to get up to speed, if that’s possible. GO RAIDERS!!!!!
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$12.7 million five years roughly equals (give or take a buck)
$2,540.000.00 per year
$211,666.66 per month
$48,846.15 per week
$6,958.90 per day
$289.95 per hour
$4.83 per minute
$.80 1/2 per second
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I don’t recall having much success until Ruffin McNeil actually was named defensive coordinator in 2007. I think we should pay the defensive coordinator the same amount Leach (Leech, uh huh) has been awarded. I wonder why he doesn’t get the same courtesy? I can think of one, remember what part of the country we live in. Hmmmmmm……..
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No sh**?
I thought you still had slaves out in the fields pick’in cotton.
WOW, what will they think of next? Maybe a telegraph that has no wires? Dang Indians keep cutting them wires.
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Those who appreciate West Texas culture and the goodness and decency of the people who live there can understand Tex’s bitterness and anger and have sympathy for him. I don’t live in Lubbock, a few hours to the south, but if I ever moved it would be to the Lubbock area. Best people in the world. I’ve also spent enough time in Austin to know how the folks get as bitter as old Tex.
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LOL
I don’t even live in the State of Texas.
I’ll give you a hint, it’s snowing right now. :-)
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Ya’ll could learn a thing or two from the folks down in Austin.
On the Statesmen, the story about Leach signing there is nothing but good comments about TT.
Class Act.
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srw, I certainly am not a fool. I graduated from Tech. I’ll bet you didn’t. Maybe you haven’t been in College Station. Your reasoning power is nil. Go back to your cave. You certainly don’t sound like a Tech grad.
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srw, you don’t even have anything nice to say about Leach and the football team. That’s why I think you don’t even like Tech football,
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Pa Bear, I agree with you. The people in West Texas are the nicest you’ll find anywhere, along with the Italians. I lived in Italy for four years and the two groups have one important thing in common (although not the only thing). They still believe in practicing good manners.
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Thanks Kent. Dimmitt is proud. Something bothers me though. Two different times in this article Don Williams said that “Tech” considered firing Leach. In a previous article none of the Regents asked if that action was considered, would confirm that firing was even thought about. I think maybe the AJ is not being fair and balanced. Let’s call for Don Williams firing.
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Tex, why do you even care what’s happening in Lubbock? What’s it to you?
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No football coach is worth 12 million dollars. But as long as I don’t have to help pay his salary I won’t complain too much.
Most Universities are just propaganda mills with a sports program.
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raiderforwhatever; You are right, I didn’t graduate from TT but I put 3 kids through; 2 have Master’s Degrees! No, I’m not a fan of football here, particularly because of Leach. He’s all stats and flash and “me”. Remember this Feb. 09 conversation in a couple of years when he hits the road. See ya’ back in the cave!
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I could tell you didn’t attend Tech because you don’t love it and, want what’s best for it. Your an outsider looking in. Goodie for your kids with masters degrees. My kid has a masters too from another big twelve school. So, you don’t have anything up on me. Your memory is bad old man, remember you are the one in the cave not me. HaHa! You sound like a negative, bitter old fart.
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raiderfortheweek, whatever; Here’s a little quote you might associate with. Some people are like catfish; all mouth, no brains! Bet you like stinkbait…………
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raiderfortoday, er. ever: LOL, You crack me up! You seem to know a lot about flatulence (to you, fa##) and you should with all the garbage that comes out of your mouth. I honestly don’t think you could pour water (or anything else) out of a boot! It’s been fun sparring with you but you are a waste of time. Byb Bye
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