Tech talks Jones into staying closer to home
Mike Jones thought he was all set to go Fordham. He liked the coaches, the staff, the setting and the academics of the university in New York.
The strength of his commitment ebbed last week when new Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville made a recruiting stop at Sugar Land Kempner High School.
“Once Texas Tech was looking at me and coach Tuberville offered me on the spot, it was something I felt like I had to really, really look into,’’ Jones said Monday.
Jones, a defensive tackle, made an oral commitment to Tech after visiting campus over the weekend. During the visit, Jones said he was measured at 6-foot-2 and weighed 267 pounds.
“The coaching staff is great, real hospitable, and Texas Tech has always been a big thing in my life, too,’’ Jones said. “A lot of my teachers went there. One of my coaches went there, and I see (the double-T logo) everywhere. Ever since I was a little kid, it was one of the teams that I followed closely and took a liking to, even over UT and (Texas) A&M.’’
The national signing period begins Wednesday. Also on Monday, Miami (Fla.) Southridge coach Patrick Burrows confirmed that two of his players — wide receiver-defensive back Lavaughn Whigham (6-1, 175) and cornerback Phillip Warren (5-9, 180) — pledged to Tech over the weekend.
Though undersized by Big 12 Conference defensive tackle standards, Jones seemed to have plenty of other selling points. Academically, he said he has a 3.66 grade-point average and scored 1,080 on the SAT. Athletically, he had an outstanding senior season, good enough to be one of 10 finalists for the Touchdown Club of Houston’s defensive player of the year award.
Jones said Tech defensive coordinator James Willis wants him to start out playing a defensive end technique and move inside as he adds weight. Jones’ high school coach, James Brown, said it won’t be a problem.
“No doubt, he can be at the 280, 290 mark by the end of summertime,’’ Brown said. “He’s a young kid, he’s 17 years old, so physically he still has a lot of maturing to do. Even if he puts on some weight, with his quickness and speed, he’s going to be able to maintain that. He’s a sub-5 (second) guy in the 40.’’
As a senior, Jones was credited with 59 tackles, including 12 for losses and 71/2 sacks.
Brown said Jones played a 3-technique tackle in Kempner’s 3-4 defense, and he thinks it makes sense for Jones to play inside in college.
“He uses his hands real well,’’ Brown said. “He’s got very good fundamentals, great technique, stays low, repositions his body real well. His pass-rush skills are a lot better inside.’’
Jones committed to Fordham two weeks ago. He said he also has had scholarship offers from Texas-El Paso, Texas-San Antonio and Louisiana-Lafayette and one he received just last week from Houston.
Jones said he believed Tuberville and Tech assistant Matt Moore went to Kempner to see one of his teammates, but Brown showed them Jones’ highlight tape as well.
“He said within three or four plays, they said, ‘Go ahead and call him down here,’ ’’ to the coaches’ office, Jones said.
“He was probably sold the minute coach Tuberville came in the office and talked to him a little bit,’’ Brown said. “When he got recognition from the big boss, he was intrigued by that and saw he was going to get an opportunity to at least prove himself.’’
Brown said Big 12 and Southeastern Conference coaches were aware of Jones in the spring.
“The question they had at that time was, was he going to get bigger and was he going to be able to get the test score,’’ Brown said. “His grades were fine. He didn’t take the (SAT) test until real late. When he took it, he was a 1,080 guy on the test. But by that time, some of the schools had moved on.”
Tech also added pledges from two teammates who helped Miami Southridge, a Class 6A school, go 10-1 in 2009. Whigham caught 10 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown and was credited with four solo tackles, 29 assists and an interception that he returned 101 yards. He also had scholarship offers from Central Michigan, Marshall, Northern Illinois, Louisville and Southern Mississippi.
Warren was credited with 20 solo tackles, 44 assists, 10 sacks and a fumble recovery. On a team with two 600-yard rushers, Warren added 30 carries for 275 yards and three touchdowns. Marshall, Northern Illinois and Southern Mississippi also had offered him scholarships.
TEXAS TECH COMMITMENTS
The following players have signed with or made oral commitments to Texas Tech. The national signing period for spring semester graduates begins Wednesday.
Signed at midterm: Beau Carpenter, 6-7, 275, OT, Sulphur Springs; Donald Langley, 6-2, 295, DT, Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) College/Germantown, Md., Seneca Valley HS; Scott Smith, 6-7, 275, DE, Butler (Kan.) Community College/Honolulu St. Louis HS.
Oral commitments: Scotty Young, 6-3, 190, QB, Denton Ryan; Delans Griffin, 5-10, 178, RB, Clinton, Okla.; Kadron Boone, 6-1, 190, WR, Ocala (Fla.) Trinity Catholic; Shawn Corker, 6-1, 189, WR, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons; Ben McRoy, 5-9, 163, IR, Lakeland, Fla.; Lavaughn Whigham, 6-1, 175, WR-CB-S, Miami (Fla.) Southridge; Aleon Calhoun, 6-6, 330, OT, Navasota; Eric Lawson, 6-6, 310, OG-OT, Olive Branch, Miss.; James Polk, 6-7, 290, OT, Alief Elsik; Dartwan Bush, 6-1, 255, DE, Clute Brazoswood; Jackson Richards, 6-3, 247, DE, Southlake Carroll; Lawrence Rumph, 6-3, 270, DE, Navarro College/Keller Fossil Ridge; Coby Coleman, 6-2, 290, DT, Frankston; Mike Jones, 6-2, 267, DT, Sugar Land Kempner; Joe Carmical, 6-2, 231, ILB, Monticello, Ark.; Zach Winbush, 6-2, 205, LB, Schertz Clemens; Urell Johnson, 6-0, 175, CB, New Orleans (La.) Walker; Phillip Warren, 5-9, 180, CB, Miami (Fla.) Southridge; Desmond Martin, 6-0, 178, DB, Round Rock Stony Point; Russell Polk, 5-11, 190, S, Dallas Carter; Tre’Vante Porter, 6-0, 185, DB, Midwest City (Okla.) Carl Albert; Brandon Smith, 6-0, 175, DB, Raceland (La.) Central Lafourche.
To comment on this story:
don.williams@lubbockonline.com uE06C 766-8734
courtney.linehan@lubbockonline.com uE06C 766-8735
I guess I never payed attention to the number of defensive recruits we could have on board. That will be a good class by the time they are seniors!
Report this comment
Jones committed to Fordham two weeks ago. He said he also has had scholarship offers from Texas-El Paso, Texas-San Antonio and Louisiana-Lafayette and one he received just last week from Houston.
Jones said he believed Tuberville and Tech assistant Matt Moore went to Kempner to see one of his teammates, but Brown showed them Jones’ highlight tape as well.
“He said within three or four plays, they said, ‘Go ahead and call him down here,’ ’’ to the coaches’ office, Jones said.
“He was probably sold the minute coach Tuberville came in the office and talked to him a little bit,’’ Brown said. “When he got recognition from the big boss, he was intrigued by that and saw he was going to get an opportunity to at least prove himself.’’
Report this comment
Voice of Reason…guess we really have a “saleman,” righ?! We’ll see…proof is in the pudding….let’s see what kind of winning season he brings us…I predict a mediocre season…..
Report this comment
“I predict a mediocre season……”
If he does that then he will be doing just as well as Leach did. I loved Leach, but the facts are that we never rose above mediocrity. Dont even try to dispute those facts. Tubs has a history of success, BCS bowls, and conference championships. I HOPE he will do great things. I could not agree more that the proof is in the pudding. People need to stop making snap judgements based on Tubs being here a month.
WRECK EM
Report this comment
All that matters is who signs on the dotted line tomorrow. I have taken a wait and see approach to things. I just can’t be one ot the Ole’ boy types, who thinks things are just fine and dandy in the Administration Building, as well as the Athletic Office. They are not, Neither do iI see black helicopters and conspiracies under every rock. I just love Tech football too much to let all the slime and cr@p both sides are spewing get in the middle, and bring down a GOOD program.
All parties have to come together for the program, and wish these young men well; They did nothing wrong, they just want to (1) get an education, and (2) play some ball, with (1) being the most important thing. Let the boys play!
Wreck “EM!
Report this comment
so we are gettting recuits that the big schools dont want WOW i am impressed
Report this comment
This guy was going to Fordham but after begging and pleading, tube got him to say he would stay in Texas. Another defensive player…imagine that. And he will need to gain 20-30 lbs, Can he play with the additional weight? Who cares at least we got him away from Fordham
Report this comment
CHANGE
If you think change is good:
2005 Texas wins NC
1969 Texas wins NC
36 years apart after Royal leaves to get back to the top.
And that is a top program.
CHANGE you can believe in?
Report this comment
@ Ilovepirates and ken, must the glass always be half empty? I don’t know why I bother reading the comments on these stories, there is now way that you guys could ever have anything positive to say. If everyone feels like the two of you we might as well give up before we ever put a team on the field. Give Tuberville a chance, try saying something positive, it won’t kill you.
Report this comment
Just because tuberville had a 5-7 record in 2008 and was FIRED from Auburn doesn’t mean he will have a 5-7 record here too
Report this comment
I predict many more stupid postings from the leech cult followers!
Report this comment
Tuberville is taking lemons and trying to make lemonade. You know, he might do it. He said he was a salesman. We know he hasn’t been completely truthful when applying for this job, saying he was keeping things in place and merely tweaking the defense a bit. But, that is what salesmen do, they sell you the sizzle and then serve up whatever they can come up with. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll put together a decent dish.
Report this comment
6″2″ and 290 by summer = they can roll him onto the field this fall.
He’ll fit right in with our other short linemen.
Report this comment
way do we want him. its real good that we a getting players that none of the tops schools want are have any interest in
that a winning formula
Report this comment
We gotta start some where. This is as good a place as any.
Report this comment
I know not of what I speak……
My only joy in life is to run Tech into the ground.
Report this comment
Leach is the BEST coach in the history of Tech. Tommy had two losing seasons out of ten at Auburn, Leach had zero losing seasons out of ten at tech. Did hance make a mistake? Probably did!
Report this comment
my perdition is if we win 10 games people on here will say it was a horrible season…..geeezz guys y’all are such downers.
Report this comment
watchdog…..its not hard to follow what spike did. all leach had to do was win 8 game a year and hang around for 10 yrs. that to me is not greatness.
Report this comment
Leach did NOTHING to me personally and did a lot of good for the university BUT……….i hate him with a passion and will say as much negative about him as i can. I will go out of my way to say something NEGATIVE about him
Report this comment
Sticking to the subject matter. The young man is smart and talented. He’ll make a great Red Raider. Welcome to Raider Nation Mr. Jones!!
I choose to stay positive….
Wreck ‘em!!
TTU’85
Report this comment
Tommy had his loosing season in Auburn after trying to implement an offense that he saw the big 12 using (mainly due to Leach) and he didn’t have the support of his boosters to do so (A problem Leach can relate with). He was trying to bring Auburn back on top of the SEC as the SEC was evolving. And after 1 year of a stumble the admin wanted him gone. All the Tuberville haters just need to pipe down he hasn’t done anything wrong to deserve the bashing. His history shows he can compete with the best and alot of us here are willing to see what he can accomplish. If he can build an SEC style defense in the Big 12 and keep even half of what our offense has been in the past decade then there is no reason we couldn’t be on top. As I recall SEC seems to have the Big 12’s number fairly consistantly as of late. Leach is the BEST coach in history of Tech, that is true… but due to reasons out of all of our control and out of Tubervilles control, Leach is gone… This sucks… but guess what he ain’t coming back, so time to accept it and move on. We can all still be Leach fans but you need to get behind the team that will be hitting the field in the fall not dreaming of the 1 real good season that still ended in disaster.
Report this comment
Really too bad Leach got himself fired. He let a lot of people down.
Report this comment
There’s that thought process again….Leach got fired and did nothing, Jason55
Report this comment
Very well said Raider RED. Thank you. I am a Leach Fanatic. Unless his actions do something to convince me otherwise, I always will be. I support him and am terribly sad he is no longer our couch. That being said, please note I said OUR COACH…That position now belongs to Coach Tuberville. As a Red Raider, I will support him until he proves himself unworthy of my support. Moving on…tomorrow cannot get here fast enough.
Again, I choose to stay positive.
Wreck ‘em!!
TTU ‘85
Report this comment
Now Techster, Leach did do something to get himself fired…
He did not move Jason55 out of the way and bow on his knees before the great Craig James.
Report this comment
Since the story is about Joness I will add this comment. Since this kid is only 17 the upside is tremendous as far as growth and development. If he is a sub 5 sec 40 now he will be fun to watch develop. If you look at many of the top recruits many are closing in on the age of 19 or are already 19 and that makes a great difference. If Jones parents had held him back one year he would have been a top 100 player. Believe it or not that one of the reasons for Techs success is finding these young men who have not maxed out on growth and development. Some of the ones who are the top recruits at the major schools may be as good now as they will ever be.
Report this comment
Techs success in finding these young men was because of Mike Leach….get a grip!
Report this comment
We have spent a lot energy talking about the past. Let’s look at the future. Some of you are sure that Tech will win the Big 12 next year.
Others think that Tuberville will be a bust.
Look at the facts. Tech has completely revamped the coaching staff. All the returning players will have new coaches and a new game plan. The offense will be different. Some of the new recruits have decided to go elsewhere and that will hurt Tech.
Realistically, Tech might have a .500 season. They could do better and they could do worse. With the information we have in January, we have no idea what will happen in the fall. This is not being negative this is being realistic. For Tech fans it would be nice to have a winning season, however, there is no way to tell now.
Report this comment
The good news is that there are kids willing to take a chance on our new coaching staff. If some of you had your wishes we wouldn’t have any new recruits. I’m not sure why any TECH fan would want that…
Report this comment
It’s a wonder they can recruit anybody to come to a school with such idiots for ‘fans’
Report this comment
Whitepaladin I guess you would be happier if people did not care about what is happening at their alma mater. Would you rather we just agree with you (whatever your viewpoint is) and not post anything?
Report this comment
Whitepaladin is right….
These idiots that call themselves fans with all their NEGATIVE posts about the best coach in the history of the school.
Why WOULD a recruit want to experience this…not to mention a corrupt administration.
Why can’t we all just be positive and believe judge Sowder will not allow sovereign immunity and allow our coach to redeem his good name
Report this comment
Wow.
1st Tech has been mediocre for 10 years? There are over 110 teams in div 1. mediocre would mean being ranked around 60 every year. Tech has been consistantly above 35, ranked often, and even made it to Number 2 with a shot at a NC. Ten straight bowl games. Mediocre would be sometimes Bowls sometimes not. Mediocre would be Spike Dykes. Yes Leach is the best coach we ever had.
2nd. He ain’t our coach anymore, as much as I hate to see the pirate go….he is gone. Moving on. Tommy could be the guy that takes us from Good (that is above mediocre) to Great. Our new OC had his team at Troy ranked ABOVE tech in offense last year. I couldn’t fathom it when I read it. Tommy himself lead an unfeated team. We will not be a .500 team next season. I don’t think we will see a drop off. I expect to be ranked at least part of the season, the early UT game will hurt us. I wonder what genius scheduled that game early again….probably the same one that took down Leach.
3rd Until we are great, we will never get a class of 5 star recruits. Leach couldn’t. Check rivals.com back through 2002, we only had one class ranked about 33 (25). Leach found good kids like Mike Jones with potential. He turned them into a winning team. I wonder how Mack Brown could do recruiting if he wasn’t at Texas. Hopefully Tommy can recognize immature talent, take us to the next level, and then take recruits away from UT and A&M…(I guess A&M still out recruits us becuase of their fanatic alumns)
4th As much as a hate what happened last month, the raider nation will prevail. We all need to remember we support our team, our alamater first, our students(expect James), and then our coach. Go Mike Jones! Go Tech!
Report this comment
except
Report this comment
hate to bust your bubble but leach didn’t find Mike Jones….the current staff did.
Report this comment
As the Beach Boys said. “Be true to your school. Just like you would to your ghoul.”
Report this comment
To all of these guys that are complaining that “We are getting kids that none of the big schools wanted.”…..I would like to know when it has been any different at Texas Tech? We win with what we can get!! We always have, if we won at all!
Am I missing something? Was I just not seeing the “5 stars” next to the kids we were getting with Coach Leach? Is it possible that all of you complaining about the recruiting class were using a different rating system? If so might the rest of us see what it was you were looking at? Or could it be that you guys were just “smoking” something and not really looking at anything???
Report this comment
i think a wise man once said….forget what lies behind and press on to what lies ahead….
Report this comment
Why isn’t the AJ reporting on Tre’vante Porter? He recommitted to Tech yesterday…
http://rivals.yahoo.com/nychoops/football/recruiting/player-Tre‘Vante-Porter-72198
Report this comment
atx red raider
That’s the point iv’e been trying to get across
LEAVE all those nasty negative post about coach Leach behind and…
MOVE ON to a positive attitude with judge Sowder not allowing sovereign immunity and our coach recovering his good name
Report this comment
http://rivals.yahoo.com/nychoops/football/recruiting/player-Tre‘Vante-Porter-72198
Report this comment
who said Leach found Mike Jones?
Report this comment
look at the schedule! with leach 10-2 and big 12 south winner, tuberville 8-4 nice bowl………..i hope!
Report this comment
The only recruits that Tubbs has secured since he arrived are the lowest rated recruits on our list. Showing Porter as a recent committ….but he had previously committed and looked around. Good job to get him to come back but still the groundwork had been done before current coaching staff. Most are now reporting that Boone will sign with LSU after his visit there last weekend.
Don’t know if it means anything but Auburn has a top 10…..some say top 5 recruiting class this year in only the second year after Tubbs left. Chizik is recruiting better that Tubbs did at Auburn. So far I haven’t seen anything here to indicate that we can expect any miracles in recruiting. We have never been able to recruit a top 10 or even top 25 class….but we have been able to play top 25 football. Let’s wait and see if Tubbs can do that.
Report this comment
If money and situation were no issue, other than Leach, who would you want to be the coach and why? If TTU got the coach you selected, would they have recruited any better than Tuberville?
Report this comment
Raider76, it was unrealistic to expect Tubbs to come in so late in the game and recruit some big-name players. Most kids have been “committed” for some time now. Like you said, it’s nice that he persuaded Porter to stay, along with Scotty Young, Jackson Richards, and others. Hopefully Kadron Boone decides to stay with Tech as well, but if not, it’s not the end of the world. Once Tubbs and his staff have a whole year to recruit, I’m sure we’ll see some nice players come to Lubbock. Between Tuberville, Willis, and Brown, Tech should be able to pull some good players out of SEC territory. Leach had made his way into Florida, hopefully Tubbs will expand on that.
Still out there for tomorrow are Darrin Kitchens from Florida and J.R. Ferguson from Virginia.
Report this comment
NEWS FLASH
Football scoop is reporting that their sources are telling them former Auburn assistant Steve Ensminger will be joining the staff in an off-the-field role.
Steve Ensminger
http://auburntigers.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/ensminger_steve00.html
Report this comment
Golfwoody, if money AND situation were no issue, I’d want Nick Saban…
Unfortunately, money and situation are huge issues.
Report this comment
TTU ‘06 -
Saban is a heck of a choice. He did a great job at LSU and now at Alabama. I am not sure how he would do with an air raid offense, but he certainly knows how to get the most out of the players he has. How would he do recruiting from West Texas?
Report this comment
“Just because tuberville had a 5-7 record in 2008 and was FIRED from Auburn doesn’t mean he will have a 5-7 record here too.”
No, but this losing record must be taken into consideration, just like his undefeated record the one year must be taken into consideration. What does it all boil down to? Looking at his overall record, it most likely means that he got lucky one season and had a particularly good team that one year.
Overall, his record suggests he’s just a mediocre coach; not great, but not bad. And that’s all Myers and Hance aspire to. The most important thing to them is not to have to pay a big time coach big time money. They would rather have an Insight.com bowl every year and save some money rather than hiring the best coach possible and paying for it. The fact that a big time coach is going to get you to a BCS bowl isn’t important to Myers and Hance. A BCS bowl will just ensure that you have to pay your coach more, and that’s the last thing they want. In other words, Myers and Hance don’t want an “overly successful” coach. If that’s what they turn into, they will have to fire him.
For the record, Leach never went 5-7, so Tuber man is not as good of a coach as Leach. Expectations for Texas Tech football should, therefore, go down, not up.
Report this comment
TTU “06 I agree it was unrealistic for any of us to expect miracles from Tubbs. My point is as much as I love TTU we have not…..and probably will never be able to recruit with the UT’s, OU’s, and as much as this hurts to say the A&M’s of the college football world. Leach was able to compete with those programs without the 4 & 5 star recruits. I have watched Red Raider football for over 30 years and the last few years have been some of the most fun to be a Red Raider football fan. I live in the DFW area and to drive down the street and get a guns up from another car passing because of my TT sticker….well…..that hasn’t happened until the last few years. I was and still am a Leach fan.
But more importantly I am a TT fan and it would be unrealistic for us to expect Tubbs to come in and recruit a top 10 class. Maybe he can…but this year would not be a good one to judge because of the timing of his hire. We need to wait a few years and see if the quality of the recruits continues to improve….but more importantly can he continue to compete on the field with those other programs. We just have to wait and see. I am going to support him….he didn’t create the situation that brought him here.
I am kind of tired of the posts that say “Leach was no good…….he never won a title…..he shopped himself….he didn’t care about the university…he was overpaid”. You can fill in the blank. He made us better on the field than we have ever been. But I am also tired of the people talking about the mediocrity we will face with Tubbs. We don’t know what he will do. He seems to have done a good job so far keeping recruits and has a good reputation.
Guns Up!
Report this comment
Tubs got lucky that one year???? ahahahahahahaha that’s a lot of luck then my friend……
Report this comment
Lots of luck? Well, yeah, that’s what I’m saying. Leach got Tech to number 2 in nation in 2008. By “luck” I’m talking about a particularly good team compared to the norm for the school. Did that #2 rating mean we should expect that type ranking every year? Did that mean Leach should expect his team to be that high in rankings every year? Of course not. He had a team full of seniors and they played like it. That’s why they started out the 2008 season rated so high.
Yes, particularly good teams/seasons happen all the time in football and in every other sport, too. They mean nothing, statistically. It’s the overall record that counts, and Tuber man’s overall record doesn’t wow anyone. Remember, great coaches don’t EVER go 5 and 7. That record says it all.
Report this comment
Now, lets take a look at Tuberville and the eventsup to and after he was hired, he was let go more or less from Auburn but was paid,nobody really knows what really happened, sits out a year and works for espn, anyone connected with Espn at this point will be looked at in in low regards, right or wrong, just facts, Ruff takes over from Leach and wins the game under extreme circumstances, is backed by the AJ and the players, interviews for the job, doesnt get it, Tuberville says that he will keep the offense in place but tweak it, will keep the staffin place but he wil evaluate,his words not mine, now Ruffin dont get the job, lot of people say, the defense needs improvement, if Ruff is made head coach then there wold be a opening for a defensive coordinator, several recruits have said tgey were recruited by Ruff and others, but they decide to hire Tuberville anyways,now you have lost continuyity in the coaching staff,players dont know this guy or the recruits, lets almost all the staff go and gambles on the recruits.my opinion. Now back to Tiberville, good coach with a winning record is 55 years old, likes to fish and hunt, where can you go fishing or hunting around here, comes from a lot better scenery, im sure and could anywhere but here and for more money too, but decides to come here with all this turmoil going on, why? Time will tell., hope hes not another MC WILLIAMS or Sloan? Has he signed his contract, not that we have heard of?
Report this comment
why are you guys making Ruffin out to be some kind of genius????? he coached against a team missing half their starters….AND we barely got by!!!!! I think there are way to many naysayers here for me…… Give the man a chance and stop whining about everything. If this is how some of these people posting act in the work place i would personally would never give them the time of day. just saying……
Report this comment
Raider76, I agree with just about everything you say. We’ll never be on-par with the UT’s and OU’s of the world as far as recruiting goes. We just don’t have the tradition, facilities, location, and overall curb appeal that those powerhouse programs do. But, Mike Leach did improve things a lot over the past decade, raising us from also-ran status to legit competitors in the Big 12. Hopefully Tuberville can continue to recruit well (for TT standards), and I have a feeling he will even improve it. The only 5-star recruit we got in the Leach era was Robert Johnson, a community college transfer. I know those kinds of players are hard to come by, especially at Texas Tech, but I’m hoping Tuberville can get a few. But typically we will get the athletes from Texas who have been passed up by UT and OU…nothing changed there. Just have to know our place in the big scheme of things…try to improve upon it year by year…and every 3 or 4 years, hopefully everything comes together and we can make that big run like in 2008. Just have to finish it next time instead of laying down for a 44-point rout.
Report this comment
Has he signed a contract. Tuberviile? Why would he want to come here and get paid less, lots more less than Mack or even Leach, and under the circumstances? just wondering, nothing personal.
Report this comment
PurpleCow, the answer is because we are TEXAS TECH, we are kinda a big deal, people know who we are, Lubbock is a nice place to live and is full of good people. That is why Tommy would come to Lubbock. Nuff said, Wreck Em’
Report this comment
Double T Nation reporting that J. R. Ferguson will go to Miami:
http://www.doubletnation.com/2010/2/2/1289819/j-r-ferguson-to-miami
J.R. Ferguson to Miami????
The cross-country recruiting journey for Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy’s J.R. “Ego” Ferguson will end in the bright lights and big stage of New York. Ferguson, a four star prospect and nation’s No. 6 rated strong side defensive end, will announce his college choice Wednesday at approximately 10:45 a.m. at the CBS studios and will do so along fellow national recruit Seantrel Henderson of Minnesota.
Connecting the dots… The two visited Miami together on 01/29/2010. Seantrel gave the trip a perfect 10
I am so sick of these recruits and their grandstanding about the schools they sign with. “Ego” is a perfect nickname for this kid.
Report this comment
I get really tired of hearing all the negative comments. I was as big a Leach supporter as anyone. But there is not a single one of you guys that would put up with one of your employees cussing you out. I don’t like how Tech handled the situation, but Leach let his ego get way out of hand.
You guys need to show some pride in your school. One of the differences between Tech and UT or OU is not in the school. When UT was losing or when OU was getting beat by OSU, their fans were still behind them all the way. That is not what I am seeing here. Thank goodness that there is a silent majority of Tech fans out there that are loyal. If Tech depended on you naysayers for support then they might as well close the stadium.
TT is a good coach. And the truth is that Tech has been building a great program over the last 20+ years. Spike elevated the program. Leach took it to a higher level. And the truth is that 13 years ago Tech could not have attracted a coach like TT. So quit gripping and give the man a chance to shine. Hopefully you guys will learn a little school loyalty in this process.
Report this comment
Tuberville still has not signed a contract, he is at the lower end of the pay scale, 1.5 millon or less , that is less way less than Mack., 5 millon and Leach 2.2 millon and Lubbock, yes there are good people here but pretty, no, nothing like he is used to, good luck fishing or hunting around here also, not saying he is a bad coach but do Question his judgement. Personally if I was 55 years old, I wouldnt come here, lots of better places to go with less problems too, dont you think, that said, good luck to him, he will need it..
Report this comment
Why do I get the feeling that someone in the Mainord family spotted and scouted Jones in advance for Tuberville? If so, then look for Jones to be a good ball player.
Report this comment
Ken,
And nobody wanted Wes Welker?
Snoopy,
I am with you. There in more “Whine here than in a vineyard!” Anger at the Leach thing spills over into firing the whole world, and bashing Tubbs. I wonder what they will say if we have a really good season. Oh, I know they will say, “we had a good season because we used Mikey’s players ;-)
Tech Alum
Report this comment
I wish all negativity would stop! Why can’t you all just move on and stop with the negative comments about coach Leach! Let’s just move on toward judge Sowder not allowing sovereign immunity and letting coach restore his good name
Report this comment
Techster,
I like you want to move on. The problem is Coach Leach sullied his own name. The deposition states what he did as to the shed etc. The video with his vulgar statements and attitude toward Adam has been seen by many. He did not handle that situation or Brandon Carter’s well at all. He had a minor revolt on the team this year and just lost it especially after the Houston game where he admitted he lost the game by poor coaching.
Why some here want to bash Tubbs who had nothing to do with any of this is beyond. He is being treated like a non-union scab. THe negative posts will end when they settle. I think Tech should have bought out his contract and showed him the door.
If he had done nothing to Adam James or just sent him off the practice field. Craig James would not have had a rock to stand on. As it was, Coach got the rock, placed it at Tech and helped The James family climb up on it with his actions.
Tech Alum
Report this comment
Iluvpirates said: “Voice of Reason…guess we really have a “saleman,” righ?! We’ll see…proof is in the pudding….let’s see what kind of winning season he brings us…I predict a mediocre season…”
You mean you and Voice of Reason and Techster and the whiners hope for a mediocre season to justify your support of Coach Leach. I also support Coach Leach and it doesn’t mean I’m disloyal to him for also supporting Coach Tuberville. There are way too many haters on this board. If you’re going to blame anyone blame Hance and the boosters who started this debacle by planning to fire Coach Leach and then using Adam James as a pawn to get it done. Myers and Bailey were not even involved to the degree that people think.
Robert said: “We know he hasn’t been completely truthful when applying for this job, saying he was keeping things in place and merely tweaking the defense a bit.”
He never said that or many of the other things people are attributing to him. I keep asking people to provide the proof but so far no one has been able. He said he would keep the Air Raid offensive scheme in place and that the defense needed to improve. He honored the first with his OC hire. Now, he’s trying to rebuild the defense. I hope this kid can help him do that as the defense was lacking and must improve if we are going to compete for championships.
Techster said: “I wish all negativity would stop!”
If you and others would step up your maturity level a bit and realize that supporting this team and Coach Tuberville does not detract from your support of Coach Leach, there would be less negativity.
Report this comment