Flatlined

Yesterday Texas Tech University, I believe, made a grave mistake in the firing of Head Coach Mike Leach, for "allegations" against Adam James, son of former SMU and New England Patriot RB, ESPN'sCraig James. Oddly enough, Craig James has now seemingly contributed in two schools "death penalty". Before I go further with why firing Mike Leach is a grave mistake, take a look at why he was Axed.



This season, oddly enough, Mike Leach became the all-time winning coach in Texas Tech history passing Spike Dykes. In thirteen seasons, Spike Dykes was 82-67-1 with a 2-5 Bowl Record. In three lesser seasons, Leach's record was 84-43, with a 5-4 Bowl record. Mike Leach was one of sixteen active coaches to have never had a losing record in their coaching career. To better appreciate what Leach has done let's start where we were with Dykes and work backwards. Before Dykes there was Jerry Moore, current coach at Appalachian St. Moore's all-time record was 16-37-2 at Texas Tech. Prior to Moore, there was Rex Dickey who compiled a 15-16-2 career record. Before that you find Steve Sloan who finished at Texas Tech with a 23-12 career record. Prior to Sloan, Jim Carlen was at Texas Tech who compiled a 37-20-2 mark. Going even further back J.T King was the guy in Lubbock, and he finished with a 44-45-3 record. We're going older, still, with Dewitt Weaver who finished with a 49-51-5 record. Dell Morgan was before Dewitt Weaver, and he ended up with a 55-46-3 record. To end this journey, we go all the way back to 1930 when the Red Raiders were coached by the only guy in Texas Tech's, long and less than stellar, history who lead an as dynamic offense as Leach did and that team was lead by Pete Cawthon. Cawthon's career record at Texas Tech was 76-32-6. Understand that Texas Tech operates on a much lesser budget than rivals such as the University of Texas, Oklahoma University, Texas A&M, and Nebraska, and Leach has always ran his team with lesser talent. If you live in surrounding area of Texas, your first choice more times than not are not Texas Tech. What Mike Leach has done at a school like Texas Tech is nothing short of amazing, and let us not forget that we are only one year removed from Mike Leach being a game or two away from playing for a National Championship.

60 Minutes profile of Mike Leach



Mike Leach who ran a high-speed high-powered offense who averaged nearly 90 plays a game called all of those plays. As convoluted as the offense is you would think Leach would carry one of those very detailed play-calling charts, but he didn't. Leach carried around a very simple index card, and called most of all plays straight from his head. He out-smarted and out-coached most of all that came against him, and you could never count him out. In the 2006 Insight Bowl versus Minnesota the Leach led Red Raider team set an all-time NCAA Bowl record coming back down 38-7 in the third quarter to defeat the Golden Gophers 44-41 in Overtime.


Insight Bowl Come back


* In 2004 Leach's Red Raider offense scored more points on Nebraska (70) than anyone ever had in the school's history.

* Also in 2004 Texas Tech was down 21-0 midway through the second quarter to TCU. The end result of that game? Texas Tech won 70-35.

* The 2008 Gator Bowl another amazing comeback. Down 28-14 with 3:39 left on the clock, the Red Raiders found a way, lead by Mike Leach to fight back and win the game 31-28.


Sure Mike Leach had his quirks....



But unless something new comes out that he did, that the public doesn't already know, I think the firing of him will and has resulted in the end, as we know it, of any type of competitive Red Raider football team.



From the school who hired Bobby Knight, a guy who choked and assaulted players, Texas Tech, yesterday, fired a man for what amounts to not playing a snobby, cocky son of a snobby, cocky ESPN personality, enough. Coming into the season Adam James was number two on the depth chart, and because he thought the world owed him something special, he is 10th on the team in receptions. A very good indication of what people thought of Mike Leach and Adam James alike: Take a look at some of the e-mails that have been sent.

I'm going to follow Texas Tech even more closely now to watch the immediate fall from grace, and I will be honest with you, nothing would make me happier than for Texas A&M to make a coaching change and hire Mike Leach because there would be ZERO mercy when the two schools played.

Good Luck Mike Leach, looking forward to seeing where your career now leads...