Mike Leach Watch: Day 2
by Seth C
on Dec 4, 2008 6:36 AM CST
in Football
UW Dawg Pound's John Berkowitz write last night that Mike Leach will be going back to Seattle this morning for a second interview. Sounds like a done deal, right?
But ask someone who knows Tech’s coach - really knows him, interacts with him on a regular basis: Will Mike be coaching elsewhere next year? Are we seeing the end of an era? The answer I get lately, from multiple people, is always the same: Not if he can help it. He likes it here too much. His family, too.Oh, about that trip this week to Washington and Leach’s visit with UW officials: Knowing Mike, he thought it’d be cool to have someone else pick up the tab while he checked out the Space Needle. And maybe have his picture made next to the original Starbucks, holding his favorite, the big cup of China green tips tea.
Wise fellow, Leach. In all seriousness, with the trip to Washington, he’s exploring his options to be sure. But people around him say Mike doesn’t really have his heart set on finding a new port in which to dock the pirate ship.
Williams goes on to say that should Leach walk, Texas Tech Athletic Director Gerald Myers would be squarely in the cross-hairs of fans' displeasure.
Personally, I'm running a bit of a roller coaster of emotions on how this is playing out.
Yesterday, I was clearly upset that Myers didn't contact Leach the evening after the Baylor game. None of that made any sense to me and it still doesn't. Leach obviously has options, and we were all pretty sure that he was going to be a candidate for any major job.
David, a DTN reader, emailed me and posed the question (which I've also thought about before) if Leach and his agent, Gary O'Hagan, came to Myers early this year with number so high that there's no way that Myers could have said yes. Publicly, Myers couldn't report those high numbers for fear of alienating his coach and Leach and his agent get to see where they are with Myers and Texas Tech.
Leach and O'Hagan, and I'll blame O'Hagan here, maybe knew that and were perfectly willing to let the circus begin on Tuesday.
If that's the case, then I don't like it.
But this brings up another point, how much money is too much money for Leach? Right now, Leach officially makes $1,750,000.00 which puts him 31st in the country. Here are some Big 12 notables:
- Bob Stoops (1) - $6,500,000
- Mack Brown (9) - $2,910,000
- Mark Mangino (16) - $2,300,000
- Mike Sherman (26) - $1,800,000
- Art Briles (27) - $1,800,000
Does Leach deserve to make as much money as he wants? I do think Texas Tech does not have an unlimited budget, like Texas or Oklahoma, and is somewhat limited on what they can spend on a head coach.
How much does Coach Leach deserve and how much is too much? I'ld love to know how you guys feel about this.
Current Emotional State - semi-panic mode. There's just too much information for me to believe that he's not seriously considering other positions and I hate that it's come down to that. I'm not sure what should have been done differently other than Myers getting his ducks in a row to be ready to present a contract to Leach on Sunday, but there's a strong possibility that this would not have mattered anyway as Leach and O'Hagan wanted to shop from the beginning and Myers knew that.
And I also wanted to mention that two brothers are starting a website asking you to donate money (it's NOT tax deductible) to keep Leach in Lubbock. I can think of 100 charities that probably need your money and during these tough financial times, plus you would get a tax deduction. I get the sentiment from these guys, they want Leach to stay by any means and they want to show their appreciation, so their hearts are in the right place. They love their coach, but I don't see how asking for money is going to help the situation.
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Reminds me of pro sports
We want to blame the player/coach, we want to blame the owner/administrator but, when it comes down to it, it tends to be the agents that are the scum. See: Leigh Steinberg (NFL), Drew Rosenhaus (NFL), David Falk (NBA) and the biggest devil of them all…Scott Boras. They don’t make money unless the coach/player makes tons of money. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Leach’s agent threw out some numbers that were just unworkable. As much as Tech fans want to blame the administration and yell “show him the money!”, we have to realize there IS a budget limit. We may beat UT and A&M on the field, but we’ll never beat them in the coffer. It’s just something we have to come to grips with.
So, for me, I would tend to direct my ire towards the agent as I’ve seen and read about their underhanded deeds in pro sports and don’t think high-profile college football coaching is any different. Of course, Mike Leach also has to agree with his agent’s proposal so it may be hard to separate the two.
by TracySaulRulz on Dec 4, 2008 8:17 AM CST 0 recs
Agent
I have to agree I heard where Hance wants to deal with Leach in person, not with his agent. The raiderpower guy was talking on a radio station here in Houston yesterday and made it seem like his agent is really hard to deal with. That being said it might be his agent making this such a big deal. I also heard this morning that Auburn was going to take a look at Leach. They are the ones I am worried about because they can afford to pay him big bucks. On the other hand I have to look at it from Leach’s view in that this is HIS football program, and he is finially competing with the big boys. If he thinks the Big 12 south is hard try the SEC where you can’t have a bad year no matter how much success you have had in the past.
by ST04 on
Dec 4, 2008 9:19 AM CST
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my opinion....
I have to say, this whole situation makes me sick on so many levels. On the one hand I am looking at this saying … Why dont they just give him the money he gave us 11 wins so far this year and has put us on the map for about the first time in program history. We have been in the top 10 all year, and even though most of the media loves to bash on Leach’s system and downgrade our players as being “system” players, we are still all over the place on TV. Would it be that way without Leach? So in that aspect I really have to question Tech’s AD in letting this go on for so long, I mean teams were showing interest in Leach throughout the season and we had two different bye weeks in which they could have structured something to Leach’s liking.
With this in mind I also have to look at Leach here and ask WHY? Why in the middle of our best year would you let such a distraction happen to the program and team? Whether anyone wants to buy into it or not this kind of thing has a HUGE impact on players, maybe a sub-reason for how unfocused the team has been on the field in the past two outings? As an ex football player myself (though not for Tech) I have to say that playing for a coach that is looking for jobs elsewhere doesnt give you much confidence in his commitment to the team. Im not saying Mike is giving up on his guys or anything, but he is making it LOOK like he doesnt want to be in Lubbock, which sends a bad vibe to players.
Yet another thing that keeps burning in my head is that he is showing this much interest in a Pac-10 team that could not win a game this season while his Red Raiders went 11-1!!! I just have so much trouble seeing how someone could take a team that he built practically from the ground up, filling the rosters with his own recruits and just look to start all over. I mean he isn’t looking at allot of talent in UW, he would be starting over from scratch.
In all this is really starting to bother me, Mike Leach has a contract with years still on it, why is this becoming an issue. Year after year it seems we are stuck having to worry about if Leach will stay or not… will a new contract even give us that peace of mind? It sure didn’t last time.
Whatever side the responsibility lies on, this situation needs to get resolved ASAP! This whole back and forth “we have talked to Leach” … “No you haven’t” thing NEEDS TO STOP! We can’t afford to turn into Texas A&M here, we have seen what happens when teams start trying to trade new coachs in and out.
by Vassago77379 on Dec 4, 2008 8:24 AM CST 0 recs
ya know...
“Whether anyone wants to buy into it or not this kind of thing has a HUGE impact on players, maybe a sub-reason for how unfocused the team has been on the field in the past two outings?”
I pondered that myself. Now I’m not saying it was the only thing, but I got kinda ticked when we got BOMBARDED with “Leach to Tennessee” rumors (biggest one from an “unnamed source in Austin”, hmm…) right before the OU game. It’s a part of the business that’s just really poor for players, and a reason the administration REALLY should have considered negotiating right after the UT win.
At the moment, I’m concerned. The biggest cause of that (besides Leach’s constantly wandering eye) is the admin publicly stating that there is a “limit” in how much we can pay Leach. I know that that is TRUE, but admitting that publicly seems like pre-emptively warning the fans that we’re gonna lose Leach on economic grounds. I may just be overthinking it, or Leach’s agent may be throwing out a number that no school is realistically gonna pay, but that quote still bugs me.
I also gotta say, if Leach does go, should we take a shot at Tuberville?
by HeeroTX on
Dec 4, 2008 9:50 AM CST
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same page
I have wondered the same thing… everything looks like Tech is trying to brace fans for something that is out of our hands. Personally I think Leach’s agent is a d-bag, I have read plenty of sh*t about that guy, one article I read was saying how the admins at Tech wouldnt re-do Leach’s contract before the season because his agent hinted that they would want to restructure it again after the season anyways (depending on their success anyways) Buuuut thats all hearsay anyways.
On Tubberville, I just dont know if 1) We could offer him something to make him want to come to Lubbock and 2) If our team is structured to fit the kind of prgram he runs… Or if he still has it for that matter, he did fall off at Auburn…. and throw his staff under the bus to try to save his own butt… do we really want that around Tech?
by Vassago77379 on
Dec 4, 2008 10:03 AM CST
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two things about Tuberville
#1, He can recruit, Auburn got some great players and got some awesome things in place during Tuberville’s reign.
#2, He can hire, Auburn has been crazy good on assistants for the last several years. I’d lay odds 2:1 that UT went nuts to lock in Muschamp this year because Auburn was having a crappy season and they had nowhere to go to replace him if Muschamp left. (two of UT’s best DCs came from… Auburn)
Mack Brown has already proven that if you can do these two things, you can win big even if you can’t coach worth a damn.
by HeeroTX on
Dec 4, 2008 11:07 AM CST
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Tubbs and his staff to MSU
This is what they are saying in Auburn. He wants Sylvester Croom’s vacancy.
by Red Raider in South GA on
Dec 4, 2008 1:06 PM CST
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Agree
Heero – “I know that that is TRUE, but admitting that publicly seems like pre-emptively warning the fans that we’re gonna lose Leach on economic grounds.”
I think that is absolutely true. It’s a preemptive comment, for sure. It gives them wiggle room to say, “Hey, we wanted to keep him, but his asking price was out of our league.” If that happens, well, all I can say is we should have maybe taken a couple of million from that east side expansion and given it to Leach. We’ll all find out soon enough, though.
by Tech92 on
Dec 4, 2008 10:04 AM CST
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agreed
I know people are talking about keeping Leach and willing to throw money at him, but this is actually in line with what I expected. After the OSU game (but before OU) when Tennessee fans were making a lot of noise I noted this:
-If Leach won the NC then we don’t lose him on money or the administration gets DESTROYED, I don’t care if it would’ve put us in hock for years, you don’t lose the coach that brought us our first NC for ANYTHING, you say screw that stadium expansion and give Leach all $25 (now 28) million if necessary.
-If Leach won the Big 12, but lost the NC, we probably keep him. The “low note” close would suck and people would fight hard, we PROBABLY keep him on money (I’d say 90%) but if someone wanted to go INSANE (which they might on a “losing” NC game coach) then we’d probably let him go.
-If we lose the Big 12 (or in this case, don’t play for it) then it’s 50/50. We’re having a great season, but we STILL haven’t gotten an outright title or “broken through”. In this state if a “big money” school wants to “overpay” for Leach, I could see us not matching it simply because he still hasn’t done anything specific to warrant paying him more than say Bob Stoops. (Stoops has won several outright Big12 titles and 1 national title, I love Leach but he hasn’t matched that)
If the price is in the $3-4 mil range, then we’re in the discussion unless Mike Leach just WANTS to leave. (whether for the coastal PAC-10 or a “high prestige” job like Auburn) If he WANTS to leave then we ain’t keeping him no matter what we’re willing to spend. But If he’s good with staying for the right price, we only lose him if another school thinks he’s worth paying BIG, which is possible with the year we had. That’s why, from a “keeping Coach Leach” standpoint, we had the worst outcome possible in terms of the team.
by HeeroTX on
Dec 4, 2008 11:16 AM CST
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I don’t think we pay more than $3 million.
What I’d like to see more is to lock him in at the $2.65 million and give him an extra _ to spend on assistant coaches. No other school is going to pay more than that for Leach. Not at a rate adjusted for cost of living.
by kayakyakr on
Dec 4, 2008 11:24 AM CST
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After
as many years as Leach has been here, it surprises me that people still don’t know how his brain works. We’ve all seen this pattern before, and the outcome is always the same.
He stays.
And I’m still taking odds. Anyone want a piece of that?
Wes Welker can't be stopped.
by 10forTech on
Dec 4, 2008 11:56 AM CST
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Panic-level: Watching intently.
I haven’t reached the state where I have even thought of him leaving (except as an exercise for seeing who it is that I would want to replace him). There are so many conflicting rumors flying around that I am ignoring most of them. I’m going to wait until we’ve actually heard the statement, “We have offered Mike Leach and are waiting for him to accept” or from our own guys, “Mike turned down our contract, we are renegotiating” to go to the next stage of panic.
by kayakyakr on Dec 4, 2008 8:30 AM CST 0 recs
Still Defcon 4, just placed the interceptors on high-alert. We’ll see what happens today to see if i move fully to defcon 3.
by kayakyakr on
Dec 4, 2008 8:43 AM CST
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See, now you're panicking too!
Haha. I’ve been talking to my roommate about it, and he, also a Tech grad, thinks Leach stays. For sure. I’m still panicking on the fence.
Go Tech!!!
by jwhitettu on
Dec 4, 2008 9:59 AM CST
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yes…nothing makes sense out of all this. Here are some quick points as I will not listen to talk radio or check websites until I hear a "We have offered Mike Leach and are waiting for him to accept" or from our own guys, "Mike turned down our contract, we are renegotiating"
1) If UWDawg website is correct that Leach left to Seattle for the second interview, how the hell does Tech admin let the guy go without seeing an offer??? Create a rain delay and get the guy to stick around to get the deal done.
2) This baffles me—AD is working on contract extension, but the board of Regents has to approve. Meeting is next week?? By next week, Leach will either be looking for purple/gold attire if this doesn’t get hammered out by week’s end.
3) Why the UW? I understand it’s the state university and he only has to play USC for the title, but here are my cons:
a) Neuhisel and Willingham could not win there and they are both proven coaches.
b) It’s an outdoor, turf stadium with rain 70% of the year. The Air Raid offense will not be as efficient there.
c) Good luck recruiting….OU and Texas are top 5 every year because of the players are from TEXAS, not Seattle.
d) Why start all over—-Leach is just getting started with the Tech program and is an icon for West Texas.
As I have said before, the smoke screens are all over the place right now. Leach has got to do what’s best for him. I hate to lose him, but I would rather have a coach that wants to be here and win; not a coach who looks for the best thing year in and year out. You guys saw my post of ideal candidates: i do feel they can put us in a situation to win.
by WreckerRaider on Dec 4, 2008 9:05 AM CST 0 recs
As much as it pains me to say it
http://www.washington.edu/alumni/columns/march02/images/place_stadium.jpg
the picture speaks for itself
by ashton99 on Dec 4, 2008 9:24 AM CST 0 recs
it's got to be a fake
i’ve been to Seattle at least a dozen times and i’ve never seen any sunshine
by jeraco on
Dec 4, 2008 11:14 AM CST
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of course if he gets a deal for what he's truely worth he can afford a pirate ship
docked over there for vacation time down the coast. Although, I remember reading something about how he enjoys the Fl Keys the most so moving west wouldn’t make sense. Plus, competing with Pete and Rick is going to be a real challenge. Any 4 & 5 star out of that state would rather go to LA, Austin, or Fl for that matter. He’s been too far attached from the west coast to make it a quick turnaround. Texas and Fl have most of the talent and he should know that.
by ashton99 on Dec 4, 2008 9:30 AM CST 0 recs
I have to admit…that is a pretty shot, but from what my friends who live there tell me, it’s maybe 1 saturday during the fall season. It’s usually foggy or raining during the games.
by WreckerRaider on Dec 4, 2008 9:48 AM CST 0 recs
Auburn is scary
If he goes to UW I think he is a fool because all he will get is that nice view just a few times a year. I don’t think they have more money than Tech and recruiting is much more difficult especially against USC etc. And I do think the offense struggles in that weather. That’s why former Coach James is on record to go back to a smach-mouth run strategy. But, Auburn does have the money and prestige. However there you must win and especially beat Alabama. If Tuberville beat Alabama this year then he is still the coach probably byt lose 1 time ( after winning 6 in a row) and you are out. But I would consider him if Leach left. He really is a very good coach and he might be open as he showed this year to hiring former Leach/Tech offensive assistants and let him and Ruffin tackle the defense. And if we could get Romeo Crannell to have back after he is fired that would be incrediable defensive coaches. Wreck’em Tech Keep Leach
by techgolf44 on Dec 4, 2008 10:09 AM CST 0 recs
One thing about Leach....
I mean I love the guy and everything he has done for Tech. I started going to school at Tech a year after they picked him up, and have rarely missed a game since… But I mean to be critical of him here (partly because it looks more and more likely that he will leave) he still hasn’t every shown he can win a big game on the road. Im not trying to be over critical of our Red Raiders here, I bleed red and black … I just cant shake the gut check that I get every time I see us go to a big time away game and show up flat. At that point it is coaching more than anything right? Again, maybe I am just being prematurely bitter with all of this Mike Leach leaving talk.
by Vassago77379 on Dec 4, 2008 10:12 AM CST 0 recs
Hostage
We should hold all his pirate belongings in his office hostage untill he signs, and if he doesn’t sign make his pirate skeleton walk the plank into the seal fountain. Also if he goes we should schedule his new team in our non-conference, and let him know what it feels like on the other side of the jones.
by ST04 on Dec 4, 2008 10:39 AM CST 0 recs
what about the pirate code?
someone as knowledgable as the captain should know the punishment for desertion
by jeraco on Dec 4, 2008 11:11 AM CST 0 recs
What about
the punishment for mutiny?
Wes Welker can't be stopped.
by 10forTech on
Dec 4, 2008 11:24 AM CST
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Bit Premature
UCLA has been after Leach for years, and he hasn’t paid that institution any lip service.
The University of California’s system-wide endowment is approximately 3 times the size of UW’s. Also, California, with 36 million residents, has more than enough football players to feed both UCLA and USC the top talent.
Maybe I don’t understand Leach or his way of thinking, but I would take the sun of Southern California over anything Wash has to offer. I mean, would he rather go over to Hollywood to advise Johnny Depp on his next Pirates of Carib gig or try to sail from Vancouver to steal some salmon booty from British Columbia fishermen?
While looking at the histories of UW and UCLA, they both have a few great seasons on the books, but they’re not the programs of lore.
It’s my belief he is building one at Tech, and he is proud of it. In the hub of an area (West Texas) where football rules, he has started to sink a foundation into the minds of youngster all through the Southwest to think of Texas Tech as an aspiration for their collegiate years. I think the Captain will stay. While he is, of course, motivated by compensation (booty) like every American (pirate), he knows the legacy he leaves is worth much more than dollars.
by rpowel2 on Dec 4, 2008 11:33 AM CST 1 recs
Thanks rpowel2
You said it better than I could. I completely agree.
May cooler heads prevail.
Wes Welker can't be stopped.
by 10forTech on
Dec 4, 2008 11:38 AM CST
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Disagree
He had the opportunity to interview at UCLA last year and wasn’t offered the job.
by Tech92 on
Dec 4, 2008 12:03 PM CST
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I just heard Chris Level from Tech Talk 950 AM...
Saying he just got off the phone with Kent Hance, and Kent said he had been calling Leach’s agent cause that was their agreement, to use the agent for working out the contract…but he said the agent is not returning calls
by TT4EVER on
Dec 4, 2008 12:14 PM CST
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Nice. Maybe the agent is using Tech as a bargaining chip with the other interested schools, not the other way around.
by Tech92 on
Dec 4, 2008 12:41 PM CST
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Clarification on my previous post...
Kent said he talked with Leach personally yesterday, and Leach wants the contract negotiations to take place between his agent and Tech, but his agent has not answered or returned calls at this point…
Chris Level just reported at 12:57 pm on Thursday, that reports that Leach is in Seattle right now are NOT true…no mention of his source.
It’s just very confusing right now…I’m ready for this to be cleared up so we can move on to the Bowl Game!, or coaching search, whatever we need to do!!…I’m about sick of this crap!
by TT4EVER on
Dec 4, 2008 1:03 PM CST
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You disagree with what exactly?
UCLA didn’t offer him the job because Mike told them up front that he was getting paid THREE TIMES as much at Texas Tech as their starting offer. Did UCLA want him? You bet. They couldn’t come up with the money.
Wes Welker can't be stopped.
by 10forTech on
Dec 4, 2008 12:42 PM CST
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Cha-Ching!
Leach is set to earn $2.65 million next season because of an $800,000 contract completion bonus.
Wes Welker can't be stopped.
by 10forTech on
Dec 4, 2008 1:18 PM CST
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Stand corrected Tech92
It’s not the UCLA administration that wanted Leach, it’s their fans. From the UCLA Bruin blog:
“On a different note, as I watched Texas Tech upset Texas on Saturday, I couldn’t help but think about how badly Texas Tech coach Mike Leach wanted the UCLA job, but couldn’t get a sniff because UCLA’s administration believed Leach’s personality is "out there” and he wouldn’t be a good mix for the school."
Ironic that an LA college thinks someone’s personality is too “out there?”
Irrespective, I just can’t buy the UW job. I have to agree with WreckerRaider’s #3.
by rpowel2 on Dec 4, 2008 12:38 PM CST 0 recs
One more note...
I find it strange that people are so readily skewering the administration for not “locking-up” Leach before the season.
1. Leach is not at the end of his current contract.
2. NO ONE had the ability to look into the future and predict what Texas Tech has done this year. It is so easy for people to look BACK at the success we’ve had and wonder why we didn’t offer him more money at the beginning of the season.
Think about it. We could have easily had another 8-4 year. Without the knowledge of how the season would pan out, why would you offer extra money to someone that already has a multi-year contract and hasn’t proved he can (and still hasn’t) win the NC, the conference championhip or even the Big 12 South. It just can’t be justified.
This, of course, doesn’t justify the lack of talks immediately after the Baylor game but there are just too many people saying we should’ve done something before or during the season.
by TracySaulRulz on Dec 4, 2008 12:45 PM CST 0 recs
Let's not forget...
Leach’s first training is as a lawyer. No matter how much we want to talk about this Pirate BS, he’ll fall back on his training and hide through his agent and make a grand show of it to extort what he can out of Tech.
As soon as Hance gets his fingers on that slippery snake/agent, he’ll get a deal done. That guy could sell a nuclear waste dump to people in West Texas…oh…wait….
by rpowel2 on Dec 4, 2008 12:57 PM CST 0 recs
Aw dang you had to go there. Hance is a good talker though and if he doesn’t get Leach to stay then noone would have.
by ST04 on
Dec 4, 2008 12:59 PM CST
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In good humor
Sorry just in jest I had to go there… I love the guy to death so there is no one I trust more than him to get it done.
Does anyone know if Leach will be on 950 at 5pm today for the regular call in show?
by rpowel2 on Dec 4, 2008 1:09 PM CST 0 recs
IMPORTANT
Per Joe Schad at ESPN, Leach has pulled his name out of the running for the Washington job!
by Tech92 on Dec 4, 2008 2:08 PM CST 0 recs
Stand by…looking to verify this…may have jumped the gun, myself. Was sent to me by a friend.
by Tech92 on
Dec 4, 2008 2:14 PM CST
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Rivals agrees with you:
http://texastech.rivals.com/
by HeeroTX on
Dec 4, 2008 2:21 PM CST
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Nice. Wonder if Auburn holds any interest. I can’t see working for that administration at all. He’d be a beaten horse, and I don’t think those Alabama people would take to Leach the same as they would have in Seattle.
by Tech92 on
Dec 4, 2008 2:24 PM CST
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