DTN Roundtable: 02.17.09

by Seth C on Feb 17, 2009 6:08 AM CST in Double-T Nation Roundtable

This week, we look at the looming question at hand. Feel free to answer in the comments.

What happens on February 18, 2009?

NM992:

Nothing happens. No new contract, no more negotiations, no firing, no new coach. Leach still has a contract that is valid for the next 2 years. He will coach in 2009. If this was boxing, the 17th is the bell between rounds. Both parties will go back to their corners, and in a little while the bell to start the next round will ring. Maybe something happens over the summer, but I have a feeling it will be sometime next season when a coach at a major program ends up on the hot seat. Or Bobby Bowden announces his retirement. Leach's name will get thrown into the hat, and Tech will have to decide whether to scramble and try to get a new contract signed or let Leach sail off into the sunset.

Tech92:

I am confident that if an agreement isn't reached by the deadline, the offer(s) will be rescinded and Leach will continue as the coach in 2009. Tech won't fire the guy now because it would cost us a decent chunk of change to pay him out, then go pay for a new guy. Leach won't quit because he lives for coaching and won't want to sit out the 2009 season (I don't think we'd ever see him in the NFL...his offense is too risky for that. Spreads, yes, but not the way he sets the offense). Since there are no current D-I openings, he'll be preparing for a run in the fall with this team.

What I think happens later in the spring or summer is that the sides again sit down - but without the glare of the media and rampant blog and chat room speculation and arguments. They'll have had time to cool off, get a bit of separation from the contentiousness of the last few months and have a better perspective of where things stand. With hindsight and history as their guide, they will come to an agreement Tech and Leach will both be happy with and that will be that. We'll get a press release announcing the signing and the details after the fact.

I don't think this is a relationship headed for divorce. They may need a little couple's counseling, like many marriages, but in the end it will work out in a manner that keeps Raider Nation from imploding on itself.

Seth C:

I've got very little this morning. You can find my previous entries on the Saga of Mike Leach here (February 7, 2009 :: February 8, 2009 :: February 12, 2009 :: February 14, 2009).

The one thing that's bothered me is something that one of Leach's agents, O'Hagan mentioned early in the process, which was that really this contract needed to be a 7-year contract because with the current 5-year deal, we are going to be in this same place next year.

Although O'Hagan mentioned it, it seems to be something that neither party has pushed, which indicates to me that neither party really wants a deal done and no one wants a commitment for that length of time. This has been a wild ride and as someone that writes about it as much as I do, I hope some decision is made either today or tomorrow.

In the meantime, enjoy some Dwight Yoakam sing Swingin Doors on Art Fein's Poker Party, and yes, the camera work is exceptional, but the singing is extroidnary.:

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Comments

Lets review the poll...

176-128 the gap gets wider… Even with Tech "homers" all over this board this total shows Seth that even the most ardent Tech fans are not on the fence..
The loyal dog "I will always be a Red Raider with or without him" type statements is an example of why OUR school hasn’t been a winner in the past…fans from WINNING programs expect excellence, and you don’t get excellence unless you expect it…
So lets give Leach a long term deal like the other major colleges do their coaches and require excellence!!!!

by EDCNP on Feb 17, 2009 7:22 AM CST reply actions

Let’s take me for example, what am I supposed to do? Perhaps I’m underestimating my influence, but I seriously doubt that I could have changed anyone’s mind, if I were inclined to do so. I’m not going to change the mind of the administration or IMG or anyone else. I just have a blog.

Just because I see both sides of the argument doesn’t make me, or anyone else a “loyal dog”. If there’s any reason why we haven’t won in the past is because Texas Tech doesn’t have half the athletics budget that UT, TAMU, or OU has.

But let’s be clear about this. I blog about Texas Tech, not Leach, not Gerald Myers, not Kent Hance. I’m going to write about my university, whether we win or lose. I will probably not be a happy camper if the football program goes in the toilet, but I always will be a Red Raider. However, that doesn’t meant that I want to be mediocre as well. I want success for Texas Tech, I want a winning football program, I want all athletics to be successful.

I’m pissed that it looks like Leach is going to leave. I’m pissed at Leach. I’m pissed at the administration. And I’m pretty sure I just yelled at my wife just for the hell of it (just kidding about yelling at my wife).

I can scream from this blog all day long that I’m angry at the entire situation, but I have to assume that there’s a lot going on with this situation that we don’t know about.

I’ll say it again, everyone deserves some blame.

Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation

by Seth C on Feb 17, 2009 7:08 PM CST up reply actions

Don’t forget my response: “I refuse to prognosticate because it makes me sick.”

by kayakyakr on Feb 17, 2009 8:13 AM CST reply actions

Ha!

I wasn’t sure if that was an actual answer or just denial. Sorry for not including with the original post.

Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation

by Seth C on Feb 17, 2009 7:26 PM CST up reply actions

Feb 18

Isn’t that when we are supposed to have that box for our TV? j/k

I don’t think anything will get worked out today, but Leach will stay because of his current contract, then this summer, or next season a new contract will get worked out. Hopefully Myers will be gone. I don’t hate Myers, I think he has done alot for Tech and has helped build the program we have. However, I have personally delt with Myers in the past and he is a hard guy to deal with. I was a student, but I pay to go to school, my money paid his salary, and he pretty much just blew us all off and wouldn’t give us the time of day. So that is why my opinion of him isn’t very high.

by ST04 on Feb 17, 2009 9:08 AM CST reply actions

Learfield vs IMG

Nothing will get signed today.

1) Learfield’s deal with the University is 30+ million.

2) Leach’s contract negotiations are at 12.1-12.7 million.

3) IMG is Leach’s agency. Learfield is Tech’s agency. They are direct competitors.

4) The plus in the 30 million Learfield deal comes from the fourth clause in the contract:

Leach must "assign over to the university and its agent, Learfield Sports, all rights to his name and identity, so that the university can sell Mike’s time and the use of his name and identity to third parties."

This requires that Leach sign over his personal rights, name, likeness and identity to the University.

by Pancho on Feb 17, 2009 9:28 AM CST reply actions

I dont see this ever happening. Because that 30 mil could be his instead of Tech’s. You can talk about loyalty all you want but 30mil is alot of money.

by ST04 on Feb 17, 2009 9:56 AM CST up reply actions

Is Learfield’s deal part of the public record also? Anyone have a link to PDFs? This is all very delicious.

by farmerdave on Feb 17, 2009 10:01 AM CST reply actions

Learfield Deal with Tech

http://media.www.dailytoreador.com/media/storage/paper870/news/2009/02/09/Sports/Board.Of.Regents.Approves.Sports.Marketing.Deal-3618367.shtml

by Pancho on Feb 17, 2009 10:06 AM CST reply actions

Learfield vs IMG

http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/57948

by Pancho on Feb 17, 2009 10:06 AM CST reply actions

Leach's Book Deal

Under the new clauses the profits from his new book to be released in August would be assumed by Texas Tech. Nice.

Link to FWST Dwain Price’s editorial:

http://startelegramsports.typepad.com/colleges/2009/02/mike-leach-wont-sign-his-contract-today.html

by Pancho on Feb 17, 2009 10:30 AM CST reply actions

Leach Stock

Although I am not in the brokerage business, I do know that you always want to sell when your stock is at its greatest value. As intelligent as Mike Leach is, I think someone (maybe a stock broker) should remind him that although his stock is at an alltime high NOW; this will not be the case next year. As far as TT has come the last nine years with him, we have never picked right up where we finished the year before unless we have multiple stud playmakers coming back like we did this past season. If TT surprises the college football world in 09’ THEN he can and should ask for the moon. If TT has a down year in 09’ his stock will plummet and this contract (if offered again) will have then looked liked TT offered the entire solar system in lieu of the moon!

by bb78 on Feb 17, 2009 10:44 AM CST reply actions

Bye Bye Leach

My guess is that nothing is signed today and Leach is fired by the end of the week. You simply can’t expect to operate a successful program, raise $$ from boosters, and (most importantly) bring in recruits for 4-5 years when you can’t get a contract signed that has your coach signed on for 5+ years. No kid wants to play in that situation…and no kid wants to commit to a school where the HC could be gone in a year.

by mctrees02 on Feb 17, 2009 1:44 PM CST reply actions

I don’t see him getting fired. Pretty late in the game to get a new coach/system in place, plus all our new recruits would leave.

by ST04 on Feb 17, 2009 2:06 PM CST reply actions

While I agree that it is too late in the game to change this season, the recuits are legally bound to this university, unless they want to sit out a year…which some might but the majority will not

by jcw114 on Feb 17, 2009 2:26 PM CST reply actions

Ugh this F-ING sucks

by ST04 on Feb 17, 2009 3:59 PM CST reply actions

Ok well

Lets just say that IMG, Tech, and Mike don’t reach a new deal by the deadline…

If the economy can somehow go up just a little bit, or at least enough during 2009 that money is more expendable in the university’s case, maybe they can find a way to restructure the contract and re work more incentives into the deal so that he can get a little more money and we can lock Mike up for the rest of his days as head coach at tech.

I think Myers wants Leach to become the AD personally. I think Gerald only has a few years left in him until he’s done serving his tenure as AD. I could see the Hance and the rest of the administration going out and trying to get a guy from the SEC or Pac 10 possibly but that’s a discussion for another day.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the next hour. Im crossing my fingers.

by tturaider1284 on Feb 17, 2009 4:23 PM CST reply actions

It would be cool if they were all like SIKE….. we got ya

by ST04 on Feb 17, 2009 4:27 PM CST reply actions

I couldn't have said it better...FST

Leach deserves a raise and more latitude. And here’s why.

For three straight games last fall in Big 12 contests against Texas, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma, Leach’s Red Raiders were involved in the No. 1 college game of the week that was shown nationally during ABC’s prime time 7 o’clock hour. That’s mega money and extraordinary attention for Tech.

On top of that, the Raiders had their highest ranking ever (No. 2), tied for their most wins ever (11) , graduated 80 percent of their players this season, had two legitimate Heisman Trophy candidates in Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree, and were profiled in a positive light on the nationally acclaimed 60 Minutes TV show.

All of this came under Leach’s watch.

Isn’t that the kind of coach colleges cater to? Isn’t that the kind of coach that should be able to get whatever he wants _ within reason _ from his university?

But that hasn’t been the case with Leach, and it’s still a mystery why he isn’t shown much respect from the powers that be at Tech. Especially since Leach is constantly trying to match wits with national powers Texas and Oklahoma while playing basically with Texas’ jayvee squad.

Now I’m all for Leach notifying his bosses when another school wants to interview him for a job. But for Tech to think they deserve to own the personal property rights, plus collect every dime from the naming rights and likeness of their football coach, and speaking appearances that he makes is way, way out of line.

Leach and a friend of his who is a writer grew up together in Wyoming, and are currently working on a book that will be released in August chronicling the coach’s life. Do you honestly think Tech deserves all the proceeds from that book?

If Leach winds up at a college that’s the No. 1 school in that state _ where he can hand-pick the type of talent UT and OU regularly gets _ the rest of the country better watch out. Only then will the folks at Tech realize they should have given Leach whatever he wanted.

Tech had its best recruiting class earlier this month since Leach arrived in Lubbock in 2000. Those players are there because of Mike Leach.

And if Leach isn’t at Tech after next season, some of those same players will leave Tech because of Mike Leach. The powers that be at Tech must remember that.

by EDCNP on Feb 17, 2009 5:08 PM CST reply actions

please do not

copy and paste without quoting the source. I think this is from FWST’s Dwain Price.

Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation

by Seth C on Feb 17, 2009 6:56 PM CST up reply actions

I mean with a link

as I realize you mentioned “FST” in the title of your post.

Go Raiders . . .
Double-T Nation

by Seth C on Feb 17, 2009 7:15 PM CST up reply actions

DMN-contract talks

See the post on Dallas Morning News, colleges. BOR & Leach will meet Friday from 2 to 3PM to discuss Section 02.03.2 of Regents’ Rules concerning coaching contracts, among others.

TTpilk

by TTpilk645 on Feb 17, 2009 5:26 PM CST reply actions

Did I miss another one?!

Yes, I did. I was in San Antone all weekend. My prediction: Texas Tech will not fire Leach. They will revisit contract negotiations after spring football. Everybody soon realizes that the program’s success is reliant on Leach being here. Yes, Texas Tech Football would survive without him, but let’s be honest – Leach does more with less. We get more bang for our buck than any other BCS program. Leach signs a 5 year contract by the start of the ’09 season, but I feel he may leave after 3. Am I getting too far ahead here?

by djollie111 on Feb 17, 2009 7:14 PM CST reply actions

I would have said the same thing – right up until this evening when the BOR called an emergency meeting for Friday dealing with a section of the bylaws dedicated to mult-year agreements, hirings and terminations. I don’t want to say Tech is about to cut the guy loose, but they are about to cut the guy loose.

by Tech92 on Feb 17, 2009 7:24 PM CST up reply actions

I wonder what the terms of Gerald Myers’s contract are.

by NM99 on Feb 17, 2009 8:52 PM CST up reply actions

A guy on the radio from the chronicle here in Houston was saying that he heard from a credible source that Leach was going to be fired.

by ST04 on Feb 17, 2009 7:57 PM CST reply actions

Then it MUST be true!

Not dogging you or anything, but I’ve just about had it with anonymous sources with “inside” info.

by djollie111 on Feb 17, 2009 8:04 PM CST up reply actions

I hope it isn’t either but it was from Richard Justice who is usually pretty good. I hope clearer heads prevail this week though

by ST04 on Feb 17, 2009 8:26 PM CST reply actions

ONE QUESTION

What would the BOR reasoning be for firing Mike Leach?

by ST04 on Feb 17, 2009 8:32 PM CST reply actions

Thanks Seth

Seth, I’m a newbie to your website and blog. Been reading it for about 3 months now and decided to sign up. I gradulated in ’87, wife in ’89, and sister in ’85. Keep up the great work.

by wwttfamily5 on Feb 17, 2009 9:48 PM CST reply actions