The Mike Leach Dispute that has split Texas Tech fans
59When Mike Leach, head coach of Texas Tech, was fired days before Texas Tech met Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl last winter, there was an immediate and loud reaction from many fans. Leach was a popular, eccentric coach, and the mastermind of the wide-open, football-throwing, yards-gaining, pass-crazy, Texas Tech offense. Just days before Leach was to coach his team in the Alamo Bowl, there were reports that he had been suspended for alleged mistreatment of an "unnamed player". Hours later, the James family released a statement that the player was Adam James, son of Craig James of ESPN. Leach had allegedly confined him to a shed when he complained of a concussion.....but enough about that. Anyone even vaguely connected to Texas Tech knows the story, as do many people who have NO connection to the university. Leach is suing the university for breach of contract and the case is slowly making its way through the legal system. The charges have already been shown to be false. The event that has damaged Leach's reputation, brought Texas Tech into the spotlight in a negative way, and has caused many to question ESPN's role in giving Craig James a forum to plead his case, has another casualty: the Texas Tech fan base.
The Red Raiders, often known for being one of the rowdiest, enthusiastic, and formidable groups to fill a college football stadium, are split , hopefully not irrevocably, this year. There are the host of fans who support Mike Leach and stand up to an administration they claim railroaded him out of town without due process. Within days of his firing, the facebook group "Team Leach" had over 60,000 members. At the Alamo Bowl, the stands were full of fans holding signs supporting Leach and condemning Adam and Craig James. Many, many of these fans continue to support Leach and to withhold donations and support from Texas Tech to protest Leach's firing. Some fans still believe that Leach was wronged, but have decided to support new coach Tommy Tuberville and the football team unconditionally, and let the courts work it out. Still others claim they are glad Leach is gone and embrace Tuberville as the leader to a "new era"....
Seems simple, right? To each his own....but check out any online article that talks about Texas Tech football. You will see Leach fans still defending him and reluctant to support Tech in any way after the questionable behavior of the administration(and yes, I am one of those- he gave Texas Tech 10 years, is the winningest coach in Tech's history, and was run out of town on charges that the "victim" has even stated didn't happen). You will see Tech fans sneering at the Leach supporters, claiming it is time to "move on" and "get over it". And you will see anger and name-calling from those who feel some fans are not giving the proper support to the new coach.
The Texas Tech fans no longer need Texas or A&M to spar with: there is so much infighting among the fans about what happened and why that to see their interaction is like watching rivals face off. Gone are the days of the like-minded, rowdy, tortilla-tossing, pirate gear-wearing Red Raiders. Just another casualty of the Leach firing.
What the administration did to Mike Leach by dragging his name through the mud was, in my opinion, wrong.What ESPN did by allowing Craig James to use his position to advance his case against Leach was, in my opinion, wrong. And what this whole affair has done to tear apart the Tech fanbase is, in my opinion, heartbreaking.
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you nailed it. it is heartbreaking and it is a shame.
You are so right! The fan base is divided, all because of teh corrupt administration. I will support Tech football, but I'll never forget the damage that the administration has done to Tech.
miss the most import thing....Texas Tech holds HONOR high. School song includes "Strive for honor evermore...." Well Tech had no honor in the backhand dealing with Leach and trying to get him out of his contract. That is the kernel that feeds the Leach supporters.
Hear that Hance ????? He's right !!! You ran off the Best Coach Texas Tech Ever Had, and In my book, that makes You The WORST Chancellor That Texas Tech Ever Had !!!!
Great Job!!!! All in favor of making Kristen the person in charge of writing our press releases should say "Arrr" on the TL page. lol
You are so right. What ever else happens with the law suit and people on each side of the fence on this one....everyone that has ever loved or been a fan of Tech football should all be outraged over the administration and their insane handling of this and what it has done to split the Red Raider nation. I lay the blame solely at their feet. If they don't have anymore diplomocy than that, they don't need to be connected to Tech any longer. It just make me wonder what else they have screwed up!
Exactly, and what continues to bother me the most are the fans who are so willing to "move on" under the "leadership" that so ineptly created this whole situation. They still blame Mike and that is their shame. Anyone who has done even a little digging knows that Mike, while not perfect, has more integrity than all those "leaders" who opposed him even before the incident combined. I will not tolerate the reign of these self-serving manipulators at my alma mater. The subject is closed when they are gone and Mike's reputation is restored. Only then will I be able to enjoy Red Raider football again. Hance, Myers, Bailey and BoR, resign!
GREAT article, and Eberly is correct, "striving for honor" was left out! However, what a damn good article, and you should be in charge of all press releases!!! lol Thank you!
A great article that needed to be written! I think another point some do not understand is the hurt this event has caused. Yes, just plain hurt. You have someone who has given so much recognition, fun and joy to me, my family, and my community - be maliciously slandered - and in my name! That's scarey! I know it causes us a shame we want no part of. So, can this damage ever be over-come? Maybe it can't. But, if it has a chance TTU needs to restore "Striving for Honor Evermore" convincenly and fast! I know we will never get Coach Leach back, but, we still want our Texas Tech back.
Wow! Y'all really are delusional. Just because you write an article making claims doesn't make it so. And of course the comments you mentioned are all for Leach. You linked the article to a website mostly in favor of him.
Your claim that the fan base is divided is crazy talk. Season ticket sales are higher than they have EVER been. Not becuase Hance is buying thousands of tickets, because fans are. I've heard from many fans who are purchasing season tickets for the first time. And don't say they must be lying because they are still marketing tickets. A new record doesn't mean that they are all sold, just more sold than ever before.
And the info about people not donating?? The RRC has said that donations and memberships have continued to be strong. It seems most of the people crying about Leach didn't donate or buy tickets in the first place and aren't real fans. Go Tech!
CK- Thanks for your input....look at the comments above yours, and look at your own. The fanbase is divided.
I did not read anything in here that cannot be backed up by sworn testimony. And you have just proven her point.
@ ckgarris... if you actually did any research about the subject before ranting, you might actually see that the author is correct.. in sworn testimony, Adam James stated he went into the "shed" on his own and thought it was funny.. Craig James also stated in sworn testimony stated that he went to several sites disguised as someone else to pump up the story. if you would only take a second to look into facts, you too would agree with arnoldk..
ckgarris you are officially 100% fact free. Please tell me you know how many Season tickets have been sold? Have you been drinking the cool aid too?
Please show us the facts on TTU tickets sales.I do not want to know how many were given away like thrifty nickel want ads just give us the actual bottom line.Show us the money.
Just more "crazy talk" from a real fan.
Who cares about a coach that didnt do 3/4s of his job?
The only this that Leach did well was coach the offense to score, and beyond that he didnt do his job.
He didnt recruit well at all. The level of talent leach brought to Tech is vastly inferior to that of even Oklahoma State. Tuberville has already managed to secure the best recruiting class in Tech history (as per rivals)
He didnt do any fund-raising, or meet with large donors. This is actually a very important role for a D1 football coach. Being the face of the program, the coach is required to go out and meet and greet donors, something leach didnt like to do, so guess what? He didnt do it. Not only did he not do it... he managed to [filtered word] off an entire booster club enough that THEY BANNED HIM.... HIS OWN BOOSTER CLUB BANNED HIM.
Promoting the program, over all was lack luster. He had a good thing with the media attention, but thats only half of it. He, and his staff, were well known to blow off conferences with other football coaches across the state and nationally. Recently in a Texas Football Coaches conference, when the new staff arrived, many were surprised because they had not seen Tech at a conference like this in years.
Finally, Coaching. He did a decent job with the offense, but he completely ignored the defensive side of the ball, and that is something a head football coach just cannot do.
I cannot see the attachment some of you people have with a person that just did not do their job. Anywhere else they would have been fired years ago.
Thank god we have a coach now that fully understands what their job is.
@arnoldk: The fan base is not divided. There is a fringe group of fans. And the reason the comments on here are divided is becuase the author linked this story to the TL page. Of course the majority of people commenting/reading are in favor of Leach
@katgirl5525 I didn't say anything about the trial/sworn testimoney. I only commented on the fact that the fan base is not divided. For all you know, I could want Leach to win the case.
@TDubya I don't have access to who exactly bought the tickets. I know because there was the big story a couple weeks ago that we broke the record and I've heard from many friends who bought for the first time, including myself. Yep that's right, I didn't buy season tickets under ML, but I am under Tuberville. You're calling me a liar, so show me the facts that they weren't sold, or that thousands of tickets were given away. You can't. Don't accuse me of lying if you can't back it up.
great article! this is the REAL picture. the circle of ignorance keeps getting bigger and bigger with those who don't have any clue about what is really going on. record sales??? that is the oldest trick in the book. corporate sponsers and donors are the ones buying up all the tickets. the fan base is split and to think otherwise is delusional.
I just noticed on Texas Tech Athletics, they are argueing about a RED Out vs a BLACK Out and whether Red is Red or Scarlet is Red and what a Red Raider really is... so who are the ones that are delusional??
at least Team Leach is 100% on the same page. that is more than I can say about that the current fan base at Texas Tech.
If Tech does well this season, it will be because of Mike Leach. Simple minded people can't understand that Tech had a cash cow with Leach.
So all you Leach haters... enjoy this football season!!! and ya'll figure out whether it's Red Red or Scarlet is Red.... geez, what a bunch of morons!!
I noticed on
All on the same page? Marc and Bobby had an 80 post fight the other night!
@Karen: Fans arguing over whether to wear red or black to a game doesn't mean the fan base is divided. These are fans who support Tech and are planning going to the game. The same can't be said for y'all. Again, y'all are a fringe group.
What proof do you have that its corporate sponsorship and donors buying all the tickets. And even if it is true, what proof do you have that this is happening for the first time this year and hasn't even happened prviously. You don't.
And you say it will be all because of ML if we do well. Thats ridiculous. Yes its his players, but they are not coached by him, did not get in better shape because of him and if we do well, our defence certainly won't be good b/c of him. Based on your logic I assume you feel it will be all ML's fault if the fball team does poorly. Its stil ML's players afterall...
Excellent article Kristen! It's so very obvious that the Tech fan base is extremely divided just like the politics of this country. Anyone who can't see that must have their heads stuck in the West Texas dust! The over zealous marketing of the Tech administration is a certain example of that. And, when speaking to those who solicit donations for Tech admit that they are having trouble getting people to support Tech and this current administration because of their dishonorable actions involving Coach Leach, just proves that the fan base is severely divided. There is no question that when alumni who have supported Tech faithfully and ferociously for 20, 30, or 40+ years like I have refuse to support this current administration with monetary donations or any type of support, yes, there is a divided fan base.
This all goes beyond just the dishonorable firing of Coach Leach, it goes to the fact that those responsible for this division just don't get it! Striving for Honor Evermore was instilled in me by my Texas Tech University, not this current shell of an institution being run by ego-driven people. I will continue to fight for my Texas Tech to be restored and will again one day be able to support everything Texas Tech when Coach Leach's reputation is restored and those responsible for this division are gone from anything Tech!
katgirl5525 21 months ago
thank you for this article. so much damage has been done not only to Coach Leach but to the Tech fanbase. thank you for expressing it so clearly.