Who is going to go after Mike Leach?

Submitted by Heisman212 on
That didn't take long. Where will he end up if anywhere. Maybe he'll just do more guest apperances on Friday Night Lights.
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brendandavis22

December 30th, 2009 at 1:20 PM ^

Just a guess. I know what people will say... "that would be a major step back" but lets face it the guy is probably not looked upon all that well right now. Central can snag him, keep their nice run going and he can use it to get his career back on the up-and-up. Win-Win

Joined: 09/14/2009

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Plegerize

December 30th, 2009 at 1:33 PM ^

As a Central student, if CMU could pull in Mike Leach, everyone would be ecstatic in Mt Pleasant. That would be a huge pull especially someone of his caliber. At the same time, I don't even think Central would contemplate it much because after one successful season he'd be on the first train out to a better job and after the last two coaches bolting in such short time periods, they're gonna try to find someone who would stick around for more than just 3 years.

Joined: 03/26/2009

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HartAttack20

December 30th, 2009 at 4:46 PM ^

They would be extatic. He would be a huge hire for CMU. Central should never deny a guy because they think he might be using them as a stepping stong. Sorry, that's basically what every coach that will ever coach there is aiming for. CMU is a top-tier MAC school. You aren't really going to build a dynasty there. I'd be willing to bet that this trend continues.

Joined: 06/08/2009

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maizenbluenation

December 30th, 2009 at 1:21 PM ^

If I had to guess, I would say he will either get a shot at another school like Texas Tech (poor team in a decent conference) or he will have to be a position coach/coordinator for some time and behave himself so he can get another shot at being a head coach in the future.

Joined: 08/20/2009

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CRex

December 30th, 2009 at 1:24 PM ^

Depends on the firing. TT has just said "with cause." They've had problems with Leach before, over his contract and all that, so maybe they were happy for any reason to jettison him with cause. It is was more of that, then he won't be a toxic commodity and a lot of schools might look at him. Likely he'd be off for at least a year since a lot of coaching holes have already been plugged. If the electrical closet thing was true, then hiring Leach is pretty much recruiting suicide. It seems a little odd, all week old players and coaches have been saying Leach wasn't abusive, the shed wasn't a bad place and James was a cry baby. So it seemed like he was headed to be cleared. I wonder if TT was made over Leach suing the school, as opposed to letting the administration move at its own pace, and dropped the axe more for that than the player problem.

Joined: 09/28/2009

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Clarence Beeks

December 30th, 2009 at 2:58 PM ^

"so maybe they were happy for any reason to jettison him with cause." Exactly. Texas Tech was put into a bit of an awkward spot when his contract came up because they were coming off of their best season, pretty much, well, ever. They HAD to re-sign him if he wanted to stay or face a huge revolt from their fanbase. But the reality is that revolt is still going to come anyway and at a much higher cost to the "prestige" of the school and the program.

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Simi Maquoketa

December 30th, 2009 at 1:36 PM ^

He'll take a year off, get some counselling, and come back as an OC. He's prolly not coming back to the Big 12, though. Hard to speak without all the facts--but IF this thing went down as Adam James says, I hope coaches are getting the message now. Yell at a kid, grab his facemask, make him run the steps. But use some goddamm common sense and responsibility that should come with a $3 million per year salary. If it's a farking "privilege" for a kid to play at a school like Tex Tech, USC, Michigan, or wherever--it's one HELL of a privilege to make the kind of money that will support your family for two generations, and to also be the face of a university.

Joined: 12/03/2009

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allezbleu

December 30th, 2009 at 1:37 PM ^

still would be a great hire for an average BCS program. had cinncinati not hired butch jones i think he'd be a perfect fit there but i guess its too late for that. i think he'd be a great fit at maryland if it weren't for whoever their coach-in-waiting is. just doesn't seem to be an opening though...

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West Texas Blue

December 30th, 2009 at 1:41 PM ^

Leach will collect some money, sit out the year, and have a choice at a Big East or ACC school. He's too good of a coach for someone to pass up. All this shitstorm will pass and will hardly be remembered.

Joined: 06/30/2008

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Tater

December 30th, 2009 at 2:45 PM ^

This begs a few questions: 1. If the kid lied/exaggerated concerning the "shed" and the "electrical closet," how can anything else he said be trusted as anything but the whinings of a pampered, disgruntled player who has an inflated opinion of his worthiness for playing time? 2. If Craig James is such an great parent and his job often takes him to facilities like this one, why hasn't he toured the facilities where his own son plays ball enough to know what his son was talking about? 3. How honest and forthright has Craig James been in this matter? My first reaction was that this is an excuse to fire Leach because of a combination of listening to other offers last year, losing four games this year, and the "fat girlfriends" statement. I have seen nothing here to make me change my mind. So, apparently, the kid was put in a place with three trainers, ice to help control inflammation, and dim lighting to prevent a concussion-related migrane, and the head coach is fired for it? This is a major crock of horse-pucky. James should be fired from ESPN for using his position on the food chain to help his son set this character assassination into motion.

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jmblue

December 30th, 2009 at 3:20 PM ^

So, apparently, the kid was put in a place with three trainers, ice to help control inflammation, and dim lighting to prevent a concussion-related migrane, and the head coach is fired for it? Here is the crucial question: why didn't he send him to the training room, which has a lot more amenities for injured players? TT is not hurting in the facilities department. That dumpy old storage room was not the best they had to offer. I'm sure the training room has lightswitches than can be turned off if desired. You cannot reasonably assume that sending James there was done solely out of concern for his welfare. The head coach at a school with palatial football facilities does not normally send injured players to an old storage room. The most reasonable assumption is that it was some kind of punishment (for what, is debatable). I mean really: when Carlos Brown suffered a concussion the week of the Iowa game, do you think RichRod made him go to the room where we keep the tackling dummies?

Joined: 11/07/2008

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mejunglechop

December 30th, 2009 at 3:33 PM ^

I think you hit on the salient question which is what was this punishment for. Considering this was quite a mild punishment, James had a reputation as a slacker and Leach has no history of forcing players back before they're ready, there's no basis for concluding what he did was a fireable offense.

Joined: 07/09/2008

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Blue_Bull_Run

December 30th, 2009 at 5:20 PM ^

Regardless of how big or small it is, why did he send the kid there? Is it common practice to send concussed players into confinement? I'm not trying to rip on Leach, it's just that he could have saved a lot of trouble by just sending the kid home or to a doctor.

Joined: 11/25/2008

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jmblue

December 30th, 2009 at 1:53 PM ^

He won't get a job this year. Schools will be gun-shy at first. But he most likely will get one (probably at a MAC-type school) in 2011.

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CRex

December 30th, 2009 at 2:14 PM ^

Yeah really. Have you seen our secondary recently? We do not want to play against that kind of offense. Nooooo! Maybe CMU will steal our O-Coord and we can quick snag Leach as an O-Coord while he lies low for a few years. We'd never keep him, but a man can dream. Is Purdue happy with their new coach? Leach seems like the kind of guy they'd kill for.

Joined: 09/28/2009

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the_white_tiger

December 30th, 2009 at 8:46 PM ^

Frankly, his offense is very simple and easy to scheme against, look at when Oklahoma routed them last year, and to a lesser extent when Texas played them this year. There needs to be calculated pressure with tight man coverage, so the quarterback can't make all of his progressions. Shooting those huge gaps in the o-line is not too difficult. Yes, the offense can seem unstoppable, but with the right gameplan, it can be shut down. Leach looked absolutely lost in that game against OU, and his team could do nothing right. Playing in the Big Twelve hasn't hurt them either.

Joined: 02/07/2009

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HeismanPose

December 30th, 2009 at 2:02 PM ^

I think he'll easily get an offer from a BCS conference team, though it might be next year. TTech made a very hasty decision. This guy single-handedly brought their program into the national spotlight. I think half of the 122 D-I teams would want him. Ironic that this is the same school that hired Bobby Knight. What are they thinking? Are they that scared of some bad press from ESPN?

Joined: 09/21/2009

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bringthewood

December 30th, 2009 at 2:05 PM ^

I could see Minnesota pulling the trigger on Brewster after the bowl game and go for someone like Leach. I'm sure there are a few decent jobs that may still open up. I'm not sure he is a radioactive as Mangino.

Joined: 09/07/2009

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Wolverine In Exile

December 30th, 2009 at 2:16 PM ^

As much as we kid GO FIGHT about Tim WIN TEAM Brewster, Minnesota's a Big Ten school HUGE WEIGHTLIFTING ROOM, and in real life one of the MACARONI AND CHEESE IS TASTY more touchy-feely Big 10 members, so I don't think WIN THE JUG they'd touch Leach TCF BANK STADIUM HAS LEATHER SEATS with a 10-ft cattleprod. I hate it that whenever you GOPHERS TOUCHDOWN YES talk about Brewster and the Gophers LAND OF 10000 LAKES, the spirit of his Twitter account I JUST DROVE FROM WINNETKA TO DULUTH posseses you like a cheap Ouiji board.

Joined: 11/08/2008

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Wolverine In Exile

December 30th, 2009 at 2:11 PM ^

Leach will maybe take a year off, come back at a D-I but non-BCS school with a decent track record (see: Miami NTM, Bowling Green, East Carolina, someplace in the WAC), put up ungodly numbers in 2 seasons and then bolt for a BCS job, probably in the SEC (where they don't mind that borderline abusive coach mentality as much... "errrr hes just like Bear Bryant! Bear wouldn't have stood for that gumption") or Pac-10 wannabe like Wazzou/Ore St. Chalk up 7-9 wins per year and BOOM! TOUGH ACTIN TINACTIN! he's Capt Jack Sparrow all over again. What we have here is a failure to communicate and some borderline physical mistreatment of an athlete. It's not like he committed recruiting violations, which while sounding tacky, is the real death knell for a coach. And plus, he's not black (only partially kidding here).

Joined: 11/08/2008

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Wolverine In Exile

December 30th, 2009 at 2:29 PM ^

The Joker, Smoker, Midnight Toker as his Coach-In-Waiting. Spin the wheel again. Plus, the SEC isn't as fun as it used to be coaches wise. The Spurrier / Fulmer spats were a hell of a lot more fun to watch than Saban v Meyer or Kiffin v Meyer. Maybe Leach would spice things up some more, but I fear he'd need more than 1-2 years to get his system in place at a place like Vandy or Ole Miss and he wouldn't be given the time. I'd rather see him at East Carolina where the whole pirate motif can be brought out 100% full bore...

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Hannibal.

December 30th, 2009 at 2:37 PM ^

Leach has actually already been at Kentucky. He was the offensive coordinator for Tim Couch and he was Hal Mumme's offensive coordinator at Valdosta State. Leach was to Hal Mumme was Rodriguez was to Tommy Bowden.

Joined: 09/09/2008

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CRex

December 30th, 2009 at 2:47 PM ^

Leach had stayed at Texas Tech and worked to build their program up. as opposed to jumping ship when his first contract was up. I think I hear a rather loud "D'oh" coming from the general direction of Cincy. If they could have lured him in and paid him they'd have been set to dominate the Big East.

Joined: 09/28/2009

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Birdman

December 30th, 2009 at 2:49 PM ^

This sucks, he was one of my favourite characters, in any sport. I think its pretty bad whats just happened to him, getting sacked for something like this stings real bad too. He'll come back too a BCS school but I don't know if he'll still be as fun anymore.

Joined: 07/01/2008

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big gay heart

December 30th, 2009 at 2:52 PM ^

I'm taking fired "with cause" as, essentially, Mike Leach and AD Riley not getting along. Consider the quote from ESPN: "A person close to the inquiry told The Associated Press that Leach was "begged to work something out to avoid a confrontation." Couple this with Leach's comments re: his contract and sounds to me as if these two idiots couldn't get along and Riley gave him the axe. Which, of course, spells doom for Riley, because he's already hated while Leach is very well liked. lol @ TTU.

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