Texas Tech Sends Mike Leach Packing

Mike Leach, the most successful football coach in Texas Tech history, was fired for cause Wednesday, effectively immediately, his attorney confirmed to FanHouse.

Leach's attorney, Ted Liggett, declined to comment further when reached by telephone early Wednesday afternoon, only offering "you will hear more later."

That could only mean this already awkward divorce between the West Texas school and its quirky head football coach is only about to become even messier as court battles and a lawsuit are certain to ensue. As of early Tuesday afternoon, the school had yet to officially announce the firing, but its silence, and the fact Leach's name had been removed from the school's athletic website, were telling.

Leach's surprising dismissal stems from his alleged mistreatment of an injured player, Adam James, during practices Dec. 17 and Dec. 19 in preparation for Saturday's Valero Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.

Expect Leach's camp to argue the James ordeal, which accuses Leach of secluding the son of former SMU star running back and current ESPN analyst Craig James in a dark equipment shed and then in an electrical closet, is nothing more than a convenient excuse for certain administrators at Tech to jettison the against-the-grain coach.

"I believe there is a [perception] that the root of all problems that Mike has had with the administration stems from a conflict with Gerald Myers and that's not true," Liggett said to FanHouse on Tuesday. "There is more to it than that and there may be a day that it all comes out or this could end amicably and it won't."

It's true that in 10 years on campus, outside of winning on the football field, Leach (84-43) has done little to keep the support of the likes of school president Guy Bailey, chancellor Kent Hance and longtime athletic director Gerald Myers. Leach has rarely held his tongue when it has come to his differences with the administration.

At the same time, many on campus had grown weary of some of the controversy aimed at Texas Tech as a result of Leach's off-the-wall statements such as this fall's "fat little girlfriends" diatribe after his team was upset by Texas A&M. Myers and others had also grown tired of Leach's flirtation with other jobs each season, like Miami two years ago and Washington last offseason.

In fact, Myers and Leach hit an impasse last winter when Myers wanted his head coach to agree to a loyalty clause in his contract. It looked as though the two could have parted ways on the heels of the Raiders' most successful season ever -- an 11-2 Big 12 South championship season -- before an agreement was struck in February on a five-year, $12.7 million deal that was supposed to keep Leach around until 2013.

But now if Texas Tech has its way, that deal will be null and void. Most coaches' contracts have a conduct clause, and if it's violated, the school can dismiss the coach without owing him anything. That also means Leach could lose the $800,000 bonus he is due to be paid Thursday.

Leach's tenure seemed in serious trouble Monday when the school announced it would place the coach on indefinite suspension as it investigated allegations that he mistreated James while he was injured. The situation became more strained when Leach, a Pepperdine law school graduate, and his attorney forced Tech's hand Tuesday by filing a motion in a Lubbock court to lift the suspension, and allow Leach to coach the 8-4 Raiders in Saturday's Alamo Bowl.

According to Liggett, when he arrived in court Wednesday morning for the hearing on the restraining order against the suspension, he was handed a letter by Texas Tech general counsel Pat Campbell and told win, lose or draw that Leach was out effective immediately.

Liggett, who did not bother to go forward with the restraining order motion, vowed to file a lawsuit against the school on Leach's behalf.

While Leach has not commented publicly since arriving in San Antonio Monday to find out he had been suspended, he did deny any wrongdoing in a sworn affidavit.

"I have never and would never intentionally harm or endanger a player. I am committed to Texas Tech University and the well-being of my football players. I have been forced into this situation without being afforded any process," Leach said in the statement. "Not being allowed to coach immediately will cause irreparable harm because preparation for the game is ongoing and it will be over on January 2, 2009. Every minute of preparation is critical to be ready for the game."

Leach becomes the second Big 12 head coach to be investigated in the last month for alleged mistreatment of student athletes. Kansas launched an investigation into accusations against Mark Mangino, and the embattled coach was forced to resign a week after the Jayhawks finished their season with a six-game losing streak.

In the meantime, Adam James remains on the Raiders' football team and is preparing with his teammates to meet the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday, according to a school spokesman. There have been accusations leveled that Leach and Craig James had been at odds in recent weeks over his son's lack of playing opportunities. The coaching staff has questioned Adam James' work ethic both privately and in publicly.

James has caught just 17 passes for 154 yards and one touchdown this season.