Mike Leach’s undefeated Texas Tech Red Raiders will be center stage Saturday as they host #1 Texas in Lubbock. The game reps the pinnacle of Leach’s coaching career, which has seen him go from the smallest of colleges to coaching football in Finland to an assistant-ship under Bob Stoops at Oklahoma.
(Creepy: Leach has painting of himself as Van Gogh in his office)
I’ll be rooting like crazy for Leach, because he’s the kind of guy that makes the main media uncomfortable. The reason he isn’t a bigger name on the national scene? He’s always in control of the conversation during interviews, which the hair-gelled types in Bristol despise.
He doesn’t fit into the little, tidy box that the College GameDay crew wants him in. The Bob Stoops, Urban Meyer buttoned-down profile. Kinda like Kansas’ Mark Mangino last season, who was generally ignored by ESPN & Co. despite authoring one of the most astonishing stories in the history of college football.
Mangino and Leach, though different personalities, are the same guy. Outsiders. You can put Pat Hill in that group too. Too honest, too quirky, and in some cases, too innovative. Take for instance Leach’s attempt to get the head coaching jobs at UCLA and Miami in recent years.
Leach, who has pursued the UCLA job twice in recent years, was passed over in favor of Karl Dorrell, who turned out to be a turd hire by AD Dan Guerrero. Then Leach was spurned in favor of two-time loser Rick Neuheisel, who had UW and Colorado both in decline and facing NCAA violations when he departed. And Slick Rick is off to a flying start this year with the Bruins!
You may also remember Donald Trump begging the Univ. of Miami to hire Leach over Randy Shannon two years ago. Shannon has since turned out to be underwhelming at best.
Meanwhile, Leach quietly has turned Tech into a powerhouse while being largely ignored - until Saturday. Funny thing about those national rankings, now the major nets have no choice but to come to Lubbock.
Leach is the reason I love college football. Yes, you have the colossal bores like Stoops, Mack Brown, Jim Tressel, etc. Preaching the same tired dogma, year after year. But then you get the interesting guys on the outposts of civilization. Like Leach in Lubbock, who is the kinda fellow who isn’t above giving serious dating advice on his weekly coaches show:
And a weather forecast:
And hangs out with the students (no, not like Larry Eustachy):
And pulls his next kicker out of the stands.
And believes pirates are real.
And wants to recruit in Jamaica.
God I hope Tech wins Saturday.
8:23 pm on October 31st, 2008
I'm pulling for Texas Tech, too. Gives the Trojans a better shot at going back to the BCS title game.
8:25 pm on October 31st, 2008
Yeah, the Red Raiders have racked up the points & the yards, but against who? Teams that even Syracuse has a chance to be competitive against.
But if they're able to knock off the Longhorns on Saturday, I'll finally be convinced.
8:27 pm on October 31st, 2008
I'll have to go with UT on this one. They're already ran through a murderer's row of Oklahoma, Missouri and Oklahoma State, so Texas Tech should be one more impressive notch on their belt.
8:28 pm on October 31st, 2008
Any coach that irks Corso & Herbstreit is OK with me. Go Leach! Go Tech!
8:29 pm on October 31st, 2008
It would be nice to see at least one Raiders team win this weekend.
8:31 pm on October 31st, 2008
I'm also rooting for Tech. One less obstacle for another Penn State run to the title.
8:32 pm on October 31st, 2008
Hook 'em Horns!
8:35 pm on October 31st, 2008
Texas better not fall asleep on Texas Tech, even if they get a big lead. The Gophers were up 31 on the Red Raiders at the Insight Bowl, only to lose to TT in OT - a loss that still pains me to this day.
8:38 pm on October 31st, 2008
Since my Commodores won't be going after that elusive 6th win this weekend, I'll be cheering on the Red Raiders to upset the Longhorns. We underdogs gotta stick together.
8:40 pm on October 31st, 2008
Neuheisel will turn things around, give him a chance. And what's in the past is in the past. This is his alma mater, and I don't believe he'll try to do anything to get the Bruins in trouble.
8:43 pm on October 31st, 2008
Pat Hill a dangerous coach to face. I saw Fresno State rough up Wisconsin at Camp Randall a few years ago, back when the Badgers were in top form. This guy isn't afraid to face anybody, anytime, anywhere. And I do respect that kind of mentality.
At least Fresno's not ending their season against 1-AA Cal Poly. And the Badgers would be hard pressed to even win that one.
8:44 pm on October 31st, 2008
My money's on the Longhorns. Literally.
8:45 pm on October 31st, 2008
Trump was right. Dump Shannon, bring in Leach. At least the guy's got personality.
8:48 pm on October 31st, 2008
Mangino and Leach, though different personalities, are the same guy.
Not quite. You need 3 or 4 Leaches to make 1 Mangino.
8:49 pm on October 31st, 2008
If Mike Leach is like Van Gogh, is he also missing an ear? Then how does he hold his headphones up?
8:50 pm on October 31st, 2008
Go Texas Tech. Alabama thanks you in advance.
8:52 pm on October 31st, 2008
How college football times have changed when the ESPN College Gameday crew would rather be in Lubbock this weekend instead of Jacksonville.
8:55 pm on October 31st, 2008
I hope Corso picks Texas Tech, just to see him wear that silly Zorro mask.
8:58 pm on October 31st, 2008
Was Leach able to learn the Finland song?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgTyVkpJY3g
9:05 pm on October 31st, 2008
Corso will probably pick Texas. But instead of putting on a steer's head, he should put a steer's ass on his noggin. It's more appropriate for him.
9:06 pm on October 31st, 2008
Any chance Mike would like to come to Seattle? We have a job opening up.
9:09 pm on October 31st, 2008
Football coach. Romantic advisor. Food critic. Meteorologist.
Mike Leach is a true Renaissance Man.
9:11 pm on October 31st, 2008
Even though it's a road game, Texas shouldn't have any problems with Texas Tech. The Longhorns already went out west to face UTEP and crushed them easily.
9:13 pm on October 31st, 2008
Stoops, Brown & Tressel may be bores, but they win. I'd rather have a winning bore than an excitable loser.
9:14 pm on October 31st, 2008
Rock Strongo:
So Mike Leach likes to dress in funny clothes and go to fairs? Huzzah!
9:17 pm on October 31st, 2008
I don't care much for any team in Texas since June Jones bolted for SMU.
9:20 pm on October 31st, 2008
Quack:
The same UTEP team that got bulldozed by Buffalo? And not the Buffalo Bills of the NFL, but the Buffalo Bulls of the MAC?
9:24 pm on October 31st, 2008
It sure would be nice to shut up some of the more obnoxious UT fans I have to put up with.
4:24 pm on November 1st, 2008
Of course, most of the country is rooting for Tech. Texas is #1 with a bullseye on its back. Nothing new for Texas, though.
This is the biggest game ever for Tech and Lubbock. It's the biggest game………….this week…………..for the Longhorns.
Hook'em