((KCBD-TV))
The exclusive interview with Newschannel 11 and Leach should appear below unless they haven't been able to fix their embed capabilities. Otherwise, go here...
Texas Tech and coach Mike Leach agreed Thursday on a new contract after months of contentious negotiations.
Leach and Texas Tech had essentially agreed on the financial terms of a five-year, $12.7 million deal. But Leach took issue with several clauses the school added when the sides were trading proposals. He was prepared to keep coaching under the remaining two years of a five-year, $10 million contract.
On Tuesday, the school's Board of Regents scheduled a special meeting hours before a second deadline passed without Leach accepting Texas Tech's "last and final" offer.
The board planned to meet Friday in private to discuss Leach's status, but the coach requested a public hearing. Under state law, the board had to grant his request. After the board announced it would honor Leach's request, the coach met with school chancellor Kent Hance to discuss his contract.
Talks stalled largely because the sides were far apart on buyout and termination clauses. But the provision that bothered Leach the most was one that would have triggered his firing and a $1.5 million penalty if he interviewed for another job without getting permission from athletic director Gerald Myers. The clause was added after Leach flew to Seattle to interview for the Washington Huskies job in December.
Myers wrote to Leach's agents that he didn't want the coach interviewing elsewhere, then returning to Lubbock without commenting to reporters. He said he didn't want to unreasonably withhold permission for Leach to talk to other schools, just that he wanted to know when Leach was doing it.
"It wasn't fun," Myers told The Associated Press after the deal was reached. "But it's over."
Leach and his agents didn't immediately return phone calls seeking comment.
In their ninth season under Leach, the Red Raiders reached unprecedented heights in 2008. They went 10-0 for the first time and beat top-ranked Texas to secure the highest ranking in school history at Number 2. Texas Tech was knocked out of BCS contention with a blowout loss to Oklahoma, then fell to Mississippi in the Cotton Bowl to finish 11-2.
Public opinion seemed to favor Leach as the drama unfolded. A few dozen supporters rallied on his behalf Tuesday, the day before a Texas Tech alumnus and another fan took out a full-page ad in the Lubbock newspaper blasting the Texas Tech administration for its stance.
Leach was never fazed by the hoopla, even when it was suggested that Friday's planned board meeting could lead to his firing.
Architect of the nation's most prolific offense the past decade, Leach is 76-39 and has taken Texas Tech to a bowl game every season. He's six victories shy of Spike Dykes' school record of 82.
Those of us at OSG HQ would like to remind AD Myers not to screw with a coach with a law degree. This is what you get... but what you keep is far more valuable.
Just give him a good parking space in the deal, will ya...?
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