TWTW: Navy Runs All Over East Carolina

((HT: WITN-TV Greenville, NC))

You know, this game was 28-21 at the half...???

And the final was 76-35...???

Ricky Dobbs ran for a TD and threw 2 more as Navy set a school single-game scoring record. This was the worst loss in the first-year McNeill Administration.

Alexander Teich ran for 157 yards and a score for the Midshipmen, now 6-3, became bowl eligible for the eighth straight season.

Dominique Davis threw five TD passes for the Pirates, now 5-4, who pick up their first home loss this year. The 76 points set Navy's single-game record and it's the most points by an East Carolina opponent in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

Navy also finished with 521 yards rushing- the most ever by any opponent in Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium and the second-most ever allowed by the Pirates behind West Virginia's 536 yards in 2002.

It was also the second-most points allowed by East Carolina in any game, trailing Guilford's 79 they scored in November 1932.

Yikes...

Bill DiNicola sits at the adult table...

Ruffin McNeill lands at East Carolina

***BREAKING NEWS***

It appears that former Texas Tech assistant coach and former interim coach, Ruffin McNeill will be named the head coach at East Carolina University.

According to a report on Reflector.com RIGHT HERE

McNeill found himself out of a job after taking over Texas Tech for their bowl game this season after the Head Coach Mike Leach was fired. He had been a popular candidate among the Red Raider players to remain and take over the program, but that wasn't to be. Tech hired Tommy Tuberville to take over the program.

McNeill is an actual ECU alm and is expected to be confirmed at a 5pm Board of Trustees Meeting at the Greenville, North Carolina school

Hance Wants Ruffin To Stay Somehow...

((HT: KCBD-TV))

Pete Christy has it, on his sources, that Texas Tech Chancellor Kent Hance has offered fired ex-interim head football coach Ruffin McNeill a job as an assistant Athletic Director at the university- no word on whether or not McNeill has accepted the position.

If McNeill is still having difficulty finding work in any way, Hance would find a job for McNeill if he needed to within the university.

Hance is also giving all of the old assistants five months severance- available unless they find other work in football...

Classy move...

Don Williams from the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal has the quotes:

"We’d make him an assistant athletic director to help us with development in charge of certain areas,” Hance said Thursday. “And if he didn’t want to do that, I’d put him in my office in development. There’s not a greater ambassador.”

Apparently, McNeill has been mentioned for DC openings at both Houston and Mississippi State. His alma mater, East Carolina, now has an opening, too...

Thanks Ruffin McNeill, You're Fired...

A little Coaching Carousel tidbit this morning courtesy of Texas Tech, Tommy Tuberville and the middle of nowhere.

The guy who was Tech's interim coach for their bowl game, Ruffin McNeill was let go this morning along with 5 other assistants from the now departed Mike Leach regime.

The story from the Dallas Morning News RIGHT HERE.

((Ruffin McNeill needs a job//Courtesy: Rivals.com))

McNeill was the only person other than Tuberville who was interviewed for the then vacant head coaching job and was the popular choice amongst the players to be Leach's replacement. No word on his future though hopefully the way he handled things in Lubbock amongst the craziness at the end of the year will speak well for his prospects.

According to Tech athletic director Gerald Myers and several others, the Red Raiders are attempting to hire Alabama's Associate Head Coach/Linebackers Coach James Willis. Expect that announcement sometime in the next few days.

Double "T" Inteviews At Double "T"

Tommy Tuberville finally got to plead his case to be the new head football coach at Texas Tech. Tuberville flew to Lubbock, Texas Tuesday and spent the day touring Texas Tech's facilities and going through a formal interview process before flying home around 5:00pm central time.

Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers said the interview went well and that Tuberville has a good record. Myers also indicated that the process continues and Texas Tech is not ready to make a decision yet.

According to some sources there are rumors that Tuberville's interview went so well that he will be offered the Texas Tech job at the end of the week. If that's the case Tuberville is talking yet, he wasn't available to the Lubbock media afterwards.

Before Tuberville entertains the Red Raider masses with a "guns up" gesture Texas Tech would like to talk to Baylor head coach Art Briles who released a statement last Friday saying he is committed to the Bears. Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin is in the mix and now OSG Sports has learned that former Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden is on the short list.

After working the phones it is still the opinion of OSG Sports that Ruffin McNeill will get the Texas Tech gig with the fact the Red Raider players and former players are backing him and winning the Alamo Bowl was a big plus too. It has also been reported that McNeill aced his interview with Myers and Texas Tech president Guy Bailey Monday.

The process continues in Lubbock.

The Search Begins At Texas Tech

So who wants to be the next head football coach at Texas Tech?

It seems Tommy Tuberville is openly lobbying for the gig. last week he told FOSG Tony Barnhart and ESPN Radio in Dallas he was interested.

“I’d love to talk to them,” Tuberville told Don Williams of texastech.com. “In our business, you never know what people are looking for.”

Now is the feeling mutual. It doesn't appear to be.

After Texas Tech's performance in the Alamo Bowl, interim head coach Ruffin McNeill is gaining momentum. McNeill has received the endorsement of the players.

"With what this team went through and how crazy the week's been, Ruff handled it great, and great might be an understatement,'' Texas Tech running back Baron Batch told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. "He did an amazing job. I'd love nothing more than for him to be our next coach. We love our coaches and we love Ruff. I'm sure you guys could see that, just by how hard everybody played.''

One very important person who noticed is Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers. Myers has scheduled a "get acquainted" session with himself, McNeill and Texas Tech president Guy Bailey for Monday.

I get the feeling this process will be quick with the fact that Texas Tech is not planning to hire an outside search firm. That Texas Tech already knows who their top candidates are. Myers told the Lubbock Avalanche Journal, "I think you could take it that way.''

It is of the opinion of OSG Sports that Texas Tech will follow West Virginia's lead a few years ago with Bill Stewart and offer the head coaching job to Ruffin McNeill. The athletic administration seems very dysfunctional in Lubbock so why would the hot coaching candidates (Kevin Sumlin, Sonny Dykes, Skip Holtz) want that added headache.

Besides, its probably already a done deal.

Photo Courtesy: Zach Long/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

TWTW: Sunday "My Little Pony" Update

((HT: KCBD-TV Lubbock))

The HQ grants ESPN analyst Bob Davie for the line of the weekend:

He claimed that, with everything going on in a very hectic week in Texas Tech football history, that Interim Head Coach Ruffin McNeill was going "95 miles an hour through a school zone all week long" having to prepare for the Alamo Bowl contest with Michigan State.

Ruffin's Red Raiders survived their audition 41-31 as they had to go for the win with a substitute QB when Taylor Potts went down with an injury to his non-throwing hand.

The HQ would like to think that McNeill passed his audition and find it somewhat ironic that the game was held at the Alamodome...

Think about it...

We also think that McNeill will, probably, end up as the new head coach for the red Raiders. Tommy Tuberville has lobbied long and hard for the gig- thinking he'll elevate the program from the point that Mike Leach has taken it.

But consider the amount of the settlement that the university will be handing out to Leach in lieu of a lawsuit from the expatriated pirate, and we think McNeill will be "economically feasible."

Shall we say...

We're skipping highlights from the game to show you the new revelations in Leach's case- as presented by the university's point-of-view. Five pages of documents and affidavits have been sent out from the Red Raiders team physician, Dr. Michael Phy, and the head football trainer, Steve Pincock, detailing the James diagnosis and the subsequent reaction of Leach at the mid-December practice.

KCBD's Tiffany Pelt has the breakdown...


Here's Phy's affidavit... and here's Pincock's affidavit...

Both Phy and Pincock are pretty disappointed in Leach's actions, and the old coach still shows no bit of remorse in the handling of the James issue.

The investigating attorney, apparently, when asking Leach about trying to make sure the only way James can find his ass is to reach around for it... allegedly... found Leach's response to be:

"If I didn't say it I wish I had."

It's stuff like that that'll keep Leach from getting a bigger settlement than he wants... bank on that...