Enough Already! Why Mike Leach Needs to Resolve His Contract Dispute Now

One thing that hasn't helped is that Leach employs the services of IMG as his agent. IMG is the Kimbo Slice of sports agencies. This is the same agency that represents such luminaries as Tiger Woods. And reportedly, they've been dealing with Tech as if Leach is Tiger Woods.

Seems like you should have to win at least one championship before you get to retain the most obnoxious agents and have them big time people. But hey, as the old punch line goes: "Baby, the doctor say I'm impotent. Well, if you's impotent, you gotta act impotent and look impotent."

IMG has done such swell things as contract Tech's Regents directly with offers and counter-proposals, intentionally circumventing Kent Hance, Gerald Myers, and Guy Bailey in the process. Nice. Of course, that galled Myers to no end. The relationship between Myers and Leach has dissolved into something akin to two old ladies swatting each other with their purses in a fight over the contents of the bargain bin.



"How bad you want that buyout now, Mother *#@&er?!?!"

Of course, it's always about money. Reportedly, the school has offered in the neighborhood of $12.7 million over five years. The negotiations are allegedly bogged down over such terms as the buyout provision of the contract and the school's desire to terminate for cause if Leach interviews without permission during the life of the contract.

The buyout provision is not abnormal, something like $300k per year for any remaining contract year...not particularly onerous. Given Leach's track record of looking around, one can hardly blame the Athletic Office for this figure. The termination for cause for interviewing is pretty harsh and not at all normal. But again, given that Leach is apparently as loyal as a tomcat, I'm not sure I can blame Myers for asking.

There's supposedly also some impasse over Leach not wanting to have to answer to Myers, which of course, is downright childish; Myers is the AD, for Christsakes. Similarly goofy have been Gerald's "hardball" tactics, which would tend to piss off anyone with a modicum of ego. To me, all of this just stinks.

What really hacks me off is that because of the delay, if Leach leaves now, our chance of getting a quality replacement is about as good as beating Mark Mangino to the last slice of pie. Thanks again, guys.

Leach has done much for Tech's program. He's brought unprecedented publicity to the school, some of it even good. But he's now doing harm. It may be asking a little too much, but I'd like to see a little loyalty here, or at least concern from the man for what he's doing to the program and the school as a whole.

If he wants to be here, great. Let's get the differences hammered out and the agreement executed.

If he doesn't want to be at Tech, he should move it on down the line. Maybe his shtick will play as well elsewhere as it does in Lubbock. Maybe not.

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