Mike Leach Fired: What in God's Name Is Goin' On Down in Lubbock?

Anyone understand what's just happened in Lubbock, Texas?

Mike Leach, the "Mad Scientist" of college football, has been fired as head coach, because he apparently confined one of his wide receivers, Adam James, in a dark room after the player sustained a concussion.

James complained about it. Leach was fired. And it was all done very, very quickly.

Leach has got a lawyer and is preparing to sue Texas Tech, but the bottom line is this: Mike Leach is out as football coach at Texas Tech, and you wonder whether another 'mad scientist' of offensive coaching— Charlie Weis—might step in and take over. They don't do a lot with defenses down in Lubbock, anyway.

To be frank, Leach put Texas Tech on the map in terms of football.

And he's also responsible for a future NFL Pro Bowler in Michael Crabtree, who's overcome a tempestuous first season (where he decided to sit out some of it and ask for more cash) to be one of the top young wide receivers in the game. 

But back to the Leach case. You can't think that this was done out of spite. Texas Tech was one loss to Oklahoma away from going to the Big XII Championship Game and perhaps the National Title game in the 2008-09 season.

They've been an offensive powerhouse since he arrived in 2000, and quarterbacks suddenly wanted to play in a place that no-one cared about in the 1990s. 

If something DID happen, then Leach made a stunningly stupid error of judgement —contract or not. 

But regardless, any Division I-A school needing a brilliant offensive coordinator/quarterback mentor/future head coach will be high-fiving at the thought that Mike Leach is on the market.

The guy will put your school back on the map. Washington State, anyone?