Mike Leach: Hottest Coach on the Market

In a time where the country faces its greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, there is one man whose portfolio will not be suffering after this year and that is Mike Leach.

Don't let his looks fool you, ladies and gentlemen, because this is the sexiest coach in college football, at least to Auburn, Mississippi State, Washington and any other schools who are looking for a head coach.

This year has seen a lot of attention focused on head coaches throughout college football. From Charlie Weis' job security to legendary Phillip Fulmer being fired, some fans love to see a coaches coming and going.

I, for one, am not of that sort.

I have never understood why a coaching change rejuvenates a program. Has Norv Turner brought hope to the Chargers? Did Lane Kiffin turn the Raiders into a competitive football team?

Coaching carousal has become a part of sports today, and no sport witnesses this act more than college football. With major programs losing coaches this year, eyes have been all over Mike Leach, head football coach of Texas Tech.

Texas Tech was able to have a superb season with two Heisman trophy candidates and an 11-1 record. Although they are not going to have the opportunity to compete for a national championship, they have had the most impressive runs in their schools history.

I have one word for Leach as the season comes to close: RUN!!

Look around the college football world. Who gets the most slack and who is under the most scrutiny? New coaches get a lot of slack, whether it is fair or not.

A great example of this is Rich Rodriguez at Michigan, who has had an embarrassing season there in his first year, but there are no plans to fire him.

The coaches under the most scrutiny, believe it or not, are the ones who have had the great success. Phillip Fulmer won a National Championship in 1998 and brought the Vols to three SEC Championships between 2001 and 2007. He was fired in 2008 after a disappointing 5-7 record.

Why does this apply to you? Look how fast the tables can turn in this business of college football. As a Notre Dame fan, I have seen this full circle as Willingham was fired and Irish fans were so happy.

When Weis came to South Bend, he was a God. He turned the program around in his first year bringing them from an unranked team to a BCS Bowl Game. His next season, they were ranked No. 2 in the preseason polls despite having one of worst defenses in the country. The next year, they went 10-2 going into the All-State Sugar Bowl against LSU and fans saw that as a disappointment. Two years later, he is sitting on the hottest seat in college football.

What the media and fans do not seem to understand with their "what have you done for me lately" attitude is that many of these coaches that get fired every year put their program on the map.

Why was Tennessee's expectations so high? They are high because Fulmer set a standard of winning throughout his 17 years as Head Coach. Why do Irish fans "expect" to be in a BCS hunt every year? Because Weis was able to get them there in his first two seasons.

As crazy as it sounds, a coach's early success is their worst enemy. They build programs from the ground up, and when they have one bad season, they are tossed away for a new coach to come in and "rejuvenate" the program. Timmy Tuberville was 13-0 in 2004, and in 2008, he is being fired.

How does this relate to you, Mike? You are a coach that has now set a standard of winning at Texas. Once Crabtree and Harrell graduate, it is going to be tough to repeat that success. However, you WILL be accountable for it.

That is why I think the best move for you buddy is to get the hell out of town. Take the job at Washington, take the job at Auburn, take the job as Mississippi State, and just get away from Texas Tech. 

I say this with no disrespect to Texas Tech, it is just the pattern I have observed over the years watching college football. A coach comes in and builds a program—fans build ungodly expectations for their team, and the coach is fired if he fails to meet those expectations.

As teams are firing coaches left and right, I can't think of a more highly sought after head coach than Mike Leach. Here is my opinion on the matter: If you go to Auburn, you could make an immediate impact. Tuberville has some great players on that team and a relentless, high talented defensive core. You, being the offensive mastermind, could walk right in and make an immediate impact.

But beware, SEC fans are harsh and have very high expectations. Also, you better be prepared to play Alabama because whether they are No. 1 in the country or No. 119, it is your job to win that game! 

Washington, on the other hand, would be a good fit as well. They need everything, Willingham left them with nothing. There is very little pressure to do anything next year, and you could use this season's fame and the Pac-10 conference prestige to get some top flight recruits to the dying program.

Here would be a great place to go if you are looking to settle down at a certain team because you first few years will come under little to no scrutiny and any success you have will be celebrated by all. 

Either Auburn or Washington have their ups and downs, but if I were you, I would pick one of them and get out of Texas. You are too good of a coach and too good of a guy to be held over the flame that college football coaches are held by the teams they do well by. Either way, this year's success will guarantee you a big contract next year, no matter what you decide to do.