Mike Leach has choice words for “sleazy and slimy” Texas Tech leadership

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WLBT) - Despite being Texas Tech’s all-time winningest football coach, don’t expect the Red Raiders to invite Mike Leach back to Lubbock to be honored for those accomplishments anytime soon.

More than 12 years after Texas Tech fired Leach for cause, the two parties are still embroiled in a wrongful termination legal battle with the now-Mississippi State head trying to recoup the money from the four-plus years that were still remaining on his contract. With the Bulldogs facing Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl on Tuesday, fate (or the selection committee) has brought the Leach and the Red Raiders back together for the first time since 2009, with the lawsuit setting up a peculiar secondary narrative.

“I’ve been willing to settle this for a long time,” said Leach on Tuesday when asked if he has grown tired of the lawsuit. “But they don’t seem to be willing to.”

Leach was accused of locking Texas Tech player Adam James inside a shed during practice back in 2009, which led to a media firestorm and his eventual firing.

“Some of the leadership, at least when I was there was very sleazy and slimy and dirty,” Leach said. “They all know who they are and the Tech people know who they are too. We should all get this settled, they should pay me and we should celebrate achievements together, but that doesn’t seem to be what they have in mind.

“They talked about how they had some investigation, they lied about having an investigation and they won’t produce the documents to prove they had an investigation, it just goes to show you how (Texas Tech Chancellor) Kent Hance and his little cronies, how sleazy they are,” continued Leach. “It’s going to illustrate that they lied to the fans and then they continue to hide documents from sexual assault and everything else. The leadership categorically hides documents that the public has the right to see, well think about that.

“It’s really a shame because the people of Lubbock and West Texas deserve better.”

Kick-off for the Liberty Bowl is set for 5:45 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.

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