Today was a perfect example why the higher-ups at Texas Tech had no choice but to give coach Mike Leach an extension earlier this year. His new five-year, $12.7 million contract was truly money well spent.
Nattily attired in a black-and-red Texas Tech jumpsuit -- made by Under Armour, or course _ Leach was all over the ESPN studios in Bristol, Conn., today doing numerous interviews on the network's TV and radio stations. It was the kind of positive exposure that would probably have cost Tech thousands, or milllions, if it had to pay for it.
To give you an idea how far-reaching Mike Leach-mania has expanded, at one point today Leach was on ESPN College Football Live and later on ESPNEWS while last Saturday's Kansas-Texas Tech game was being replayed on ESPNU.
In other words, while Leach was talking about football and Texas Tech on two different ESPN channels, his football team was playing on another ESPN channel. Can you say "cha-ching -- while the recruits line up to the left?''
Here are the highlights from Leach's interview on ESPN's College Football Live.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL LIVE: Coach, you were the last team to beat Texas. You did it (39-33) a year ago. If people at home could hire you as a consultant, what would you tell them in terms of how to beat Texas? What's your scouting report on them?
LEACH: The biggest thing is recruit as good as Texas. I think the biggest thing when you play a really good team is just worry about what you can do, do what you can do.
I coached a guy name Wes Welker, who's playing for New England right now. He's the best example of doing what he can do. "I can do this, let me make sure I do that every time.''
So whatever you do well defensively, make sure you do it well in that game. Whatever you do well offensively, make sure you do it well that game. And the same thing with special teams.
Don't get too elaborate where you coach yourself out of it, and don't allow your players to be intimidated where you play yourself out of it. And not unlike what John Wooden says, "Respect everyone, fear no one.''
COLLEGE FOOTBALL LIVE: How many plays do you really have?
LEACH: We go into a game with probably 65 plays, and they may be the same play, different formation or something like that. But after working at it all week we're expecting some of them to work, and those ones that work we'd like to call them again.
That and the fact that in the organized confusion and chaos that is a football sideline, I can't fit through that many (plays). I've always wondered how you broadcasters worked through all the paper and stuff like that. I would guess that you were the kids in high school that were really good at term papers and things like that.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL LIVE: You went to law school. They didn't tell you how to do the show tomorrow. You've got to write it and do the whole thing for them.
LEACH: Well, lawyers will read anything. Yeah, it's a lot going on. I'll read it. I'll read a cereal box. If it's in front of me, I'll read it.
So maybe that's part of the thing. If you have a small sheet, then you can resist the temptation to read too much.
Right after that comment, College Football Live went to a commercial break. And guess who they used as a teaser going into the break?
Leach's wife, Sharon.
As she stood near Coach Leach, Sharon Leach said: "Coming up next on College Football Live, my husband will tell you about Texas Tech football. Right?''
As Sharon Leach glared at her husband, Leach said: "Yes, Sharon.''
Now that was some funny TV. And typical Leach.
Out of the commercial break, more questions awaited Leach. And he was in rare form.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL LIVE: Coach, favorite stadium to play at on the road?
LEACH: Kyle Field at Texas A&M.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL LIVE: Is it true that you are a Desperate Housewives fan?
LEACH: Yeah, I watch Desperate Housewives, and I don't have any apologizes. Those women on that show are diabolical, and so are a lot of people I deal with.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL LIVE: Favorite Halloween costume that you've ever seen? And you're not allowed to say (Tech offensive guard) Brandon Carter, who has a tattoo of a skull on his head.
LEACH: There's some good ones. I'd be glad when the joker costumes and the stripper costumes run their course, so that there's a little more originality. All the men last year were jokers and all the women were strippers. Something, anything other than that.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL LIVE: Speaking of women, what was the best reaction to you questioning the reps the salad bar was getting from some of your players' girlfriends down at Texas Tech last weekend?
LEACH: I think the women in the state of Texas has a self-esteem that doesn't allow them to get upset about comments like that. And that's one of the great things about the state of Texas is the mental well-being of the women there.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL LIVE: We've seen three different guys play under center for you guys this year. Whose your quarterback moving forward?
LEACH: Well that's a game-time decision, and I certainly wouldn't want to do anything to dispel any of the suspense leading into this thing.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL LIVE: Who is your best friend that's a Division I football coach?
LEACH: Well, I've got the mentor crowd who I consider like Jackie Sherrill, Barry Switzer, Dennis Erickson and that group. There's several. I worked for (Oklahoma's) Bob Stoopes. Hal Mumme's one, who I worked for originally (at Kentucky). (Florida coach) Urban Meyer. (California coach) Jeff Tedford.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL LIVE: Now this one I was instructed to ask. When was the last time you did the dishes at the house? And I remind you that Mrs. Leach is no more than six feet away from you.
LEACH: I never do. I never do the dishes. That's an interesting question. We must throw them away, because I don't see any of them.
Later on, Leach was supposed to be on ESPN'S Scott Van Pelt Show around 2:45, but he was a no-show. And apparently no one told Van Pelt.
"Mike Leach of Texas Tech is here, we saw him before the show started,'' Van Pelt said. "Maybe he just went to the cafeteria and got a nice sandwich and sat down for some lunch.''
About 30 minutes later, Leach sat down on ESPNEWS around 3:15 p.m. for yet another interview.
Here are some of those lightlights.
ESPNEWS: So how did "fat little girlfriends,'' how did that press conference play with your team in the locker room that week?
LEACH: I don't know how it played with (the players), but I thought we had really a good week as far as everybody listening and focused on their job and things like that. I think in football there's a lot of distractions. And when you have a group of, say, 70 guys that travel (to the games), each one of them has a certain level of distractions which affects how everybody can work together collectively.
And I think that as a coach our message isn't the one you want to hear. Our message involves effort and working hard. Yeah, it's too bad that your legs are sore, but you need to do it any way.
Once they walk outside the locker room, the message is a little more positive and a little more patronizing, and I think it's one that's a little more appealing to listen to. And if you're not on-guard and don't put focus during football time, you may fall into the complacency that's provided by fat little girlfriends.
ESPNEWS: You were going for a euphism, right? You weren't going after one particular player as what may be happening with his relationship?
LEACH: No, not one particular player. It's a methaphor for satisfaction, relaxation and all that. Regardless of what I was going for, I'm fairly convinced that any real women in the Texas, their self-esteem will allow them to overcome anything with regard to that.
ESPNEWS: How do you feel overall about how the national championship is determined in this sport?
LEACH: Well, we all knew going into the season how it was going to be determined, so there's no sense in really whining about it now for this season. Go with how it's designed and do the best you can and roll from there.
I've said for some time if they left me in charge, which is certainly unlikely _ I'm not a guy that people are inclined to trust with sharp objects. But the thing about it is, I think we should have a playoff. I think it truly would be exciting, I think it would be exciting for everybody to watch.
Everybody goes through the debate on Boise State and TCU and whether they should be in the national championship or not.
You have to set the regular season back to 10 games, have 64 teams in (the NCAA playoffs), and you play 16 games to determine the champion. That would be just like high schools in Texas and Florida, too, and probably California.
It'll be like Division III does, Division II does, and it would be indisputable whoever got to the end of that gaunlet deserves it, even if it wasn't your favorite team and even if you think somebody had a bad game. They went through the gaunlet and it would be indisputable that they deserve to be the (national champions).
Plus, you get more football. If you coach football and you play football and really love football, who doesn't want more football?
ESPNEWS: The high school kids play 15-16 games, because they end up in a playoff schedule.
LEACH: I think that's interesting, too. The high school kids can do it, the (NCAA) Division III kids can do it, the I-AA kids can do it. . .Magically, I-A you can't. And then the older guys in the NFL, they can play even a couple more.
We can do it if we want to. I think the tricky thing would be how to distribute the money and the rest. I'm in favor of more games. I think a playoff system would be fine. I think you could incoperate the bowls in it. The bowls would be a very important part of ushering it in, and I think it'd really be exciting.
I know it would be exciting for us to have the opportunity to play in the playoffs to see what we can do. And in the end of scratching and clawing, get a chance (to win a national title). I think it'd be a lot of fun.
ESPNEWS: Did it bother you at all last year that no one, at least nationally, seemed to be standing up for your side of the argument when there were three one-loss teams (in the Big 12 South between Tech, Oklahoma and Texas) on that side of the Big 12, and not saying, "Wait a minute, where's Texas Tech? At least in this discussion, they should be in the Big 12 title game.''
LEACH: Maybe a little. But our media base is smaller than the other ones involved, and that's just part of it. And then the other thing with regards to the tie-breaker, we decided that before the season started.
We accomplished as much to be (in the Big 12 title game) as either Texas or Oklahoma had. But the thing about it was they decided ahead of time. We were the last of the three teams to lose and that's kind of how the recipe is set. If we don't like it we've got to get a different recipe.
We don't have one right now and that's the way it goes. It was a great season, and I don't think it takes anything away from our guys or anybody else. It was exciting, and this season is going to be real exciting.
ESPNEWS: We've got to get (a nickname) for (your offense).
LEACH: Nothing's stuck just yet. The spread offense, that doesn't work. That applies to two-thirds of the teams and most of the NFL, even though there are those that would like to deny it.
Here's one thing no one can deny as Leach darted from one ESPN studio to another.
Mike Leach is probably the best thing that has happened to Texas Tech is a long, long time. Today was proof of that.
The man is a lightning rod. And there are many, many important -- and not so important -- people in this great country who loves to hear him talk.
That's why the higher-ups at Texas Tech had no choice but to extend Leach's contract earlier this year. By the way, Tech collected a huge part of their investment in Leach today.
-- Dwain Price
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