Texas Tech fired Mike Leach on Dec. 30, 2009 — 12 years ago Thursday.
The Mississippi State head coach isn’t over how his Lubbock tenure ended, though. He might never be.
“Forever,” Leach said when asked Monday how long he was willing to fight his former school in court. “Why not?”
Leach’s Bulldogs are set to play his old Red Raiders squad at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Leach’s first matchup with his former school since being fired a day before a $2.5 million payday.
And the winningest head coach in Texas Tech history said Dec. 11 he hopes the school will “deliver the check” when the two programs meet in Memphis.
“We should get this thing settled, they should pay me, and we should all celebrate achievements together,” Leach said Monday. “That doesn’t seem to be what they have in mind.”
Leach, due a tenure bonus and his guaranteed salary on Dec. 31, 2009, was terminated the day before, two days after being suspended. The coach reportedly refused to apologize to wide receiver Adam James for mistreating the player, who had suffered a concussion, at practice.
But Leach, who had four years remaining on his contract at the time of his firing, maintains there was more to the story. Monday, he referenced “four bad apples who were determined to cheat me out of my salary” and called out former Texas Tech chancellor Kent Hance and his “cronies” at the school.
Leach won’t let that slide. Investigators working on his behalf filed a lawsuit Dec. 22 in Lubbock District Court looking into Leach’s firing and accusing Texas Tech of covering up sexual assault records of campus fraternities, among other charges.
“I know a few things more about Texas Tech that I didn’t know when we began this fight,” Wayne Dolcefino, an attorney representing Leach, said in a press release. “They cheated Coach Leach and to cover it up they will violate public records laws with abandon, even records that directly affect the safety of the young women on their campuses.”
But what animosity Leach holds against the administration at Texas Tech did not appear to apply to the Red Raiders’ fan base. Leach even encouraged Tech fans to root for Mississippi State if they so chose.
“It’s a shame because the good people in Lubbock, Texas, deserve a lot better,” Leach said.
Bulldogs take stock of roster after opt-outs
When left tackle Charles Cross announced he would skip Tuesday’s game to prepare for the NFL draft, quarterback Will Rogers and his teammates had similar thoughts.
“All right, who’s up next?” Rogers said.
It’s a mentality that has spread throughout the Mississippi State program, particularly on the O-line, Rogers said. Redshirt sophomore Nick Jones took first-team reps in place of Cross, who is likely to be a top-15 pick in April’s NFL draft.
And Cross isn’t the only key Bulldog not participating. Leach confirmed Saturday that junior cornerback Martin Emerson will sit out; Emerson announced Dec. 10 he would forgo his senior season in preparation for the draft.
Leach previously called opting out of a bowl game “selfish” and reiterated his sentiments Monday, but he’ll simply have to make do with the absences of two of his team’s best players.
Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett said Sunday the Bulldogs will rotate sophomore Decamerion Richardson and redshirt junior Esaias Furdge at cornerback alongside sophomore Emmanuel Forbes.
“We like to try to play Forbes and Emerson as many snaps as we could all year long, but frankly, it’s not fair to those guys to expect them to play every single snap,” Arnett said.
“They’ve gotten plenty of snaps,” he added of Richardson and Furdge. They know what they’re doing.”
Arnett said Emerson has all the tools to succeed in the professional ranks and expects the Florida native to do so.
“Martin’s an NFL cornerback,” Arnett said. “He’s certainly going to have every opportunity to have a long and successful career at the next level.”
Mississippi State also will be without linebacker Aaron Brule, who announced his transfer to Michigan State on Dec. 9. Senior Tyrus Wheat and redshirt juniors Jett Johnson and Nathaniel Watson will hold down the position.
But Arnett acknowledged sophomore DeShawn Page should have received more playing time and is in line for an increased role Tuesday.
It was a sentiment shared by Page’s fellow linebackers.
“I think he should have gotten some more reps, too, to be honest,” Watson said.
Red Raiders still pack punch
For all of Mississippi State’s losses, the Texas Tech team the Bulldogs will face is not at full strength, either.
Red Raiders interim coach Sonny Cumbie said Monday that quarterback Henry Colombi is no longer with the program. Colombi started five games this season, although Donovan Smith took over midseason and will start Tuesday’s game.
In addition, leading receiver Erik Ezukanma opted out Sunday to prepare for the draft. Ezukanma caught 48 passes for 705 yards and four touchdowns this year for the Red Raiders.
Arnett compared the loss of Ezukanma to Emerson’s opt-out, pointing out both schools are a man down for Tuesday’s bowl game.
“They’ve got a receiver out, and we have a corner out,” Arnett said. “I’m sure both staffs would like to have both those guys playing in this one.”
But Arnett knows Tech still has plenty of weapons, including receiving threats Kaylon Geiger (541 yards) and Myles Price (434 yards). The Red Raiders have three players who have rushed for 300 or more yards: SaRodorick Thompson, Tahj Brooks and Xavier White.
“They’ve got three really good running backs, and the quarterback can keep it and hurt you with his legs, too,” Johnson said. It’s going to be on us in the front to stop the run first.”
Statistically, Mississippi State is the superior team, but anything can happen in a bowl game. That is particularly true when teams struggle to find a balance between relaxation and focus on football, an equilibrium Leach acknowledged can be tricky to locate.
But the Bulldogs believe they’re well prepared to come out on top Tuesday night.
“Our main goal here is to go into the Liberty Bowl and go 1-0,” Johnson said.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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