Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach has moved to Key West, Fla., but you read yesterday about his newest gig as an analyst for CBS College Sports, which broadcasts Conference USA, Mountain West and service academy games.
SI.com's Richard Deitsch spoke to Leach in New York on Tuesday, after the move went public, and Leach reflected on his time at Texas Tech with his usual candor, specifically about his troubled relationship with his bosses.
"In the 10 years I was there, a lot of the disruption was the revolving door," he told Deitsch. "Tech is a school that has both a Chancellor and a President, and in 10 years we had three chancellors and five presidents. And I got along with two chancellors and four presidents, which I think is pretty high, really."
A valid point. Leach was painted by the media as a bit of a malcontent after his contentious contract negotiations following the 2008 season, and though it's never a good idea to get on the bad side of anyone who holds the key to your employment, according to him, it wasn't always that way.
There's a lot to the story of Leach's end in Lubbock, and what seems like an infinite number of sides to the story. We'll let the legal types sort out the right and wrong there, but Leach says he won't have trouble discussing his former team objectively if it comes up in the booth.
"Anything that I had going did not involve the team. There are a couple of administrators at the top who had agendas of their own, and bottom line wanted to save money to the extent where they have not even paid me for last year. So I think that's on them and not the team," Leach said, who continued, touting the successes of the program during his decade-long tenure. "I think there was a lot to be proud of for our players, our fans and our coaches who contributed to that. Those other cats, they have to slay their own dragons."
More Leach-isms like that once the mic is turned on in the booth would be much appreciated. His new boss says that's no problem.
"Mike stood out as a guy who was opinionated. He has a point of view on life and football, and it's something we wanted to capture in our games," Steve Herbst, the general manager of CBS College Sports told SI.com. "He may say a few things that will ruffle a few feathers, but we are ready for that, and we welcome that kind of freshness."
What a coincidence. So do viewers.
Head over and check out the full Q&A with Leach for more on his move into the media and his desire to coach again.