Leach, Texas Tech Dispute Drags On

Monthslong communication between Texas Tech and agents for football coach Mike Leach show a growing frustration on both sides — including a rebuke to the agents from the chairman of Tech’s Board of Regents. The university has given Leach a Feb. 17 deadline to sign a contract-extension of $12.7 million over five years, but Leach’s agents say he won’t sign because of four added elements they say make the proposal unacceptable. Leach referred to the four terms to which he objected on Wednesday during his national signing day news conference. He later declined to discuss them specifically, but said he won’t agree to them. Tech officials say the reason for some of the changes was concern about Leach’s interest in other jobs. The Avalanche-Journal obtained dozens of pages of letters and e-mails between the two sides through the Texas Public Information Act on Friday. Leach, who just finished his ninth season in Lubbock, has two years remaining on his current contract, which pays $10 million over five years… The four issues: Tech reduces the guaranteed income due Leach should it dismiss him. Leach’s current deal ensured he’d be paid $3.6 million of a guaranteed income of $9 million. In the new proposal, he would receive $1.5 million from guaranteed income of $11.1 million. Tech increases Leach’s buyout clause from the current flat $500,000 if he leaves Tech to $300,000 per year for each year remaining on his deal. O’Hagan, noting that could add up to as much as $1.5 million on a five-year deal, called the clause “among the highest in the Big 12 Conference.” He said four Big 12 coaches — Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops, Texas’ Mack Brown, Kansas’ Mark Mangino and Kansas State’s Bill Snyder — have no buyout. Leach’s agents propose the buyout remain at $500,000 if Leach initiates a departure and 50 percent of his remaining base salary and outside income if Tech fires him. Tech inserted a requirement Leach ask permission before interviewing for other jobs. If he interviews for another job without informing Tech, he can be fired for cause and subject to a penalty clause of $300,000 per year for the remaining contract term. There are no such stipulations in Leach’s current contract. Finally, according to O’Hagan, Leach must “assign over to the university and its agent, Learfield Sports, all rights to his name and identity, so that the university can sell Mike’s time and the use of his name and identity to third parties.” – Avalanche-Journal