Mike Leach expects to be coaching in 2011

Mike Leach, who is Texas Tech’s all-time winningest coach with an 84-43 record and 10 bowl appearances in 10 seasons, is optimistic about being back on the sideline for the 2011 season. “I don’t have a crystal ball on that,” Leach said. “But I don’t guess they’ve heard the last of me.” – Star-Telegram

Tuberville to start new tradition at Texas Tech

Texas Tech football is set to host its annual spring game April 17 at 1 p.m. on campus at Jones AT&T Stadium, the University announced in a release. The Red Raiders hope to simulate a “real-gameday” atmosphere, and Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville hopes to set the tone with a new tradition he wants to instill called the “Red Raider Walk.” Tuberville has said he hopes to have the Red Raider football team walk through tailgates on their way to the stadium on gamedays later this fall. The new tradition will kick off before the spring game. – Dallas Morning News

Texas Tech blaming Craig James for Leach saga

As the Mike Leach-Texas Tech saga continues to unfold, it is appearing more and more likely that the University is looking to put a large part of the blame for what transpired on ESPN personality Craig James. A recent statement from Texas Tech’s attorneys to the state Attorney General stated, “Craig James threatened on Dec. 20 to sue the University if it did not investigate the actions of then-head football coach Mike Leach.” And that may just be the tip of the iceberg of James’s involvement in this bizarre saga. – SportsbyBrooks

Texas Tech reports recruiting violations

Texas Tech filed a report with the NCAA in the summer of 2009, acknowledging violations in three sports, including football, of the NCAA’s ban on text-messaging recruits. Tech has already self-imposed penalties in football that included giving up one scholarship for 2010 and reducing the number of campus visits to four fewer recruits than the program’s average over the last four years. New Tech coach Tommy Tuberville recruited under those restrictions in the month leading up to Wednesday’s national signing day. – Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Is Mike Leach a fit at Arizona?

Arizona coach Mike Stoops could attempt to hire Mike Leach and give him autonomy. It would be a transaction that would set the Pac-10 on its ear. But Leach is tainted, he’s not exactly Mr. Chemistry, and Stoops has been reluctant to give freedom to his offensive coordinators. – Arizona Daily Star

ECU hires Ruffin McNeill

East Carolina University chose someone from its past to lead the school into its football future. A week-long search by the university for a new head football coach ended Thursday with the hiring of 51-year-old ECU alum Ruffin McNeill as the next man to lead the Pirates and the 20th football coach in school history. McNeill most recently was the interim head coach at Texas Tech, where he guided the Red Raiders to a victory over Michigan State at the Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2. Before that, McNeill served as Tech’s defensive coordinator under head coach Mike Leach. McNeill replaces Skip Holtz, who announced he was leaving ECU last week to become the next head coach at South Florida. – Daily Reflector

Texas Tech looks to hire Alabama assistant as DC

It looks like Alabama may have a spot to fill on its coaching staff in the very near future. The Tide’s inside linebackers coach and associate head coach James Willis has been targeted the last few days by new Texas Tech and former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville to become the Red Raiders defensive coordinator. – CrimsonConfidential.com

Texas Tech Hires Tommy Tuberville

Former Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville has agreed to become the next head coach at Texas Tech. AuburnUndercover.com has confirmed that Tuberville will be named Sunday to replace Mike Leach, who was fired after being accused of mistreating a player. Tuberville resigned at Auburn in 2008 after winning 85 games in 10 seasons. He did not coach this season, dabbling in broadcasting with ESPN. Tuberville and interim head coach Ruffin McNeill were apparently the only candidates interviewed for the job replacing Leach, who won 84 games in 10 seasons at Texas Tech. Tuberville is 110-60 in 14 seasons as a head coach, four of them at Ole Miss. – AuburnUndercover.com

Texas Tech AD denies interest in Alabama DC Kirby Smart

Tech athletic director Gerald Myers denied reports Thursday afternoon and again Thursday evening that Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart had joined the mix. Citing unnamed sources, Dallas ESPN radio affiliate 103.3 FM reported Tech planned to talk to Smart after Alabama’s season ended with Thursday night’s BCS national championship game. “That’s something that I’m not aware of,” Myers said Thursday afternoon. “I know he’s a good young coach and a good young prospective coach, but at this point we haven’t made any plans to contact him.” – Avalanche-Journal

Tuberville, Bowden Surface at Texas Tech

Texas Tech’s hunt to replace Mike Leach could include two Tommys, both of whom have a resume item that’s hard to come by: an undefeated season. Tommy Tuberville, who guided Auburn to a 13-0 campaign in 2004, and Tommy Bowden, who led Tulane to a 12-0 record in 1998, are on Tech’s list of four to five candidates to replace Leach. Tuberville will get an interview with Tech on Wednesday, Tech athletic director Gerald Myers said. Tuberville declined to comment Monday, but he told The Avalanche-Journal on Sunday he’d keep the wide-open Leach offense in place. “He expressed some interest in the job, and we talked and we’re going to talk to him,” Myers said. “That’s about all I can comment on.” It’s unknown whether Tech will offer the job before the search process winds around to Bowden, who is another of the four or five candidates under consideration. – Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

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