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

Ruffin McNeill interviews for Texas Tech job

What started as an informal interview Monday for Texas Tech interim coach Ruffin McNeill quickly turned into three separate formal interviews. McNeill met for an hour each with Tech president Guy Bailey, chancellor Kent Hance and athletic director Gerald Myers in his bid to become the next Red Raiders head coach. Because the interview process was sped up, Myers said there’s no need to bring McNeill back for another interview. “It was pretty thorough today, and I would say it was more than informal,” Myers said. “He had a chance to talk about his program and his plan and what he wants to do, and he did a good job of that.” McNeill, 51, hopes to succeed Mike Leach, who was fired Wednesday. Others who are expected to get a shot at the job include TCU coach Gary Patterson, Houston coach Kevin Sumlin, and former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville. Myers said he has no timetable in mind. – Dallas Morning News

Tuberville says still no contact from Texas Tech

Former Mississippi and Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said last week he is interested in the Texas Tech job, but there’s no indication that Tech is reciprocating the interest. Tuberville said Sunday he hasn’t heard anything from Tech. “I’d love to talk to them,” he said. “In our business, you never know what people are looking for.” Tuberville, 55, was head coach from 1995 through 1998 at Ole Miss, where he went 25-20. He was head coach from 1999 through 2008 at Auburn, where his record was 85-40, including a 13-0 season in 2004. – Avalanche-Journal

Briles, McNeil, Tuberville, Dykes, Fedora Lead Texas Tech’s List

With Baylor head coach Art Briles mentioned as possibly the leading candidate to replace Mike Leach at Texas Tech, Baylor is trying to quell speculation that Briles might be enticed to leave Waco after only two seasons. Briles has affirmed his commitment to leading the Bears’ football program, school officials announced Friday. “I am proud to be a Baylor Bear and remain committed to making this program a source of pride for the Baylor family,” Briles said in a statement. Texas Tech already has said that interim head coach Ruffin McNeill is under consideration. Other candidates could be Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes, Southern Mississippi coach Larry Fedora and former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville. Dykes is the son of former Texas Tech coach Spike Dykes. – San Antonio Express-News

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