Death By Ego, The Mike Leach Story
Another chapter in the Mike Leach story was written yesterday. He was deposed for five hours in his lawsuit against Texas Tech (click). Bernie beat me to the punch(click), but I still want to share some of my own thoughts. While there is no disputing his track record on the field, Mike Leach was given just enough rope to hang himself in the end. His ego, like a Toyota Prius was out of control.
It’s the only explanation to his “taped” profanity laced…no wait profanity filled…no…profanity engorged tirade following a game last fall. It’s one thing to recognize complacency and identify it for what it is. It’s another thing to drop F and MF Bombs like a Hall’s mentho-liptis. It may make you feel better, but it doesn’t cure anything.
The fact that he allowed such a tirade to be video-taped proves to me that he thought he was above reproof, untouchable. Well he was touched by an angel, Adam James and he may never coach D-1 football again. The more that is revealed, the worse his PR becomes. Can a University President and AD hire such a nightmare? Maybe, but very few.
I have witnessed many tongue lashings and have received a couple as well. It’s a part of being a part of a football program with expectations. But my Lord, try and count the number of bombs he dropped in this six minute and thirty nine second video(Rated R)(click). There is no doubt that a football locker room is no place for the timid, or weak of heart. Getting a group of 80 young men to act as one takes fortitude and tremendous force of will. Even the Georgia locker room with a Christian coach like Mark Richt cannot be devoid of passion and reality checks.
But remember this. Keep all the dirty laundry in the family and don’t allow any videotaping.
Divorces can be a ______!
You just can’t talk to kids that way. Adults maybe. NFL ok. However, not kids that you and your coaching staff recruited to play ball. I had considered Leach the victim in the James fiasco. After hearing and seeing his tirade now I am not so sure. Again, Coach Richt isn’t perfect but he’s not a maniac.
03/24/2010 at 9:41 PM
We should be thankful for Coach Mark Richt every day. What foolishness is spewed from those who want to get rid of him. I wish UGA would give CMR a 10 year contract right now!
03/16/2010 at 1:47 PM
You would not believe some of the stuff that is posted here. I’m getting ready to approve one that I have hesitated to approve. Let me know what you think.
03/16/2010 at 4:08 PM
Well, that is quite a list. I don’t know about the accuracy. However, enough is true and is troubling. I think that such a list would be true of most of the big-time programs–No excuse–but true. The difference at UGA is Mark Richt. What I mean is that the head coach is not an embarrassment. CMR seems to me to have a long view of things when it comes to the young men that he coaches. With this latest situation he takes time to get the facts, talk to ZM, invest in him from a spiritual/character perspective and then make disciplinary decision. I can’t imagine that we will ever see Richt behaving like some of the other HCoaches in trouble. CMR is still a young man himself, he is talented and has great opportunity to grow. I would rather see us stick with him for the next 10 years than bring in a Saban type coach. By the way Rex–glad that your name was not on that list (SMILE). Ray
03/17/2010 at 11:58 AM
I’d like to know what kind of a nut-case would spend the amount of time and effort to make record of every flipping hiccup or flatulence committed on the team. I’d also challenge that person to come up with the same stats for other teams, Alabama and Florida, for example.
Thing is, you won’t hear as much about some of those programs because so much stuff is swept under the rug whereas Richt has the backbone and firmness to impose punishment on players.
I, too, want to see Richt here 10, 20 more years and after having seen the stability in the program during that time while many other programs have gone up and down like a roller coaster I want to ask some of these folk if they remember saying some of the nonsense they’ve said.
03/17/2010 at 10:47 PM
Your analogy of a Prius may be more prophetic than intended. It seems that some of the Prius stories are made up….
He had the highest graduation rate of any BCS public university. Winningest coach in school history. Not perfect.
03/16/2010 at 5:09 AM
02 06 2001 Coach Richt Rodney Garner signed 6 denied admission
06 15 2001 Bruce Adrine DE arrest battery bar brawl suspended
06 05 2001 Randy McMichael Starting TE suspended 1 game barroom brawl
06 05 2001 many other players in the barroom brawl not suspended
08 09 2001 Odell Thurman Starting LB dismissed from team arrest fighting & other issues
08 24 2001 Tim Wansley Starting CB suspended 1 game violating team rules
2001 Jermaine Phillips S suspended
08 30 2001 Verron Haynes Starting Fullback suspended 1 game
08 30 2001 Charles Grant Starting DE suspended 1 game
08 30 2001 UGA missing 4 Starters Suspended for Opening Game
01 14 2002 Brandon Woods Arrest Indictment hiding Tony Cole closet sex naked
08 23 2002 repulsed jury acquits Brandon Woods of rape intent sexual battery
08 23 2002 jury foreman knew what went on Brandon Woods morally wrong not rape
08 23 2002 Woods DNA inside woman who told Cole might want to change sheets
08 23 2002 Blow to UGA Football Program, tons of bad press, but not rape
01 01 2002 Odell Thurman suspended 2 times once for drugs
2002 George Foster OL suspended raping FL player during game
04 01 2003 Bryan McClendon Arrest drugs suspended 2 games
04 01 2003 Tim Jennings Arrest drugs suspended 2 games
04 01 2003 DeMario Minter Arrest drugs suspended 2 games
04 01 2003 Mario Raley Arrest drugs suspended 2 games
04 01 2003 Randall Swoopes Arrest drugs suspended 2 games
04 03 2003 Coach Neil Callaway DUI backed up checkpoint fine $11,000
2003 Richt suspended 8 players 5 for 2 games weed Adam$ mad
05 14 2003 BJ Fields suspended 1 game drugs
05 14 2003 Jamario Smith suspended 1 game drugs
05 14 2003 Chris Hickman suspended 1 game drugs
05 14 2003 Tyson Browning suspended 3 games drugs
05 14 2003 Michael Johnson Starting WR ineligible sold SEC Champ ring
05 14 2003 Kenny Bailey Starting CB ineligible sold SEC Champ ring
05 14 2003 Bruce Thornton Starting CB ineligible sold SEC Champ ring
05 14 2003 Fred Gibson Starting WR ineligible sold SEC Champ ring
05 14 2003 Darrius Swain Starting DT ineligible sold SEC Champ ring
05 14 2003 Tony Taylor Starting LB ineligible sold SEC Champ ring
05 14 2003 Tim Jennings Starting CB ineligible sold SEC Champ ring
05 14 2003 Tray Young walk-on ineligible sold SEC Champ ring
2003 NCAA ruled 9 players ineligible selling SEC Champ rings eBay
08 09 2003 Suspended 8 players Opening Game in addition to all bad press rings
08 09 2003 Odell Thurman after year at GMA reinstated immediately arrested Athens
2003 Richt says tending to his player’s legal woes “occupies my time.”
10 01 2003 Tyson Browning suspended 1st two games of the season rules
2004 Richt suspended 3 Starters Opening Day 2004
08 09 2004 Odell Thurman LB suspended 3 games rules violations
08 09 2004 Martrez Milner TE ineligible partial qualifier recruit
08 09 2004 Gordon Ely-Kelso suspended 1 games unspecified
2004 Derrick White LB suspended 2 games
07 01 2004 Kenny Bailey RB suspended 1 game stealing long distance
07 01 2004 Richard Seymour DT suspended 1 game stole long distance
07 01 2004 Robert Brannon TE suspended 1 game stole long distance
07 01 2004 Decory Bryant CB suspended 1 game stole long distance
07 01 2004 Kendrell Bell LB suspended 1 game stole long distance
07 01 2004 Tony Gilbert LB suspended 1 game stole long distance
07 01 2004 Charles Grant LB suspended 1 game stole long distance
2004 Richt signed Michael Grant UGA kicked him out
08 01 2004 Jeremy Thomas Starting FB suspended 2 games team rules
02 05 2005 Jamar Chaney LB someone took SAT for him kicked out
02 05 2005 Brandon Sesay LB Douglass High signed kicked out before started
04 10 2005 Derrick White LB arrest barroom brawl 2 game suspension
04 10 2005 Kedric Golsten DT arrest barroom brawl suspension 1 game
05 07 2005 Darrius Swain DT 45 day jail drive no valid license 3 times
05 17 2005 Michael Turner OL arrest weed in his auto suspended
05 17 2005 Zeb McKinzey OL arrest public drunkenness suspended
06 04 2005 Derrick White LB arrest DUI kicked off team
06 15 2005 Josh Johnson LB dismissed sent to Military School
06 17 2005 Jamar Chaney Honor Code violation same test answers beside him ETS
07 05 2005 The beginning of the Decline of UGA Football Program
07 05 2005 Corey Moon DE denied admission after Garner Richt signed him
07 05 2005 Jamar Bryant S denied admission after Garner Richt signed him
07 28 2005 Jamar Chaney 1 of 5 of 19-man recruit class Academic not there Fall
07 29 2005 UGA has only 13 freshmen of 19 who signed coming in Fall
07 29 2005 Not having a recruiting class 2005 caught up with us 2006 to 2009
07 29 2005 we had players this state criticize us for not offering them, then beat us
07 29 2005 The 2005 Recruiting Class Horrid inflated by rank of 1/3 not there Fall
07 29 2005 One-third of the Recruiting Class WASTED TIME CMR whined to ABH
07 29 2005 Coach Richt won with Jim Donnan’s recruits, lost with his own
07 29 2005 CMR for 10 yrs had BLOWS to our Program trouble-makers & bad press
08 03 2005 Chase Green FB arrest alcohol suspension
11 01 2005 Antonio Sims DUI arrest suspended 1 game
01 07 2006 Dannell Ellerbe LB arrested felony auto theft DUI wreck left scene suspended 3 games
02 19 2006 Ian Smith OL false statement arrest alcohol suspended 2 games
05 24 2006 Daniel Inman OL suspended WKU and USC 2 games team rules
05 24 2006 UGA currently has 4 suspended players at this time
11 29 2006 Ian Smith OL 6 games suspension 2nd alcohol Peach 5 games 07
12 26 2006 Seth Watts suspended for Peach Bowl team rules
02 20 2006 Marquis Elmore DT arrested driving with a suspended license
02 21 2006 Antonio Sims suspended all of 2006 DUI park pass kicked out of school
08 01 2006 Odell Thurman 4 game suspension NFL former Dawg bad press UGA
08 06 2006 Thomas Flowers Start CB suspended 1st two games Academics
09 26 2006 Odell Thurman arrest DUI already had had 4 game suspension former Dawg
02 25 2007 Akeen Hebron LB underage alcohol 7:58 am booked suspended 2 games
03 26 2007 Tanner Strickland OL arrest fraudulent ID
03 26 2007 3 arrests after end of season by March 26, 2007 haven’t found all 3 yet
06 01 2007 Tripp Chandler TE arrest alcohol Lumpkin suspended 1 game
06 01 2007 Blake Barnes QB arrest alcohol Lumpkin suspended
04 26 2007 Akeen Hebron LB made hands gun 2nd arrest alcohol suspended all Year
07 16 2007 Tripp Taylor DT arrest assault big brawl at Lake Allatoona
07 18 2007 Caleb King TB arrested no driver’s license scooter 40 mph
07 30 2007 NaDerris Ward handcuff jail pass right no driver’s license scooter
08 05 2007 Paul Oliver CB academically ineligible kicked out of school
08 06 2007 Donavon Baldwin S missing classes suspended 2 games
11 25 2007 Jeff Henson C arrest DUI suspended for Sugar Bowl game
01 19 2008 Terreal Bierria DUI arrest speed student held another charge suspend 2 games
01 20 2008 Fred Munzenmaier FB alcohol arrest thought Police Taxi suspend 2 games
01 20 2008 Donavon Baldwin S DUI arrest 3 am suspended 1 game
05 04 2008 Clint Boling LT arrest Reckless-driving DUI 2 game suspension
06 15 2008 Jeremy Lomax speeding arrest concealed weapon charge dropped
06 27 2008 Trinton Sturdivant alcohol touched lady belly inappropriately arrest
06 27 2008 Justin Anderson alcohol touched lady belly inappropriately arrest
06 28 2008 Michael Lemon DE felony battery look at his woman dismiss
07 03 2008 Michael Lemon Georgia Football Player Charged with Felony
06 29 2008 Michael Lemon arrested underage alcohol
07 14 2008 Bulldogs have had 7 arrests 1st seven months of 2008
08 01 2008 Bruce Figgins TE suspended opening game 2008 rules
08 03 2008 Donavan Baldwin injured in bar fight got beat up dismissed
08 03 2008 Marcus Dowtin injured in bar fight got beat up
08 04 2008 Darius Dewberry LB hospital vandalism arrest suspended 2 games
08 04 2008 Jeff Henson C arrest public intox urinate in public suspension
08 04 2008 Richt “The reputation of this team has been damaged no question”
08 04 2008 Richt “all too often, actually left with a sickening feeling”
08 13 2008 Coach Richt 8 arrests after being ranked # 1 preseason
08 14 2008 Coach Richt 6 dismissed or suspended after # 1 rank
08 15 2008 Donavon Baldwin suspended indefinitely bar incident now
08 15 2008 Michael Lemon DT arrest underage drunk already kicked off
08 15 2008 did someone tell me we were great in 2008 really ?
08 20 2008 UGA has 6 players out for the game vs GA Southern who has 8 out
10 20 2008 Brandon Wood arrested DUI suspended LSU game
03 01 2009 Richt suspended 3 players for Spring Practice
04 14 2009 Dexter Moody LB signs with Richt threaten male teacher
04 14 2009 Dexter Moody kicked out of The University of Georgia
04 14 2009 Richt knew Moody already slept coach’s wife gave him cell phone
05 09 2009 Bruce Figgins TE failed drug test suspended 6 games
05 09 2009 Justin Houston only DE suspended Okie St & USC alcohol
05 09 2009 Tony Wilson WR violated teams rules “disappointed” Richt
08 09 2009 John Knox S Academics going to Georgia Military get grades up
08 31 2009 our record 7-6 that’s our record on the field the last 13 games.
10 01 2009 Jonathan Owens OL arrest traffic
10 07 2009 Rennie Curran LB bench warrant failure to appear Court speeding
10 15 2009 Vince Vance OT arrest traffic
10 20 2009 Montez Robinson suspended Shreveport arrest assault battery
11 01 2009 Vance Cuff CB arrest traffic
11 30 2009 Montez Robinson DE alcohol break tail lights arrest suspend 1 game
03 07 2010 Zach Mettenberger QB 18 arrest obstruction disorderly drunk 2 fake id
Coach Richt : “You feel sad and sick that one of the guys you’re an authority figure over and you care about got himself in trouble.” “You also hate the fact those guys do represent this program and this program represents this university and this university represents this state. It represents anybody who claims to be a Bulldog. I feel sick about that.” “It’s certainly been a distraction,” Richt said. “I mean there’s no way you can say it hasn’t been a distraction, because it has been.”
2-6 last 2 years vs Final Top 25 in the polls UGA Bulldogs.
1-3 vs Florida last 4 years.
1-3 vs. vols last 4 years.
2-2 vs. Kentucky last 4 years.
10-10 vs. SEC East last 4 years.
89 player arrests / suspensions in Coach Richt Era.
14 losses the last 4 years, Donnan 13 losses his last 4 and we fired him.
8 losses to teams not ranked Top 25 Final AP Poll in Coach Richt Era.
19 losses to teams ranked Top 25 Final AP Poll in Coach Richt Era.
17 wins over teams ranked Top 25 Final AP Poll in Coach Richt Era.
3 wins over Top 10 Final AP Poll teams in Coach Richt Era.
8 losses to Top 10 Final AP Poll teams in Coach Richt Era.
Not 1 single Top 10 Final AP Poll team beat in any bowl game Coach Richt Era.
Average 21 fumbles per year last 4 years.
Average 14 interceptions per year last 4 years.
Average # 96 NCAA Rank for most penalties per year last 4 years.
Lost to every SEC East team in a row, consecutively, last 4 years.
03/14/2010 at 8:13 PM
Here is a great example of a guy who needs to get a life!
03/17/2010 at 11:38 PM
Must be a Tech fan… nothing better in life than to be consumed by Georgia football… on and off the field!
People who don’t realize how far Coach Richt has brought the UGA program are either just plain ignorant or they have a personal axe to grind with Richt (I believe that is a lot of peoples’ problem). I’ll take Richt over Saban, Meyer, anybody.
03/18/2010 at 9:06 AM
crazyy you need help what do you do look watch the georgia program in ur sleep get a life man
04/18/2010 at 12:46 PM
Isn’t it strange that Texas Tech chose Bobby Knight for Basketball and Mike Leach for Football? Successful but with some definite emotional, uber ego baggage that create their own set of issues. The school’s athletic and general administration had to know what they were getting. They wanted to win no matter the cost. If there is a lesson its there for all of us. Leach’s rant was sad and hard to watch not because of the profanity but because it was an example of how an inflated ego left a good football coach whinny and impotent. Lashing out wildly like a punch drunk fighter unable to cope with what is happening. I’m glad we have Mark Richt and Mark Fox, even if we think them too subdued, too cerebral when things aren’t going well. The opposite is far worse.
03/14/2010 at 11:37 AM
Coaches have a lot of pressure on them to win. Fans have high expectations. Some college players are treated like celebreties……put all this together and this is what you get.
03/13/2010 at 11:05 AM