Please dont go Mike

The end of the college football regular season is almost here and already Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach is on the several schools hot list. These schools include Miami, Alabama, Arizona State, N.C. State and you can probably add UCLA after they get hammered by USC next weekend. There are probably more coming after him that I have failed to mention.

If Mike is going to leave Texas Tech, it will probably be to a school in the Pac-10 for two reasons. Mike likes the west coast and these schools are more likely to offer him a job because they have watched how he has done more with less in the highly competitive Big XII. Not to mention they remember how he has shredded the likes of Cal, UT, and Texas A&M. Should the UCLA job come available, Mike would have the resources and the paycheck to make him bolt. But would he do it?

I don't think Alabama or Miami would would be a good fit for Mike. These programs demand winning immediately and will not have the patience for close losses. Mike knows they will turn on him quickly. Besides, It is highly probable that they wont offer Mike a job in favor of someone with championships and/or NFL experience on their resume. I dont think Mike would consider that move anyway. Those programs are almost impossible to succeed in by comparison to their storied histories.

Coach Leach strikes me as a man on a mission. I think he wanted and still burns with desire to take Texas Tech football to the next level. He hasn't quite done that yet. Has he done a good job? Absolutely! Attendance, Bowl wins, and recruiting have all blossomed in his tenure. The only thing lacking is a Conference Championship. We now compete on the field with the likes of OU, Nebraska, and Texas, two of those schools have won National Championships recently. We also continue to own A&M. Sure, he has lost with better teams to TCU, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, and OSU to name a few. But the excitement and expectations are at an all time high on the South Plains. Tech alumni are giving more than ever and Mike Leach is the big reason.

Ultimately, I can give you one point six five million reasons why Mike should stay in Lubbock. The biggest reason to stay is that Mike Leach is the perfect Coach for Texas Tech football. Let's face it, we Tech fans love Mike and his Leachisms. He has brought more joy in going to Jones Stadium than I can ever remember. The first downs, touchdowns, and last minute heroics are nice, but I always watch with the belief that Tech has a chance to win every game. The opposition fears Tech and that has rarely if ever been the case. Mike is a winner.

So please, please, please, Mike...DONT GO. Stay and do what Paterno did at Penn State. Be the next Bobby Bowden or Frank Beamer. In fact, be bigger! Anyone can go west and be another coach. You can turn Jones Stadium into the 75,000 rabid one day. You can be a legend. To borrow your words Coach, "Swing your damn sword", and tell those big time athletic directors we will be coming to take what is ours on a football field. Besides, what kind of pirate decides at the last minute to join the Royal Navy.