Like Level reported earlier this morning, according to a published report, unofficial representatives from Auburn have made contact with "people close to [...] Mike Leach to gauge their interest in succeeding Tommy Tuberville if the school decides to fire him."
UPDATE 4:07 p.m.: The Birmingham News is reporting that Tommy Tuberville is out at Auburn head coach.
UPDATE 8:29 p.m.: According to this report from the New York Times, Mike Leach has been contacted by Auburn through a search firm run by Bill Carr, a former athletic director at Florida and Houston.
We'll update you as we find out more.
UPDATE 8:46 p.m.: Matt Baldwin, who represents Mike Leach along with Gary O'Hagan, had no comment when asked about the above report in the New York Times.
UPDATE 10:47 p.m.: According to a published report in the Seattle Times, Washington is interested in talking with Mike Leach a second time. The report further mentions that Leach could actually be back in Seattle right now.
When reached for comment, Matt Baldwin had none.
UPDATE 11:20 p.m.: We can confirm that as of a very short while ago, Mike Leach was in Lubbock. Please disregard what the report stated about him potentially being back in Seattle tonight.
UPDATE 9:05 a.m.: According to the Fresno Bee, Pat Hill told a Fresno State recruit (Derek Carr, brother of David Carr) that he would be staying at Fresno State. Hill was thought to be one of the top candidates for the Washington job, as he was being recommended to UW Athletic Director Scott Woodward by Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Saban and Woodward worked together at LSU several years ago.
UPDATE 10:07 a.m.: There are reports out there, that we're working to confirm independently, that Washington has either already interviewed or is planning to interview Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables regarding their head coaching vacancy. This is interesting because it would seemingly indicate that Washington's field of candidates is expanding, not contracting.
UPDATE 11:19 a.m.: We spoke with one of our national sources who indicated that Mike Leach may not be as warm to Auburn as initially thought, mainly because of the way things went down with Tommy Tuberville. The situation there could be considered unsettled by a potential new head coach there as a long-time coach was fired following a bad season that saw him trying to replace his defensive coordinator and completely changing offensive styles. Our national source also indicated that Leach is on his way back to Washington to speak with the Huskies again but we haven't been able to confirm that locally.
UPDATE 12:08 p.m.:Just got off the phone with Level, who has talked to Kent Hance within the last 10 minutes.
Kent Hance and Mike Leach spoke late yesterday, and both agreed that Gerald Meyers needed to talk to the agents and get the contract extension done. Since that conversation occurred, Meyers has been calling the agents and the they have apparently chosen not to take the phone calls.
But Hance said that he had a good conversation with Leach and he feels good about the situation.
More as it develops.
UPDATE 1:22 p.m.: I spoke with a Seattle reporter with knowledge of the Washington head coaching search and this person said that they had been told by one of Mike Leach's agents that he was currently in Lubbock, not Seattle.
This post was edited on 12/4 1:25 PM by A. Dickens
UPDATE 4:07 p.m.: The Birmingham News is reporting that Tommy Tuberville is out at Auburn head coach.
UPDATE 8:29 p.m.: According to this report from the New York Times, Mike Leach has been contacted by Auburn through a search firm run by Bill Carr, a former athletic director at Florida and Houston.
We'll update you as we find out more.
UPDATE 8:46 p.m.: Matt Baldwin, who represents Mike Leach along with Gary O'Hagan, had no comment when asked about the above report in the New York Times.
UPDATE 10:47 p.m.: According to a published report in the Seattle Times, Washington is interested in talking with Mike Leach a second time. The report further mentions that Leach could actually be back in Seattle right now.
When reached for comment, Matt Baldwin had none.
UPDATE 11:20 p.m.: We can confirm that as of a very short while ago, Mike Leach was in Lubbock. Please disregard what the report stated about him potentially being back in Seattle tonight.
UPDATE 9:05 a.m.: According to the Fresno Bee, Pat Hill told a Fresno State recruit (Derek Carr, brother of David Carr) that he would be staying at Fresno State. Hill was thought to be one of the top candidates for the Washington job, as he was being recommended to UW Athletic Director Scott Woodward by Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Saban and Woodward worked together at LSU several years ago.
UPDATE 10:07 a.m.: There are reports out there, that we're working to confirm independently, that Washington has either already interviewed or is planning to interview Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables regarding their head coaching vacancy. This is interesting because it would seemingly indicate that Washington's field of candidates is expanding, not contracting.
UPDATE 11:19 a.m.: We spoke with one of our national sources who indicated that Mike Leach may not be as warm to Auburn as initially thought, mainly because of the way things went down with Tommy Tuberville. The situation there could be considered unsettled by a potential new head coach there as a long-time coach was fired following a bad season that saw him trying to replace his defensive coordinator and completely changing offensive styles. Our national source also indicated that Leach is on his way back to Washington to speak with the Huskies again but we haven't been able to confirm that locally.
UPDATE 12:08 p.m.:Just got off the phone with Level, who has talked to Kent Hance within the last 10 minutes.
Kent Hance and Mike Leach spoke late yesterday, and both agreed that Gerald Meyers needed to talk to the agents and get the contract extension done. Since that conversation occurred, Meyers has been calling the agents and the they have apparently chosen not to take the phone calls.
But Hance said that he had a good conversation with Leach and he feels good about the situation.
More as it develops.
UPDATE 1:22 p.m.: I spoke with a Seattle reporter with knowledge of the Washington head coaching search and this person said that they had been told by one of Mike Leach's agents that he was currently in Lubbock, not Seattle.
This post was edited on 12/4 1:25 PM by A. Dickens
