We will continue to update this thread throughout the day.
* This was a decision made by the university -- Chancellor Kent Hance, President Guy Bailey and the Board of Regents.
* Plan on inside receivers coach Lincoln Riley calling the offensive plays for Texas Tech on Saturday. Assuming that is the case, he will be down on the sideline, calling plays. It is unknown at this point if the staff will have someone else in the box during the game handling Riley's typical gameday role.
* Until his suspension is lifted, Mike Leach is not allowed to have any interaction with the team.
UPDATE, 4:40 p.m.:
*From what we understand, Leach is in San Antonio and was informed of the decision at approximately 3:30 p.m. CT. We believe that Hance was the person that told him.
* The team was notified at approximately 3:30 p.m. CT during a meeting. Defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill informed the players of Leach's suspension and told them that he would be taking over on an interim basis.
UPDATE, 5:10 p.m.:
* The player at the center of the complaint against Leach is sophomore receiver Adam James.
* The timing on this is interesting in that Texas Tech will owe Leach a contract completion bonus of $800,000 by Feb. 1, 2010 if he is "the Head Football Coach at [Texas Tech] University as of December 31, 2009." Technically, at this point, he is not the Red Raiders' head football coach.
* From what we understand, Leach has indicated from the get-go that he does not feel as if he crossed any lines. It is probable that he would not currently be suspended if he had expressed some level of regret for the action at the center of James' complaint.
* This is an unprecedented event. There have and will be a lot of comparisons to the Mark Mangino situation at Kansas, but he coached for several weeks while the Jayhawks' investigation was underway. Furthermore, Mangino was never suspended during that process.
* As far as recruiting goes, Texas Tech is currently sitting at 24 verbal commitments for their 2010 class. We're currently in the middle of a dead period, but that ends on Jan. 1. With signing day little more than a month away, the sooner this situation is resolved the better for the Red Raiders.
UPDATE, 5:40 p.m.:
* Leach is not returning calls.
* When reached for comment by the New York Times' Pete Thamel, one of Leach's agents at IMG declined to comment and said, "Its a legal issue now."
* Former Texas Tech safety Daniel Charbonnet posted this on his Facebook account approximately 15 minutes ago: "People, y'all don't know what's going on. Stop bashing Adam James. He's NOT the person you should be mad at... Now time to get behind Ruff AND THE PLAYERS for this game! Go Tech!!!"
UPDATE, 5:55 p.m.:
* Sources close to Mike Leach have indicated to us that he has been instructed by Texas Tech to not comment on the situation.
UPDATE, 5:55 p.m.:
* The James family released the following statement to the AP this afternoon confirming that they had lodged a complaint with Texas Tech:
"Mr. and Mrs. James took the step with great regret and after consideration and prayer to convey to the Texas Tech administration that their son had been subjected to actions and treatment not consistent with common sense rules for safety and health."
UPDATE, 6:30 p.m.:
* With Lincoln Riley expected to run the Red Raiders' offense against Michigan State, there have been some questions about how different he will be as a playcaller than Leach. From what we understand, folks shouldn't expect to see a dramatic change in terms of what plays are called, which players are featured or anything like that on Saturday.
UPDATE, 6:35 p.m.:
* ESPN has confirmed that Craig James will not be working the 2010 Alamo Bowl as originally scheduled.
UPDATE, 6:50 p.m.:
* Those that are taking shots at Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers should know that he had virtually nothing to do with this decision. It was Hance's call along with a few members of the Board of Regents.
* Without getting into legalese, we have been told that representatives for Leach are expected to file an injunction that would allow him to coach in the bowl game.
* We have heard that Leach has left San Antonio, but we are still attempting to confirm that bit of information.
UPDATE, 7:05 p.m.:
This image was taken by Rick Hill, the Alamo Bowl's Vice President of Marketing and Communications, a couple of minutes ago:
Ruffin McNeill speaking with the media.
UPDATE, 7:25 p.m.:
* McNeill just spoke with members of the media following Texas Tech's practice today. He said that Leach was his friend and that out of respect for him he would not be commenting further on the matter.
* McNeill confirmed that Lincoln Riley will be calling the offensive plays from the press box, and offensive graduate assistant Sonny Cumbie would be sending in the plays from the sideline.
*According to McNeill, the Red Raiders' practice was very spirited and the players bounced around pretty good. He noted that if you didn't know any better, you wouldn't have known anything was going on at all.
* Adam James is in San Antonio and was at Texas Tech's practice, but he was not dressed out.
UPDATE, 8:25 p.m.:
* ESPN will be sending a field reporter down to San Antonio in the morning.
UPDATE, 9:15 p.m.:
* According to a source within the program, while Adam James was sequestered on two separate occasions in mid-December, he was not locked in a tool shed or electrical closet as is being reported elsewhere. James was instructed to an equipment room following a doctor's evaluation, provided ice and accompanied by an athletic trainer. The second time James was sequestered, he was moved to an air-conditioned room and was allowed to use a stationary bike.
UPDATE, 9:20 p.m.:
* The investigation will continue. It had been ongoing over the last few days, but the suspension of Leach on Monday does not signal that the investigation has ended.
UPDATE, 10:00 p.m.:
* Mike Leach's attorney, Ted Liggett, says that he has statements from Graham Harrell, Dana Holgorsen, Eric Morris, Lincoln Riley and others that both support Mike Leach's track record with respect to injured players and question the motives of Adam James.
UPDATE, 10:15 p.m.:
* Level was told that Harrell wrote a four-page letter to the Texas Tech Administration that defended Leach and suggested that James' unhappiness stemmed from his lack of playing time. Three other players -- Stephen Hamby, Morris and Rylan Reed -- off of last year's 11-2 team also wrote similar letters about Leach and James.
UPDATE, 11:55 p.m.:
* There's been a lot of mention over the last few hours about how Mike Leach handled a concussion suffered by former Texas Tech wide receiver Mickey Peters several years ago. Earlier today, Peters had this to say on Facebook regarding that very same situation:
"I'll defend coach any day of the week! I had a situation with a concussion and he handled it perfectly!"
UPDATE, 12:45 a.m.:
* Add Wes Welker to the list of former players coming out in support of Mike Leach. Welker's quotes -- we do not know which outlet will publish them or when -- were described to Level as "a major bomb."
* The second location where James was placed, which has been labeled as everything from an electrical closet to a press room, is in fact the entryway to the visitor's locker room at Jones AT&T Stadium; it is located about halfway down the east side ramp.
In fact, following a very wintry spring practice earlier this year, Level and I conducted interviews with players and coaches in that very same location. I can tell you from personal experience that it is climate controlled and is not prison-like in its dimensions.
* We just learned that Lincoln Riley will be calling the offensive plays from the field, like Leach typically does during games, and Sonny Cumbie will be performing Riley's usual role in the box.
This post was edited on 12/29 12:50 AM by A. Dickens
* This was a decision made by the university -- Chancellor Kent Hance, President Guy Bailey and the Board of Regents.
* Plan on inside receivers coach Lincoln Riley calling the offensive plays for Texas Tech on Saturday. Assuming that is the case, he will be down on the sideline, calling plays. It is unknown at this point if the staff will have someone else in the box during the game handling Riley's typical gameday role.
* Until his suspension is lifted, Mike Leach is not allowed to have any interaction with the team.
UPDATE, 4:40 p.m.:
*From what we understand, Leach is in San Antonio and was informed of the decision at approximately 3:30 p.m. CT. We believe that Hance was the person that told him.
* The team was notified at approximately 3:30 p.m. CT during a meeting. Defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill informed the players of Leach's suspension and told them that he would be taking over on an interim basis.
UPDATE, 5:10 p.m.:
* The player at the center of the complaint against Leach is sophomore receiver Adam James.
* The timing on this is interesting in that Texas Tech will owe Leach a contract completion bonus of $800,000 by Feb. 1, 2010 if he is "the Head Football Coach at [Texas Tech] University as of December 31, 2009." Technically, at this point, he is not the Red Raiders' head football coach.
* From what we understand, Leach has indicated from the get-go that he does not feel as if he crossed any lines. It is probable that he would not currently be suspended if he had expressed some level of regret for the action at the center of James' complaint.
* This is an unprecedented event. There have and will be a lot of comparisons to the Mark Mangino situation at Kansas, but he coached for several weeks while the Jayhawks' investigation was underway. Furthermore, Mangino was never suspended during that process.
* As far as recruiting goes, Texas Tech is currently sitting at 24 verbal commitments for their 2010 class. We're currently in the middle of a dead period, but that ends on Jan. 1. With signing day little more than a month away, the sooner this situation is resolved the better for the Red Raiders.
UPDATE, 5:40 p.m.:
* Leach is not returning calls.
* When reached for comment by the New York Times' Pete Thamel, one of Leach's agents at IMG declined to comment and said, "Its a legal issue now."
* Former Texas Tech safety Daniel Charbonnet posted this on his Facebook account approximately 15 minutes ago: "People, y'all don't know what's going on. Stop bashing Adam James. He's NOT the person you should be mad at... Now time to get behind Ruff AND THE PLAYERS for this game! Go Tech!!!"
UPDATE, 5:55 p.m.:
* Sources close to Mike Leach have indicated to us that he has been instructed by Texas Tech to not comment on the situation.
UPDATE, 5:55 p.m.:
* The James family released the following statement to the AP this afternoon confirming that they had lodged a complaint with Texas Tech:
"Mr. and Mrs. James took the step with great regret and after consideration and prayer to convey to the Texas Tech administration that their son had been subjected to actions and treatment not consistent with common sense rules for safety and health."
UPDATE, 6:30 p.m.:
* With Lincoln Riley expected to run the Red Raiders' offense against Michigan State, there have been some questions about how different he will be as a playcaller than Leach. From what we understand, folks shouldn't expect to see a dramatic change in terms of what plays are called, which players are featured or anything like that on Saturday.
UPDATE, 6:35 p.m.:
* ESPN has confirmed that Craig James will not be working the 2010 Alamo Bowl as originally scheduled.
UPDATE, 6:50 p.m.:
* Those that are taking shots at Texas Tech athletic director Gerald Myers should know that he had virtually nothing to do with this decision. It was Hance's call along with a few members of the Board of Regents.
* Without getting into legalese, we have been told that representatives for Leach are expected to file an injunction that would allow him to coach in the bowl game.
* We have heard that Leach has left San Antonio, but we are still attempting to confirm that bit of information.
UPDATE, 7:05 p.m.:
This image was taken by Rick Hill, the Alamo Bowl's Vice President of Marketing and Communications, a couple of minutes ago:
Ruffin McNeill speaking with the media.
UPDATE, 7:25 p.m.:
* McNeill just spoke with members of the media following Texas Tech's practice today. He said that Leach was his friend and that out of respect for him he would not be commenting further on the matter.
* McNeill confirmed that Lincoln Riley will be calling the offensive plays from the press box, and offensive graduate assistant Sonny Cumbie would be sending in the plays from the sideline.
*According to McNeill, the Red Raiders' practice was very spirited and the players bounced around pretty good. He noted that if you didn't know any better, you wouldn't have known anything was going on at all.
* Adam James is in San Antonio and was at Texas Tech's practice, but he was not dressed out.
UPDATE, 8:25 p.m.:
* ESPN will be sending a field reporter down to San Antonio in the morning.
UPDATE, 9:15 p.m.:
* According to a source within the program, while Adam James was sequestered on two separate occasions in mid-December, he was not locked in a tool shed or electrical closet as is being reported elsewhere. James was instructed to an equipment room following a doctor's evaluation, provided ice and accompanied by an athletic trainer. The second time James was sequestered, he was moved to an air-conditioned room and was allowed to use a stationary bike.
UPDATE, 9:20 p.m.:
* The investigation will continue. It had been ongoing over the last few days, but the suspension of Leach on Monday does not signal that the investigation has ended.
UPDATE, 10:00 p.m.:
* Mike Leach's attorney, Ted Liggett, says that he has statements from Graham Harrell, Dana Holgorsen, Eric Morris, Lincoln Riley and others that both support Mike Leach's track record with respect to injured players and question the motives of Adam James.
UPDATE, 10:15 p.m.:
* Level was told that Harrell wrote a four-page letter to the Texas Tech Administration that defended Leach and suggested that James' unhappiness stemmed from his lack of playing time. Three other players -- Stephen Hamby, Morris and Rylan Reed -- off of last year's 11-2 team also wrote similar letters about Leach and James.
UPDATE, 11:55 p.m.:
* There's been a lot of mention over the last few hours about how Mike Leach handled a concussion suffered by former Texas Tech wide receiver Mickey Peters several years ago. Earlier today, Peters had this to say on Facebook regarding that very same situation:
"I'll defend coach any day of the week! I had a situation with a concussion and he handled it perfectly!"
UPDATE, 12:45 a.m.:
* Add Wes Welker to the list of former players coming out in support of Mike Leach. Welker's quotes -- we do not know which outlet will publish them or when -- were described to Level as "a major bomb."
* The second location where James was placed, which has been labeled as everything from an electrical closet to a press room, is in fact the entryway to the visitor's locker room at Jones AT&T Stadium; it is located about halfway down the east side ramp.
In fact, following a very wintry spring practice earlier this year, Level and I conducted interviews with players and coaches in that very same location. I can tell you from personal experience that it is climate controlled and is not prison-like in its dimensions.
* We just learned that Lincoln Riley will be calling the offensive plays from the field, like Leach typically does during games, and Sonny Cumbie will be performing Riley's usual role in the box.
This post was edited on 12/29 12:50 AM by A. Dickens
