Legal News

Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach Heads To Court To Battle Suspension

By Nathan Koppel

Readers, permits us a bit of an off-topic item, as we look at the recent suspension of Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach. This is bowl season, after all, and Leach has a law degree. (Here is a good Q&A with Leach from the Bitter Lawyer blog about why he got off the law track).

Tech on Monday suspended Leach based on complaints that he mishandled a concussion suffered by player Adam James, son of ESPN college football analyst Craig James.

The situation has quickly gotten legal. If the suspension holds, Leach will not be able to coach the Red Raiders in Saturday's Alamo Bowl, against Michigan State. And if he is permanently booted off the team, he may have to give up a lot of moola. Tech last year signed him to a 5-year, $12.7 million salary. (That stacks up nicely against just about any big-firm partner salary.)

But Leach has filed a temporary restraining order, which will be heard today in Texas state court, to block the suspension. Here's an article on the legal wrangling by the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

Leach is arguing that his contract with Tech prohibits the suspension.

After James suffered the concussion, Leach on Dec. 17 ordered the player to stand in a dark shed at a Tech practice facility. Two days later, Leach had James stand in a dark room for three hours.

The Avalanche-Journal reported yesterday that Leach took these steps, because he thought James was faking the concussion.

But Leach's lawyer, Ted Liggett, has countered that Leach simply was trying to protect James by placing him somewhere that was darker and cooler than the practice facility.

"We have a statement from the diagnosing doctor that said Mike didn't do anything wrong and that him being in the building instead of outside was better,'' Liggett told the Avalanche-Journal.

"The harm that will result if a temporary restraining order is not issued is irreparable," Liggett argues in court papers. "Not only will Mike Leach suffer personally due to his contract provisions and with regard to compensation, but his reputation and record will also be harmed as well as the reputation of the team, the football program and the university."

Photo credit: AP

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on December 30, 2009 (boomark / email).