In order to avoid any “awkwardness” between former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, who now hosts his own XM satellite radio show, and current Texas Tech football officials, the Big 12 reportedly refused to credential Leach for the league’s Tuesday media day, the same day Texas Tech was slated for interviews. League spokesman Bob Burda reportedly asked Leach’s producer if there were alternatives to Leach showing up in person at the Westin Galleria in Dallas. Leach is there town to promote his book Swing Your Sword and was supposed to do his XM satellite radio show onsite from the hotel, “until I was told otherwise.”
Leach says he was told about the situation by XM producer Matt Fishman. When shown a text from Leach saying the former Tech coach was supposed to do the show from here, Fishman would not comment further.
Leach added, “He [Fishman] told me he heard from the conference … They didn’t want it to be awkward for Tech.”
AdvertisementBurda said, “We didn’t say he [Leach] couldn’t come.”
“I was told not to go,” Leach said when reached by phone. “That’s indisputable. I got a call yesterday and told not to go.”
In a text, Leach said, ” … yesterday I was told the conference would not give me a credential because tech was going to be there.”
When informed of Burda’s comment, Leach texted, “That is not what I was told. You can ask Matt Fishman … I was supposed to do the radio show on site there until I was told otherwise yesterday.”
Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville and three players appeared at the media days Tuesday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Leach is in the process of suing the Texas Tech, ESPN and a P.R. firm hired by ESPN analyst Craig James. He was fired in December 2009 after a clash with the Tech administration.
Were Big 12 officials expecting Leach to put a blind-side tackle on Tommy Tuberville or something? These are grown men who coach these teams — or who were fired by these teams. Making nice and acting as if you respect each other is a big part of their jobs.