In the ongoing legal brouhaha between former head coach Mike Leach and Texas Tech, two of the central figures in Leach’s firing — Adam James and Craig James — testified during the course of a four-hour deposition yesterday in Lubbock.
Adam James is the Red Raider wide receiver whose “timeout” in a shed-like structure directly led to Leach’s dismissal. Craig James is the ESPN college football analyst and father of the receiver who some say played a major role in getting Leach dismissed.
The latter testified Saturday — with Leach in the room — that, in the words of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, his role was limited in the coach’s firing. James’ attorney, Dicky Grigg, told the paper that his client’s initial conversations on his son’s isolation was limited to Tech Chancellor Kent Hance and regents chairman Larry Anders.
(Any reason father James couldn’t, you know, go to the athletic director initially, instead of going straight to the top of the Tech food chain? I’m quite certain there’s a good, solid reason behind that.)
Grigg did allow that his client wanted Leach gone.
“You can’t say that Craig James influenced the decision, but you can say from early on he was angry and wanted him fired,” the attorney said.
So angry, in fact, that, as noted by our buddy Brooks, “Craig James threatened on Dec. 20 to sue the University if it did not investigate the actions of then-head football coach Mike Leach.” So, no, Craig James had no significant influence on the decision. Nope, none at all.
Perhaps even more interesting — and bizarre — than the testimony of the father was the testimony of the son.
Leach’s attorney, Ted Liggett, told the Avalanche-Journal that Adam James testified that his Dec. 17 isolation “was funny”, which backs up the vibe given off in the “infamous” electrical closet phone video. Additionally, Adam James, who was diagnosed with a mild concussion before being “taken to the shed”, said he felt no physical harm by the treatment and did not believe Leach’s actions warranted his firing.
And, yet, the helicopter dad decided to push the issue?
Amazing what kind of power the ESPN brand gives people these days.
What is really funny is this kid will never be any good. He may play for TTU before he graduates, but that’s it. He has no future career in the NFL. Leach on the other hand will find a job, make even more money and move along. A lot of coaches emulate what we saw from Leach. Hell, I’ve had a few coaches that personally were worse than Leach… but because one person cries about it, then people who initially weren’t involved now want to get involved and have an opinion.
The whole electrical closet video is a fake. Testimony put this closet as an offshoot to the media room and James was told NOT to go in there and yet he did and HE put himself in the room and not Leach or the rest of the staff and I still say that it was his dad that put him up to doing that.
Adam is a lying, underachieving, spoiled punk.
Craig was a silver spoon pretty boy long before going on to SMU and NFL paydays…
go away James family
ESPN was already questionable at best, but lost a lot more credibility with this whole debacle. Not only did they have blatantly biased coverage of the matter, but they also allowed Craig James to leverage his position. That is assuming of course that reports of James’ instigation of the firing are accurate.
Another piece some people may enjoy..
After a weekend of watching the NCAA conference tournaments, I personally witnessed (I’m sure some of you saw it too on tv) during the Big XII Championship, Frank Martin and Bill Self BOTH being caught multiple times YELLING at players and saying the F-Bomb.
AMAZING how that’s okay in BASKETBALL…. but BY GOD not in our FOOTBALL programs.
Yep, we need nicer coaches for football. We shouldn’t fire them because they’re not all cupakes and rainbows or anything.
God bless you, Mike Leach (and Mark Mangino and Jim Leavitt).
I hope Colorado fires Dan Hawkins and hires Leach so he can be a thorn in the side of Tuberville and T-Tech.
ESPN is a joke! Fire James now and 70% of those other former players who do not know anything abotu broadcasting and only care about there alma mater or their former teams, whichever one is doing good!
kuhawks28, you might not want to lump Leach and Leavitt with Mangino. They probably woundn’t appreciate it.
78Lion – Mike Leach publicly supported Mangino and compared his own coaching style to Mangino’s.
Hey! Isn’t Craig James the cause of all the trouble at SMU that resulted in the Mustangs getting the DEATH SENTENCE? I am almost positive I’m correct on this.
Craig James (Like Mark McGwire in baseball) should be banned from any direct connection to college football. First on a death penalty team, and now this.