Leach to Maryland?

[mgsooner]

Sources: Ralph Friedgen buyout on tap?\By Joe Schad
ESPN.com

Maryland is strongly considering asking coach Ralph Friedgen to retire and accept a buyout, according to multiple sources.

Maryland athletic director Kevin Anderson said Friday he would not address whether Friedgen was guaranteed to return in 2011. Anderson was addressing reporters on the departure of James Franklin, who took the head coaching job at Vanderbilt Commodores on Friday.

At one point during this season, Maryland told Friedgen he could return next season, but the coach has been pushing for a contract extension.

Franklin had been Maryland's coach in waiting. At least three Maryland assistant coaches are aware of the likelihood Friedgen will not return for next season and have committed to follow Franklin to Vanderbilt.

Sources said that former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach would be the leading candidate to replace Friedgen if he is forced into retirement, with former Washington coach Tyrone Willingham and current New Mexico coach Mike Locksley also candidates for the job.

Leach has a close relationship with Under Armour, which is run by a former Maryland football player and has offices in nearby Baltimore. Willingham was the head coach at Stanford while Anderson was a member of the athletic department at California. And Locksley is from Washington D.C. and has recruiting ties to the area.

Franklin's departure means that Maryland won't have to pay $1 million if he was not named head coach by the end of next season, giving the school some financial flexibility in looking for a possible replacement.

Joe Schad covers college football for ESPN.

[85sooners]

:O

[olevetonahill]

Being a " Mary Pirate" just dont sound right :eek:

[swardboy]

a turtle pirate?

[soonerinkaty]

Why would New Mexico's coach be a candidate for any D-1 program?

[Leroy Lizard]

Why would Willingham be a candidate for any D-1 program?

FIFY

[King Barry's Back]

I'd be surprised if Maryland hires Mike Leach. They are in the DC suburbs and that town is dominated by a PCish, CEO-style culture.

Given his outspoken nature, love of pirates, and the charges of abuse still hanging over his head, I don't see it.

Ty Willingham would be a great fit style-wise, but like Leroy says, why would anybody hire him after what happened at UDub?

Personally, I think UM would be stupid to get rid of the Fridge, but what do I know?

[AlbqSooner]

Why would New Mexico's coach be a candidate for any D-1 program?

Not only does he suck as a coach, he has been here two years and already had a sexual harrasment complaint by an athletic department employee and a fight with an assistant coach in which Locksley choked the guy during a staff meeting.

[olevetonahill]

Not only does he suck as a coach, he has been here two years and already had a sexual harrasment complaint by an athletic department employee and a fight with an assistant coach in which Locksley choked the guy during a staff meeting.

TWO years and thats all they got on him ? hell if it was me they have my *** in prison :eek:

[Okie35]

If he gets the job, good for him.

[fadada1]

seriously, he could turn that place into a 9-10 win a year program. only issues would be FSU and VATECH each year. The rest of the ACC is borderline average.

[badger]

I'd be surprised if Maryland hires Mike Leach. They are in the DC suburbs and that town is dominated by a PCish, CEO-style culture.

Given his outspoken nature, love of pirates, and the charges of abuse still hanging over his head, I don't see it.

Oregon is hippie liberal country and yet they find a way to love a billionaire who outsources manufacturing jobs to Indonesia.

The common denominator? Love of winning.

[85sooners]

:gary:

[bigfatjerk]

Wow he would be a shot in the arm for the ACC.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Not only does he suck as a coach, he has been here two years and already had a sexual harrasment complaint by an athletic department employee and a fight with an assistant coach in which Locksley choked the guy during a staff meeting.UNM used to have pretty decent teams before that guy, for the WAC or whatever conference they are in.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

TWO years and thats all they got on him ? hell if it was me they have my *** in prison :eek:What would you coach, the Distilling Club?

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Oregon is hippie liberal country and yet they find a way to love a billionaire who outsources manufacturing jobs to Indonesia.

The common denominator? Love of winning.Oregon indubitably loves the Big Endowments that lead to winning

[mgsooner]

seriously, he could turn that place into a 9-10 win a year program. only issues would be FSU and VATECH each year. The rest of the ACC is borderline average.

Yes he could. Maryland is an underrated job. They've got a strong commitment to athletics there.

[SoonerMom2]

They reported it on ESPN a little bit ago as a rumor.

[85sooners]

:gary:

[oumartin]

http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1166968

[King Barry's Back]

Oregon is hippie liberal country and yet they find a way to love a billionaire who outsources manufacturing jobs to Indonesia.

The common denominator? Love of winning.

Not the same. Marylanders just won't like anybody too far off the plantation. And too many politically-active, plugged-in people who don't care about sports or winning at all - they'll just view the coach as a hi-profile rep of the school/city/state and won't like what he has to say.

Not saying he'll be fired if he wins 9 games a year. Not saying he won't. Just saying it'll be a rocky fit prone to hazards.

And Leach hasn't got a billion dollars, either. A billion dollars will buy you a lot of friends.

[Whet]

Report: Ralph Friedgen forced out

Maryland is forcing football coach Ralph Friedgen out.

Friedgen, the Baltimore Sun reported, was told by university officials he cannot coach the team next season.

Friedgen, who is in his 10th season, has been asked to retire but had not agreed to do so, the newspaper said. If he does not retire, Maryland can buy out the final season of his close to $2 million-a-year contract.

Friedgen was named the Atlantic Coast Conference coach of the year after his team finished 8-4 this season. The Terrapins were 2-10 in 2009.

Maryland faces East Carolina (6-6) on Dec. 29 in the Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman.

Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is a likely target of Maryland's coaching search, the Sun reported.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5933528

[King Barry's Back]

http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1166968

Well, I'll tell ya, if I still lived in Washington I would be ordering season tickets to Maryland right about now.

Lordy, I am going to miss those morning, sports-talk shows live from the nation's capitol with MIKE freaking LEACH!

[royalfan5]

While not Nike yet, Under Armour is run by Maryland Alums, and the founder has a good relationship with Leach.

[jdd12]

From the Wash Post about an hour ago: “A key Big 12 source” has already told Chip Brown of OrangeBloods.com that Leach will be the next coach at Maryland. Brown is as well-respected a college football reporter as you can find."

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/terrapins-insider/2010/12/after_ralph_friedgen_maryland.html

Uhh, Chip Brown? Same guy that reported Exclusive: Pac-10 set to invite six from Big 12 (http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1090747)?

I'll believe it when I see the press release.

[mgsooner]

This is heating up it looks like.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5938838

[Aldebaran]

:gary:

[badger]

Everyone likes a winner, so even if they don't care about football now, they will. They really care about their winning basketball team, and football is definitely more of a bragging rights sport at this point.

[lasooner123]

leach is a good coach

[sooneron]

I'd be surprised if Maryland hires Mike Leach. They are in the DC suburbs and that town is dominated by a PCish, CEO-style culture.

Given his outspoken nature, love of pirates, and the charges of abuse still hanging over his head, I don't see it.

Ty Willingham would be a great fit style-wise, but like Leroy says, why would anybody hire him after what happened at UDub?

Personally, I think UM would be stupid to get rid of the Fridge, but what do I know?
Neighborhood has friggin VERY little to do with what coach is brought in, it depends upon the culture at the school. Maryland WANTS to win. That is why they are forcing out probably their most successful fb coach. PC burb culture will have very little to do with who they hire. It's all regents/trustees.

And Willingham? Are you ****ing serious?

[StoopTroup]

One of my sources says he's getting ready for New Year's Eve.

http://www.hatersbehatin.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/leach_vivant.jpg

[virginiasooner]

This sucks, what U-Md is doing to the Fridge. He took Maryland football, a perpetual ACC doormat, and turned them into winners. Beating Florida State, winning the conference championship (before expansion), and going to the Orange Bowl can do wonders for a program. But there are empty seats in College Park, and that cannot go on for long. Also, AD Debbie Yow left last year. She hired him, and, more important, didn't fire him last year when the Terps went 2-10.

Several years ago, on a trip home, the Fridge was in seat 1A on a Delta flight to Atlanta (I was in the back of the plane). After getting off the plane, I went up to him and asked "Coach, when will you play OU in College Park?" He reponded "uh, uh, uh, eventually." I was a fan from that moment on.

[picasso]

While not Nike yet, Under Armour is run by Maryland Alums, and the founder has a good relationship with Leach.

That's a good thing. Nike hasn't put out a good shoe in a decade.

[delhalew]

Hmmm. Coach Leach made it very clear on his radio show today that he had not talked to Maryland. However, he had to bail on the last thirty minutes of the show because "he received a phone call, and has to get to the airport". This according to his cohost Jack Arute.

[monty]

Listening to XM143 with Jack Arute and Mike Leach a few minutes ago. Mike gets a call in the middle of the show and tells everyone, "I know we have about 30 more minutes to go, but I've got to get to the airport".

[mgsooner]

Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach said today of the football coaching vacancy that Maryland is about to have: "I would talk to Maryland, and I would look at it and see what their goals and objectives are."

I interviewed Leach along with Jack Arute on SIRIUS|XM's College Football Playbook. Leach and Arute host the show, and I was a guest.

Leach said he hasn't spoken with Maryland, at least not yet. "A lot of rumors going around. I haven't talked to anybody at Maryland."

Leach said, "I don't think it would be appropriate" to talk to Maryland now since Friedgen's ouster has not been announced by the school. Maryland athletic director Kevin Anderson is scheduled to address the media at 3 p.m.

Leach's name has long been mentioned by Maryland boosters. The school has not said he is a candidate.

Said Leach: "I've got 24 texts on my phone that I havent answered."

Leach said he enjoys doing radio but that "I always expected that I would" return to the sidelines at some point.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/bs-mob-talking-terps-mike-leach-1220,0,6020374.story

[IndySooner]

Leach just left his radio show with a half-hour remaining. Got a call during the break and told Jack Arute, "You're not going to believe this, but I have to go catch a plane."

Very interesting.

[delhalew]

There is an echo in here. :D

[IndySooner]

LOL. Looked at the last post and assumed it hadn't been posted!

[Jacie]

A little more fuel for the fire . . .

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=nfp-20101220_dcs_large_media_market_will_be_an_adjustm ent_for_leach

D.C.’s large media market will be an adjustment for Leach

It won’t be very long before Mike Leach realizes that he isn’t in Lubbock anymore. The Washington, D.C., area is a different animal.

Despite his litigation against Texas Tech unresolved — the former Red Raiders head coach is seeking $10 million for the final four years of the contract he was fired from — multiple media outlets are reporting that Leach will be the next head coach at Maryland.

Former Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach is reportedly on his way to coach at Maryland.

Athletic director Kevin Anderson asked Ralph Friedgen to retire after coach-in-waiting James Franklin took the Vanderbilt job late last week. The Fridge has not agreed to do so and will reportedly be bought out of his deal.

Would anyone in their right mind voluntarily quit rather than accept a buyout?

Friedgen, the ACC coach of the year, led Maryland to an 8-4 season and a berth in the Military Bowl a year removed from going 2-10. He went 74-49 in 10 seasons at Maryland with seven bowl berths, including a berth in the Orange Bowl in his debut campaign.

Thanks for the memories, Ralph. Don't let the door hit you in your ample rear end . . .

Working under a new athletic director, dwindling attendance at a refurbished stadium and desiring a new long-term contract ultimately spelled doom for Friedgen. Now, Terps fans will see the program go in a new direction — one that certainly will be interesting to watch if the Leach reports are true.

While he was at Texas Tech, Leach didn’t allow more than two players to talk to the media on a weekly basis, something that irked a lot of players during his tenure.

He’ll be in a much bigger media market, and with that comes greater scrutiny when things don’t go smoothly. How will Leach, a unique character who famously has a fascination with pirates, react to adversity?

There’s no question that the Terps will score points under Leach, the architect of an exciting spread passing attack. The Red Raiders led the nation in passing six of Leach’s final eight seasons in Lubbock. He also left as the winningest coach in the program’s history (84-43) and never had a losing record.

But he’s also the same coach who blamed a Red Raiders loss in 2009 on his players’ “fat little girlfriends.”

Terps fans, welcome to the anti-Friedgen.

[delhalew]

That city needs some PC kriptonite.

[bent rider]

a turtle pirate?

If I recall correctly they do have some sort of 18th century sailing ship in the Inner Harbor up in Baltimore. Maybe a good place for the hiring press conference??

[virginiasooner]

A little more fuel for the fire . . .

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=nfp-20101220_dcs_large_media_market_will_be_an_adjustm ent_for_leach

D.C.’s large media market will be an adjustment for Leach

It won’t be very long before Mike Leach realizes that he isn’t in Lubbock anymore. The Washington, D.C., area is a different animal.

[/B]

Throw in the Baltimore media market as well. This could get interesting. Maybe there will be some happy football news coming out of PG County (location of Fedex). Maybe people around here will stop their automatic genuflection to the Redskins (and that pipsqueak owner) and start cheering on the local college team.

[ouleaf]

CRAB CAKES, PIRATES AND FOOTBALL!!! THAT'S WHAT MARYLAND DOES!

[badger]

Are there any famous turtle stories besides the tortoise one? Any oddball turtle facts that he'd bring up?

The only thing that comes to mind is Galapagos Island turtles that survive more than a hundred of years despite that area being volcanic. Another metaphor available is the fact that finches and turtles depend on each other there.


The first crude navigation chart of the islands was done by the buccaneer Ambrose Cowley in 1684. He named the individual islands after some of his fellow pirates or after the English noblemen who helped the privateer's cause.

[bluesmagoo]

FIFY

Exactly. UNM is really stupid. He was given a one year extension. I can't believe it.

[WichitaSooner]

D.C.'s Large Media Market an adjustment for Leach????? I think not.... it's the other way around... lol

[Radar's Left Hand]

No one in the Northeast cares about college football. A small market in Texas is still tougher than a large market in the Northeast when coaching college football. (basketball would be different)

[MeMyself&Me]

D.C.'s Large Media Market an adjustment for Leach????? I think not.... it's the other way around... lol

That's how I see it. I don't think Leach gives a rats *** about that stuff given the way he treats his interviews. They may be more in shock and horror after the first few months before the games start.

[bent rider]

Exactly. UNM is really stupid. He was given a one year extension. I can't believe it.

That was just insane. Locksley must have some blackmail photos of the Chancellor or something.

[picasso]

Throw in the Baltimore media market as well. This could get interesting. Maybe there will be some happy football news coming out of PG County (location of Fedex). Maybe people around here will stop their automatic genuflection to the Redskins (and that pipsqueak owner) and start cheering on the local college team.

Spek! My sis lives in Chesapeake Beach, MD.

[virginiasooner]

Spek! My sis lives in Chesapeake Beach, MD.

Hope she can make it to Mackey's in Crystal City, with about 200 other screaming Sooner fans, but Chesapeake Beach is a bit of a haul.

[badger]

Very cute picture of Mikey with a nice interview on Sporting News here. (http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2010-12-20/mike-leach-i-want-the-right-situation)

http://dy.snimg.com/story-image/1/47/173580/12639-650-366.jpg

I can picture Coach Pirate bicycling through the beachside humming "I want to ride my bicycle, bicycle, bicycle!"