Mike Leach really wants the Miami job

Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is very interested in becoming the next coach at the University of Miami.

So much so that Leach is doing various interviews in an effort to lobby for the job and make a strong sales pitch to the UM brass that he is the right man to succeed coach Randy Shannon, who was fired last Saturday.

"I think it’s a perfect fit because I’m in Miami,'' said Leach, who moved his family to Key West, Fla., after Tech fired him last December. "I think it's a perfect fit because of the offense they run and all the skilled players they’ve got at a variety of positions.

"Plus, they’re committed to academics, and so am I.''

Leach coached at Tech from 2000-'09 where he left as the school's all-time winningest coach (84-43). He also coached the Raiders to a bowl game in all 10 years he was at Tech, and many of his long-time Raider Nation admirers are still upset about his firing.

It's absolutely no secret that at Tech, Leach didn't often get the high-profile recruits from the Texas high schools. Many of them instead chose to go to Texas, TCU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma or Oklahoma State.

But the ones Leach did get, they helped Tech develop into one of the best offensive machines in the nation. And that is Leach's expertise -- offense.

Leach's offenses put the "E' in excitement. Thus, he said he is anxious to see how his teams would fare if he was able to recruit the caliber of athletes that Miami recruits.

Leach believes if he can get the Miami job, a national championship lies in his future.

"I’ve been a little curious myself and it would be fun to see, because we always had some obstacles as a far as recruiting (at Tech), because we didn’t get the first pick there at Texas Tech,'' Leach said. "Miami is in the middle of things, and that would be a different operation than what we were able to achieve at Texas Tech.

"At Texas Tech, we were in the toughest conference in the history of Texas Tech in the Big 12, instead of in a border conference or the Southwest Conference. And we won more bowl games than the rest of the history of that school combined. So, I really think we can get some great things done here.''

Leach said he hasn't been contacted by anyone about the Miami job, and didn't know for sure if he will be contacted. He also is embroiled in a nasty lawsuit with Texas Tech over his firing, but said that should have no bearing on his next job.

"I think (Miami president) Donna Shalala would be a great person to work with,'' Leach said. "She was instrumental in building the University of Wisconsin --  her and (former Wisconsin coach) Barry Alvarez – and providing the vision and direction that they have there right now.

"But I haven't from anyone from Miami.''

-- Dwain Price

 

Comments

[david j]

Please check your facts...TCU rarely gets "high profile" recruits and hardly ever wins a recruiting battle verses its Texas Big 12 competitors - although they recently have become great players.

[Dallas Cane]

True about the recruits at TCU but TCU isnt in the big 12 either.

[Luke]

I would love to see him anchor his pirate ship in Miami. What a great coach and he is the best thing that has happened to Lubbock since Buddy Holly. No doubt that he will be getting top Flordia boy recruits, national championship in 5 years.