So what happens when you sign a contract, do your job (well), get offered an extension to continue doing that job (since you did it so well), and turn down the extension?

Well, if you coach college football in Lubbock, Texas, it means you may be out of a job.

That’s right, Texas Tech would apparently be willing have a new coach come on board, starting a rebuilding process, and fire Mike Leach, all because Leach did not sign an extension to remain at the school.

Leach’s performance as head coach at Texas Tech has been nothing short of fantastic. He’s made it clear that he is happy and would like to coach the remaining two years on his contract. The school, however, wanted Leach to agree to some new terms of the prior contract, a.k.a. extension, that Leach wasn’t interested in.

So the right move is to fire him? Perhaps that’s why the team didn’t win prior to Leach’s arrival.

According to the Dallas Morning News:

Tech has the right to terminate Leach’s current contract “without cause at any time and for any reason.” Tech would, however, then have to pay Leach “liquidated damages” in an amount equal to 40 percent of the remaining guaranteed compensation and benefits. Since Leach is owed a guaranteed $4 million left on his contract, Tech could terminate him without cause and owe him $1.6 million.

Leach and Texas Tech have exchanged proposals for a contract extension, but both sides are unwilling to compromise. Leach has no intention of signing the offer made by Texas Tech, and the school has no interest in extending Leach at the terms he has offered.

ESPN.com reported that officials at Texas Tech were willing to fire Leach if he did not sign their version of the contract extension.

A person familiar with Texas Tech’s thinking on the negotiations with Leach told [ESPN's Joe] Schad on Tuesday night that the school had implied through intermediaries that it would actually consider firing him if he did not accept their offer by a Tuesday deadline.

This is what schools get when they load their athletic departments with people that aren’t familiar with the sports they are managing. I’m sure the school is in a much better financial situation now then they were before Leach arrived, and a big part of that is from the success of the football program. Firing Leach just starts the process over again and will probably set the program back several years. Understanding the importance of keeping a good football program moving forward is vital in maintaining a college athletic department.

I’m not privy to the details of all of these negotiations, but if Texas Tech fires a good coach who is still under contract, they deserve what they get.

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