Recently, former Texas Tech head football coach Mike Leach portrayed his firing as an orchestrated event with ESPN college football analyst and ultimate “little league dad” Craig James as the force behind his dismissal. According to Leach, Craig James had been disappointed by the lack of playing time for his son Adam, a seldom used receiver for the Red Raiders. Leach stated that “I think he used his position at ESPN to try to coerce me into allowing Adam to play more,” and when Leach didn’t comply with his demands for special treatment, Leach says that James attempted to apply more pressure. “He made it clear that he had a business relationship with our chancellor or certainly was in conversation about such things.” Aided by lingering resentment caused
by heated contract negotiations with Leach last year, Craig James’ pleas to university administrators did not fall on deaf ears. Days after the elder James contacted school officials, the man that built Tech into a respected football power was unceremoniously dumped, and the James family has required police protection at their home in Celina. Could this have been avoided? Only if Mike Leach had allowed Craig James to continue pulling strings for his son.
On January 9th, the U.S. Army All American Bowl will play its annual game in San Antonio, Texas. The game is a who’s who of division I prospects. The game’s public relations manager, Amy Sorrells, told 13psi that the game’s roster is annually “comprised of the top 90 to 100 high school players in the nation.” A look at previous rosters would back that statement up. The 2006 game included the likes of Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, and C.J. Spiller. An impressive group of players being sought by every football powerhouse in the nation. With the exception of one player. Adam James was a senior tight end playing for tiny Celina (TX) Bobcats, a school comprised of 474 students. Competing in Texas’ next to smallest division, Adam James not only wasn’t being recruited, he wasn’t selected to the Texas Sports Writers Association All-State team. Not first team. Not second team. Not third team. So a kid that isn’t considered All-State is suspicously put on the roster of an All-American team? An All-American team comprised of the best 90 to 100 players in the nation? He not only wasn’t listed in the top 250 players in the nation according to Rivals, he wasn’t listed as a top 100 player in his own state. While Rivals is listed as a scouting partner for the U.S. Army game, so is Tom Lemming. . . who happened to work with Craig James at ESPN.
It was only after he was added to the U.S. Army Bowl roster that Adam James was recruited. And while Adam claimed several scholarship offers from different schools, the only offer recognized by Rivals was the “grey shirt” offer from Texas Tech. It was Adams’ mysterious placement on an All-American team and resulting interest from homestate Texas Tech that led us to where we are now. A football player in over his head athletically, a father that refuses to accept that fact, and a coach looking for a new job.
.. excellent
13psi, you got Craig ‘Little League’ James pegged on this one. He truly is based on your facts the ‘Puppetmaster’. Maybe he can make a sequel to the first classic.
Money talks. Kids these days don’t need skills. They just need to know “who’s your daddy”. Shame to be a Texas Tech Alumni.
Celina is 3A. That is not the next to the smallest classification. Celina has won eight state championships in football and has had numerous players play in college. I am not saying I liked Craig or Adam James just that some of your information is not right.
Our facts are correct… Celina moved to 3a div II in 2006, one year after Adam James’ senior season. Adam competed in 2a div II, the next to smallest division unless you count six man football, which would be like calling soccer a real sport.
These eight state championships are the most by any football team in the state. They also had the winningest football coach in the state coach there (GA Moore).
You are correct. Celina dominated the next to smallest division of Texas high school football.
They were also 3a from 2002 to 2004.
I think wolfforthraider is Adam James.
I think he is GA Moore
I am not Adam James or GA Moore. I just had some questions about that one thing in the article. I agree with the rest of it. It really doesn’t matter even if they were 5A and won 50 state championships. Adam James didn’t have anything to do with the winning that was taking place (just like when he came to Tech).
Yeah, he’s GA Moore, see how he’s trying to take all the credit for himself?
Let’s not lose sight of the fact that Craig James is a nut sniffing jackass
GA Moore is a nut sniffing jackass.
What a shame that this Craig James and his daughter Adam ruined TT football program. We have kids fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan and these mad man James is worried about his little daughter being in a dark area.
The bottom line for Mr. Leach regardless of anything done or not done by the James family, is he was fired for not doing what his employer directed him to do. Basically, insubordination. He has no one to blame but himself, and by suing the university he will be unlikely to find another university willing to hire him.
Leach was fired because they did not intend to honor their contract and pay what they agreed to pay. Baby Daddy helped out his good buddy Kent Hance by making his previous complaining phone calls a formal complaint, and then by using his position at ESPN to slander Coach Leach, misrepresent and mischaracterize what really happened. James and the good old boys got what they wanted but they may have gotten more than they bargained for by assuming the rest of us would kiss James’s backside and pat the baby on the head, poor boy, afraid of the dark and all.
I loathe Craig James. I do not see how it is possible for him to consider running for the US Senate and having time to babysit his daughter Adam.
Why does no one bring up the fact that Craig James is now responsible for ruining 2 college football programs. Let us not for get his scandle at SMU of accepting money from boosters.
Is this the same 2A that produced Colt McCoy and was Colt invited to the All-American game?
It doesn’t matter if Celina won 20 State Championships in a row. Why didn’t Craig have his son in Stratford High School where he played? He would have been on the same team with Andrew Luck who is now the QB for Stanford. However, he would have been a back-up. Daddy had to take him to a small school where he could be the stud. Big fish in a tiny pond rarely makes it in a DI school. ADAM JAMES IS A DIVISION II FOOTBALL TALENT AT BEST!!!
But Coach Lee, he wasn’t even a big fish in a small pond….he was a small fish in a small pond. The only way he gat a single offer was daddy pulled strings to get him in the All-American game.
Sounds like Tom Lemming got hood-winked just like Leach did by Craig ‘Pony Express’ James. No way his kid was in top 90-100 high school player in nation.
Even worse – apparently Texas Tech Chancellor Kent Hance and the Tech Board of Regents see nothing wrong with hiring someone who condones waterboarding when Hance’s buddy Alberto (I do not recall) Gonzales needed a job, but put some no talent brat in a dark room for a couple of hours and all hell breaks loose. Talk about a double standard. I hope Leach sues Hance, Myers, and all the BORs individually and takes them for every penny.
Ref: Rosce46—Leach got fired for not agreeing to the wording and not signing a document that would have implied he did mistreat an injured player. That is a far cry from being insubordinate. Trying to call the Leach refusal of admiting to a wrong “insubordination” is going to cost Tech millions plus a couple of jobs. Telling a trainer to “Get this snivilling kid out of my sight. If he needs sunglasses to protect his eyes, put him in the ‘O’ building and turn the lights down. Make sure he stays there by staying with him” is certainly not mistreatment of any player including one with a minor concussion. Ten to one, after being locked up Adam said, “I’ll fix that SB” then took it upon himself to zoom his mobile camera up close to the darkened walls, post those pics with his little league Daddy and say, “”oh Daddy oh Daddy dear. Look where Coach Leach is making me stay all locked in just because I couldn’t practice.” Daddy got on the phone and the rest is for us to read about
Well…Imagine that
!!!! I SMELL CORUPTION !!!!! Could It be ????? Craig James couldn’t BUY Mike Leach ???? Is It possible, he maybe bought his bosses…just a thought !!!!!
Hey T. Boone, Leach may be looking for a head coaching job!
Here you go, folks. Step right up for the ESPN/Craig James dog and pony show! (somehow I feel this is insulting to dogs and ponies everywhere)
Talk about wanting to throw up! This video makes me sick!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPbKiIf95fo
I submit to all Texans who feel that Craig James is what he is..that we come together and form a group called “The Defeat of the James Boys” and kick his ass right out of Texas if he does run against KBH. How about it?
IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH WHAT HAPPENED WITH COACH LEACH, PLEASE CHECK OUT TEAMLEACH.ORG. WE ARE A GROWING GROUP ON FACEBOOK. HELP US SUPPORT OUR CAUSE IN FINDING THE TRUTH BEHIND WHAT REALLY HAPPENED WITH JAMES, THE TTU ADMINISTRATION AND LEACH.
Team Leach, my security was compromised at Facebook after an administrator at another site put an access button under the forum member’s posts and I had to close my account. Actually, they only “deactivate” it and if I go back to it, it will open again with the same problems the adm. created.
I support you and if you need any help, email me at weezilgirlchurch@sbcglobal.net.
Good article and based on the e-mails, which came to light gives credence to this article.
By the way, before hearing James might run as a US senator for TX, I already put my support behind Mr. Williams. This man ia a decent honest man and I hope CJ gets nowhere to remotely challanging him (Williams) in the primary.
I get the feeling that by Craig James “by not knowing” the people of Texas, as he thinks he does, will find a very steep hill to climb if he enters politics here.
He may have been able to pull the wool over ESPN’s eyes when someone got him his job….he may have thought he was using TTU when they were really letting him help do their dirty work to fire Coach Leach….. BUT he can’t pull the wool over Texan’s eyes because we never have seen him through a fog. We’ve seen him clearly since he was at SMU.
I’d say, as my ex’s grandpa would, his chances of winning a senate seat here are “little and none” .
[...] Craig James, Puppetmaster « 13psiDays after the elder James contacted school officials, the man that built Tech into a respected football power was unceremoniously dumped, and the James family has required police… [...]
Mike Leach is a bully and lucky that all he got was fired.
GREAT ARTICLE
Steve Pugh is a tard and has no idea what really happened. A coach is not a bully he is a teacher and a disciplinarian.
I can summarize my opinion of the James clan by pointing out that they are not just tools, but rather a entire 2500 piece Craftman Tool Set. Where do tools go? The shed.
Adam represents every spoiled, talentless coaches son who was undeservingly played ahead of deserving kids in sports. His dad was the overbearing father who bought his kid every shoe, pad, or warm up suit Nike made. Just like the dad who showed up at every practice and game, annoying the coach, cussing the refs, and ultimately getting his son in the spotlight just to shut him up.
A Democrat will get more votes for the Senate position than a GOP Craig James.
Lets fact it. Craig James is used to the day’s when he was in College, when he got paid and pampered to play football. The big difference is that Craig was good. His kid wasnt worth a crap, but Craig thought his boy should be pampered and deserved the same special treatment he got when he was in college, less the financial stipend I assume.
Is Craig James still considering a Senate run?
Man that guys ego must just BLIND his thought process.
I wonder when the story about James and his little “girlfriend” on the side is coming out. Its commmon knowledge to everyone except his wife.
I work in the industry and the “Boys Club” atmosphere over at ESPN is truly an amazing spectacle. Disney really needs to clean house over there and force that Company to operate like a real business. The problem is that ESPN generates such a huge percent of their (Disney) profits that they are afraid to poke the sleeping bear.
I am offended by the posts referring to Adam James as Craig’s daughter. I am both a woman and a daughter, and I have a daughter, and she is tougher than he is! Please stop referring to him as a male…he is a coward, and he is a young man who feels very entitled for the simple fact that his father is Craig James…and why he would be proud of that at this point, I can’t imagine!
Good luck to Mike Leach! I firmly believe he was railroaded!
Have to agree with allison, both of my daughters are twice as tough as “Baby James”. He is very much so a true coward and NO Coach Lee, he could not play Div II football, at this point I would think his football days are over, and since he is 22, he should concentrate on going to class somewhere else other than Texas Tech. Possibly somewhere out of the country where he can change his name too!
I do agree, he may have been put in place by his fathers working behind closed doors… HOWEVER, this does not excuse his actions. You know, disregarding the doctors recommendations, putting him in isolation and forcing him to be uncomfortable… Anyone else think Leach has a closet full of whips and chains??? eek.. i don’t want to think about it.
I would like to slap many a kids in my neighborhood who annoy me, who’s parents won’t stop bragging about them… But, there are limits. He deserved to be fired. He could have just not played him this year, and cut him next year. When you’re on thin ice with management, you don’t try to cross it with by walking on fire.
You cannot defend the indefensible.
I think Craig James is still upset about the 1980 Holiday Bowl… GO BYU COUGARS!!!
Since the beginning of this fiasco, things that have been claimed on both sides go through a laugh test for me. The disciplnary actions of the coach sounded quirky but reasonable, although I may have taken the route of suspension form the team and at season’s end dismissing him from the team altogether. Craig James rant about he was just being a dad and he needed to protect his baby and other athletes at TT from the inhumane treatment of his little guy with the concussion. That was the best laugh I have had in months. No physical effort was asked, no contact drills were suggested, only go stand in the dark. This kid was never in harms way unless the rumors of how he got the concussion have truth to them. He was supposedly involved in an altercation at a local bar and was injured there. True? Don’t know. But if injured away from football activities they should have kicked his A$$ off the team. Then all the B O R BS would have been more transparent.
Hey,, I remember Cotulla being 2A in the early 60’s and sending 4 seniors to the Military Academies ( air force, Navy and Army ). one football kid to the Air Force Academy. “Sweet Baby James “does not seem to be cut from the same small town Texas mold that I have respected all my life. Daddy James can only be possibly successful in a calling where the truth can be easily buried
I think that Leach should have resigned before the season started when he was having to jump through TT hoops just to get his contract renewed. He would be in a lot better shape. Right now his coaching career in D1 football is effectivley over. As I see it this whole fiasco has given everyone involved a blackeye. Leach is gone, Adam’s football career is over, and Craig James is an idiot. I hope ESPN drop him like a hot potato and last but not least TT has proved once again it is a classless school with no redeeming value.
Craig James is an asshole.
Here in Utah we get to watch the 1980 Holiday bowl (Often known as the miracle bowl) on TV at least once a year. This is the game were Jim McMahon scored 5 touch downs (with the final TD on a last second hail marry) in the fourth quarter against the Craig James and the SMU football team to win the game 46-45. It warms my heart to see you all talking so kindly about Craig James!
Rise & Shout!!