Mike Leach & Texas Tech

Mike Leach, Head Football Coach at Texas Tech University was fired for the mistreatment of one of his players. Adam Leach, son of former SMU football great and ESPN television analyst, was diagnosed with a concussion that was sustained in practice. He was held out of practice on the Team Physicians orders. Now, I do not intend to go into all the minutia surrounding the punishment, the rooms, justifications, etc. I would like to comment on the situation that the athletic trainer, Steve Pincock, was put in. Here is a quote from Mr. Pincock's affidavit:  

"Leach was upset and concerned about James' appearance and attitude. Leach said he did not want him loafing while the players were working. Leach told me to place James in a dark place near the practice field. Leach further said something to the effect that he wanted me to tell James that I was to "lock his (expletive delete) in a place so dark that the only way he knows he has a (expletive delete) is to reach down and touch it,'' which I repeated to James. Leach further told me to have him stand in the dark during the entire practice.He did not want James on the field, and he did not want James in the training facility. He did not want to see James. He wanted James to be uncomfortable. He did not want him showing poor effort. I took James and Jordan (an undergraduate student athletic trainer) to the sports medicine/athletic training shed near the field. At the time, all coolers or water containers were removed from the building so James could not sit on them. Leach ordered me to place James in the dark, enclosed area where he could not sit or lay down. The shed is a portable building that is used to store items like coolers and other equipment, which are used for practice. It is approximately the size of a single car garage. It has an overhead type garage door. It does not have windows. After repeating Leach's words, I told James that he was to stand in the dark for the entire practice. He was not supposed to sit down. I told him I would get him out when practice was over, and I shut the door. When I went to check on James after approximately 30 minutes, Jordan told me he had checked on James and found him on the floor. Leach had also instructed me to have a student trainer sit outside the shed to make sure he was standing and that he did not leave. I told Leach where I had placed James, and he was fine with it."  

I would venture that most of us would not like to be put in that situation. Unfortunately, there are coaches out there that make our jobs much more difficult than they need to be. Some would argue that the AT should have refused to comply with the coaches request. I would argue that he probably did not have any options. Athletic Trainers at that level were coaches are being paid million dollar salaries work at the pleasure of the head coach. It used to be when a coach was fired he and his coaching staff was replaced. Nowadays it is not uncommon for a new coach to come in and replace the athletic trainer also. Job security is not what it used to be. It is frustrating to see AT's work 20 years at a University and then let go because the new hot-shot hire wants to clean house and do it with his own people. Then three years later the hot-shot is now bounced out on his ear.  

I think this brings to light a real need for universities to stipulate that the AT reports to someone not associated with the coaching staff. An AT should have been involved in those events. Mike Leach used the AT to convey an air of legitimacy to the punishment he was prescribing. If Mr. Pincock had the job security to refuse the instructions, Leach would would probably still be employed.