The deadline has come and gone for Texas Tech Red Raiders Coach Mike Leach to sign a contract extension. He wants more money, the school is not willing to give it to him. He says he's content with working through the remainder of his current deal which will take him through the 2010 season, the school is not so certain they still want him around and that would be a very very bad mistake.
In his tenure the Red Raiders have begun to venture into the ranks of the elite. He has coached the Red Raiders to a bowl game in each of his 9 seasons as coach amounting a 5-4 record. The remaining bowl record of the program in it's history is 5-17-1, which is hideous and embarassing. He has the second highest win percentage of any coach in the program only slightly behind Pete Cawthon who coached the team in the 1930s. Assuming he wins 6+ games next season with the Red Raiders he will become the all time winningest coach in Red Raider history. To put in bluntly, he's the best coach the program has ever had.
As a school it sucks to have a coach who's ready to take the leap into a new price range, one that you might not be able to afford. Texas Tech has probably come to the realization that in two years if Leach's stock continues to rise he will move on to other more lucrative opportunities. But as a program it's time to realize that just because that is the case it does not mean that you shouldn't take advantage of him currently. Get the most out of your asset while you can. Don't be stupid and pull a BC, Leach is the best coach in your school's history, play it out until the end.
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