Three weeks ago, former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach had this to say on the possibility of returning to college football.
“It’s a great job, and I think it would be a great fit,” Leach said. “We’d have an exciting brand of football. We’ll fill the seats, and we’ll win games, and we’ll win ACC championships.”
No, Leach was not talking about coaching at Maryland. He was lobbying in the Palm Beach Post for the opening at Miami, which went last week to Al Golden.
According to his agent, Gary O’Hagan, Leach was never contacted by the Hurricanes.
On Saturday, O’Hagan said the same about Maryland. But it’s hard to believe Terrapins athletic director Kevin Anderson would send Ralph Friedgen packing without having a good idea he could reach a deal with Leach.
One stumbling block in a potential deal is the lawsuit Leach has against Texas Tech. Maryland reportedly wants Leach to drop the suit.
Leach, 49, lives in Key West, Fla. (thus his interest in Miami). But Maryland has a lot to offer as well. Leach would have a ready-made quarterback in Danny O’Brien; a young, developing offensive line; and a solid stable of receivers, especially if he can convince Torrey Smith that a year in his “Air Raid” offense would enhance his NFL stock.
In addition, there’s plenty of speed and talent available in the D.C.-Baltimore area, which Friedgen was never able to mine fully. You think Baltimore standout Darius Jennings (Gilman) — a Devon Smith/Tavon Austin type — would be more interested in Maryland if Leach were the Terps’ next coach?
