 "Photo: Adam Coleman")
Despite receiving invites from the Team Leach Facebook group, Texas Tech President Guy Bailey, Chancellor Kent Hance, Athletic Director Gerald Myers and new head football coach Tommy Tuberville did not attend the Reach for Leach rally; instead, the rally was carried by testimony from Tech alumni and students.
The rally took place from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday in Memorial Circle and featured an amplified telephone call from former Tech head coach Mike Leach.
“I’m proud to have had the opportunity to be your coach for the last 10 years,” Leach said.
Many members of the crowd did not get the chance to hear Leach speak due to the small sound system provided by the university, said Charlie Hodges, Team Leach public relations manager.
Jonathan Snively, a junior multidisciplinary studies major from Annapolis, Md., attended the rally and said he hoped many of his questions about Leach’s termination would be answered.
Incidents like the one with wide receiver Adam James happen everywhere, he said, so it would be ideal if Tech administrators cleared up concerns fans have about the haste with which Leach’s termination was carried out.
Despite those concerns, Snively said, it is time for the Tech community to move on and support Tech’s football program no matter who runs it.
“I support Tuberville, and I think he is a great candidate,” he said. “We need to move on for Tuberville’s sake.”
Paul Braswell, a Tech alumnus and treasurer of the Techsans for Tech Political Action Committee, said the rally and Team Leach have been a great start at achieving more political representation for Tech.
“The rally has channeled energy in a positive direction,” he said. “(The university) needs a bigger voice in Austin.”
Braswell said members of Techsans for Tech hope to attain a stronger and broader appeal to more Texans.
Mike Faulkner, an Amarillo resident, said he traveled to Lubbock with his wife to show his support for Leach.
“Mike Leach’s biggest crime is being too successful,” he said.
Ever since Leach became head coach, Faulkner said, he and his wife had been strong supporters of Tech football.
Mark Uptergrove, a Team Leach administrator, said he was content with the rally despite the absence of Bailey, Hance, Myers and Tuberville.
“This is a great turnout,” he said. “People came here to honor what Leach has done for the university.”
Most importantly, Uptergrove said the rally turned the concerns of many into support for the common goal of seeking the truth about Leach’s dismissal.
Team Leach has raised a more than $12,000 so far for its efforts, he said, and used much of those funds for advertisement and to finance Hodges’ public relations services.
Uptergrove said Team Leach plans to continue its efforts to unveil the truth about the events surrounding Leach’s dismissal by speaking with Tech administration.
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