University Diaries » Texas Tech: The American University as Pain Slut.

Mike Leach, Bobby Knight, Billy Gillispie – Texas Tech seems to choose only the most sadistic coaches for its players… Illegally, agonizingly, protracted practices; physical and psychological roughing up; verbal abuse– all of these men have had something on this list alleged against them. (Background here. Oh wait, that’s about TTU coach Tommy Tuberville’s multiple fraud schemes…. Here. Here. That last one explains why the local culture demands sadistic coaches.)

Texas Tech craves pain, whether from Alberto Gonzales or its, er, hit parade of coaches. When the players eventually leave or revolt, or when the newspapers get a whiff of the story, Texas Tech gets to increase the pain for everyone by firing the coach and then getting sued for millions and millions of dollars which will have to come from students and faculty.

This submissive’s latest dominant, Gillispie, came with irresistible credentials:

[Gillispie] faced similar issues following his departure from Kentucky, including from former Wildcat Josh Harrelson, who said Gillispie “once became so angered that he instructed him to sit in a bathroom stall during a halftime talk at Vanderbilt and then ordered him to ride back to Lexington in the Kentucky equipment truck.” Stories like that, and others about Gillispie’s careless attitude toward basketball office admins and staff, have damaged Gillispie’s reputation nearly beyond repair. His post-Kentucky arrest for drunken driving, Gillispie’s third since 1999, certainly doesn’t help.

Or, as TTU likes to put it: “Student-athlete well-being is our top priority.”

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Notes of a Neophyte

JND Says:
September 1st, 2012 at 7:46AM

Hey! I’m a Texas Tech graduate, and there’s a lot I liked about TTU and Lubbock. I had a wonderful dissertation advisor, and — as a Westerner myself — I am one of those rare people who actually like Lubbock.

Texas and Texas A&M are the big kids in the state. You may remember that, as #2, Avis tried harder. Unfortunately, as #3, Texas Tech tries anything.

Gillispie is a proven liar. His shuffle to Kentucky from Texas A&M is all the proof that anyone will ever need of that. And we hired him just the same.

On my desk is a fundraising letter from Texas Tech. Guess how much I’ll send them?

Margaret Soltan Says:
September 1st, 2012 at 8:20AM

JND: Let’s hope that Texas Tech has other alumni who don’t actively support its trashy, desperate ways.

Not Quite Says:
September 2nd, 2012 at 4:23AM

Margaret,

Including Leach in your triumvirate of pain dispensers is far from accurate. You seem to be an accomplished academic. Try doing a little more research before casting ill-founded aspersions: (you might start with graduation rate, depositions regarding alleged ‘abuse’, justification for termination, sovereign immunity in Texas, etc).

I look forward to your reading your retraction.

Margaret Soltan Says:
September 2nd, 2012 at 7:33AM

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/34613605/ns/sports-college_football/

http://www.cougcenter.com/2012/2/17/2806853/mike-leach-lawsuit-texas-tech-supreme-court

Nothing ill-founded about them. Witnesses have come forward, and they are being heard.

This case — one of tons your guy is pursuing against whole squads of people — goes on. And on. As do all of the others. He’s in fine shape to pursue them, having gotten an 11 million dollar deal with Washington State: “[E]asily the most lucrative in school history for any employee. That doesn’t even count a $25,000 bonus any time the Cougars beat the hated Huskies in the Apple Cup…”

I weep for your guy. So damaged by these allegations. Sue on!

University Diaries » “It’s extremely rare to see this level of physical contact.” Says:
November 10th, 2012 at 3:44PM

[…] would be good ol’Texas Tech, a school so masochistic UD calls it America’s university as pain slut. The latest thing is that cameras have caught good ol’ Tommy Tuberville hitting one of his […]

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[…] – rape-besotted, self-righteous Baylor; Southern “Slush Fund” Methodist; Texas “Pain Slut” Tech… You’d think a university, rather than say a fleabag hotel, would aim for a […]

University Diaries » The American University as Pain Slut, Pt. 2 Says:
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[…] Tech must be seen to be believed. In this earlier post, UD surveyed the school’s long list of sadistic coaches – not to mention […]

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[…] TTU’s national ranking has gone from 176 in 2018 to 219 today. Solution: Spend more money on sports! […]

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