College Football Coaches Read This Blog! Maybe
2nd January 2010
Mike Leach deserves a Peithos award for practical persuasion for his interview with ESPN on the story behind his firing as the head football coach at Texas Tech. His statements create a powerful position that justifies his actions and cast deadly doubt upon his accusers and the Texas Tech administrators who fired him. It’s an outstanding example of persuasion. And you don’t have to have a Red Raider in the fight to see his skill. (And if you can’t see his skill, I’d offer a friendly warning for you to stay away from Mr. Leach.)
Consider the Rules.
It’s About the Other Guy, Stupid
Listen to Leach’s argument not for yourself, but as someone who will have to rule on his contract with the University . . . like a judge. The more experience you have with contracts, the more impressed you’ll be. This interview was not just about public opinion.
Persuasion Is Strategic or It Is Not
Leach positioned himself as the innocent victim of conspiring administrators and “beauty pageant” parents protecting an untalented offspring. He made constant references to contracts and laws. He stressed his clean program, high graduation rates, and fan support along with the obvious on the field success.
Persuaders Can Either Be Famous or Effective, But Not Both
Who’d suspect a college football coach of being a persuasion wizard? Sure, a master motivator, and X’s and O’s inventor, but persuasion? Mr. Leach capitalizes upon people’s expectations and stereotypes. Leach is famous as a coach, but not as a student of this blog and all things persuasion. This guy is dangerous.
You Can Get Farther With A Kind Word And A Big Stick Than With Either Alone
Leach suggests that he just wants to sit at the table of brotherhood and work this out with the good folks at Texas Tech and not turn it into a circus with courts and judges, media and journalists. “Can’t we all just get along with each other?” If anything he says can be proven in a court of law, Texas Tech will be writing a large check. Given that Mr. Leach wants to break bread at the table of brotherhood, Tech might want to take its chances with a judge.
Outro
I have no idea how this will all turn out. We’re now getting regular updates from the various involved parties and certainly more information will come out. Knowing what I do about big time college sports, universities, and coaches (Let’s Go-oooo, Mountaineers . . . with Rich Rodriguez), this is going to cost someone a lot of money and reputation or both. If Mr. Leach can prove even some of what he says in this interview, I’d say Texas Tech might end up with more hat and less cattle.