It’s not a good week for coaches, as Texas Tech’s Mike Leach has been fired from his perch following an accusation that he mistreated Tech player Adam James, the son of ABC broadcaster Craig James.

I’m not going to take sides here, as I’m not privy to all that is going on, but I find the following statements by Leach to be less than convincing:

Leach said he “would never intentionally harm or endanger a player” and that he has been “forced into this situation without being afforded any process.” He also said “absolutely” no evidence had been given to him that showed he had violated any university rules or standards.

So, no ‘evidence’ has been given to him that showed he broke any rules or standards.  That’s a pretty weak rebuttal to the charges.  If he is innocent, why not just categorically deny the charges instead of parsing them with a legalistic response?

Whatever the case, I hope Leach gets another chance to coach somewhere (I’m sure he will), but I also hope he (and other coaches) use his experience as a cautionary tale:  Coaches aren’t God and there are limits to what you can do with your program…and to your players.

Here are HP’s top 10 Heisman moments of the year (in order of their importance in determining the outcome of the race):

1. Ndamukong Suh’s domination of Texas–This was the game that ended up determining the Heisman winner.  Before Suh’s seven tackle-for-loss, four-and-a-half sack performance against the Longhorns, the support for the Nebraska defensive tackle was scant.  But his candidacy caught fire following the game and, as a result, he went on to win the Southwest region and finish fourth in the final vote, costing Colt McCoy the Heisman as a result. 

2. Ingram’s catch and run–The eventual Heisman winner looked solid against the Gators on the ground, rushing for 113 yards and three scores on 28 carries.  But his dazzling 69-yard scamper with a Greg McElroy screen pass helped break the SEC title game open and ended up putting him over the top in the closest Heisman vote ever.

3. Gerhart pummels the Irish–Beano Cook used to say that to win the Heisman you either have to play for Notre Dame or beat Notre Dame.  Well, few beat up on the Irish as well as Toby Gerhart, who made his definitive Heisman statement by rushing for 205 yards and three touchdowns (and passing for another) in a dramatic win over Notre Dame in Charlie Weiss’ final game.  It was almost enough to prove Beano right, as Gerhart finished second by just 28 points in the Heisman voting. 

4. Ingram runs wild against South Carolina–Ingram pinged brightly on the Heisman radar after running for 246 yards on 24 carries and a score to help lead the Tide over a pesky Gamecock squad.  This was the game that made Ingram a serious Heisman candidate as voters realized how vital he was to Alabama’s national title hopes.

5. McCoy’s Career Night against the Aggies–McCoy finally lived up to his preseason billing, throwing for 304 yards and four touchdowns while adding another 175 (and a score) on the ground against the Aggies in game 12.  This game might’ve won McCoy the Heisman…but there were still games to be played. 

6. Sam Bradford goes down against BYU–He was never going to get that second Heisman, but a healthy, high-performing Bradford would’ve shown up on a lot of ballots and been a key factor in determining the eventual winner.  Instead, he missed virtually the entire season.

7. Cal holds on to beat Stanford–Despite 136 yards and four touchdowns by Gerhart, the Cardinal lose to Cal when Andrew Luck’s pass is intercepted inside the Bear 10 yard line, halting a potential game-winning drive by Stanford.  Perhaps Gerhart gets the 28 points he needs to win the Heisman if his team is 9-3 instead of 8-4…

8. Tebow suffers concussion against Kentucky–While Tebow didn’t miss too much time as a result of his injury against the Wildcats, it had some effect on his overall game for a couple weeks.  The need to manage him carefully in the aftermath of his concussion ended up depressing his usually-gaudy stats.

9. C.J. Spiller goes crazy against Miami–The Clemson running back totaled 310 all-purpose yards and scored twice–on a 90-yard kickoff return and on a 56-yard reception–to lead the Tigers over Miami, 40-37, in overtime.  A minor Spiller-for-Heisman boomlet ensued and ended up helping Spiller finish sixth in the final vote.

10. Case Keenum leads dramatic win over Tulsa–Case Keenum threw for 522 yards and led his team to two scores in the final 21 seconds to help Houston beat Tulsa, 46-45.    Keenum ended up finishing eighth in the Heisman vote, but he was a viable candidate during the middle stretch of the season.

Urban Meyer is out at Florida, with the reason given being health concerns.

Obviously, this is going to have a huge impact, not only in the SEC, but in the recruiting and coaching worlds.

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that there is probably more to this story than meets the eye.  I’ve got a feeling we may not have heard the last of Coach Meyer.

Gonna pack it in here ’til after Christmas.  Hope everyone has a safe and joyous holiday season.

HP

Based on brilliance of performance (relative to the competition)  in the year they won:

1. Tim Tebow, 2007

2. Reggie Bush, 2005

3. Sam Bradford, 2008

4. Matt Leinart, 2004

5. Troy Smith, 2006

6. Carson Palmer, 2002

7. Jason White, 2003

8. Chris Weinke, 2000

9. Mark Ingram, 2009

10. Eric Crouch, 2001

Other outlets are doing it, so I thought I’d put in my two cents. 

QB

Matt Leinart, USC

Leinart gets the nod due to his record: 37-2 as a starter (including 34 in a row), 2 national titles (just missing out on a third), a Heisman Trophy and another top three finish, 99 career touchdown passes, 10,693 passing yards.

Just missed the cut: Tim Tebow, Vince Young, Colt McCoy

RB

Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma

Reggie Bush, USC

Peterson and Bush were the two defining backs of this era with their own unique styles.  Peterson was the thunderous runner with breakaway speed and Bush was the do-it-all lightning bolt. 

Just missed the cut: Darren McFadden; DeAngelo Williams; Mike Hart

WR

Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh

Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech

Fitzgerald nearly won a Heisman as a pure receiver, while Crabtree is the only two-time winner of the Biletnikoff Award.

Just missed the cut: Braylon Edwards, Dwayne Jarrett, Calvin Johnson, Charles Rogers, Rashaun Woods; Josh Reed

TE

Heath Miller, Virginia

Miller dominated in college, starting three years for the Cavs and catching 144 passes for 1,703 yards.

Just missed the cut: Kellen Winslow, Zach Miller, Marcedes Lewis, Jermaine Gresham

OL

Bryant McKinnie, Miami; Jammaal Brown, Oklahoma; Joe Thomas, Wisconsin; Greg Eslinger, Minnesota; Jake Long, Michigan; Andre Smith, Alabama

We went with a top six here instead of a position-by-position breakdown. 

Just missed the cut: Jake Grove; Shawn Andrews; Jonathan Scott; Nick Mangold; Jordan Gross; D’Brickashaw Ferguson; Sam Baker

DL

Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska; Glenn Dorsey, LSU; Mike Patterson, USC; Terrell Suggs, Arizona State; Dwight Freeney, Syracuse; Julius Peppers, North Carolina

Suh made a serious Heisman run, finishing fourth this year.  Dorsey and Patterson anchored two of the best defensive lines of the decade.  Suggs, Freeney and Peppers were terrors coming off the edge.

Just missed the cut: Tommie Harris; Rien Long; Elvis Dumervil; David Pollack; Travis Johnson; John Henderson

LBs

Derrick Johnson, Texas; A.J. Hawk, Ohio State; Patrick Willis, Ole Miss; Brandon Spikes, Florida

The versatile Johnson was the best Longhorn defender of the decade.  Hawk and Spikes led dominating defenses, while Willis was a sideline-to-sideline tackling machine.

Just missed the cut: Teddy Lehman; Chad Greenway; Lofa Tatupu; James Laurinaitis; Rolando McClain

CBs

Terrance Newman, Kansas State; Antrell Rolle Miami

No one could shut down a receiver like Newman.  Rolle was the only one who could shut down Larry Fitzgerald.

Just missed the cut: Philip Buchanon; Marcus Trufant; Derrick Strait; Corey Webster; Antoine Cason; Malcolm Jenkins; Marlin Jackson

Safeties

Ed Reed, Miami; Troy Polamalu, USC 

Reed was the ultimate ball-hawking safety, while Polamalu made plays all over the field.

Just missed the cut: Donte Whitner; Michael Huff; Roy Williams; Sean Taylor; Jim Leonhard