Leach is currently hanging out in Key West, Fla., waiting for his court case against TTU to be resolved.

When that’s finished, he aims to be back on the sidelines.

The next school that needs a coach would be wise to hire him. Leach is a good coach and his players go to class and generally do the right thing. He’s not a “football is the end-all” guy, and he stresses other things besides the game.

The game needs more guys like him. Sometimes he’s brutally honest — maybe a little too honest (who can forget his “fat little girlfriends” quote) — but he’ll be a great hire for whoever takes the chance.

Oregon athletic director Mike Bellotti is stepping down after less than a year in the position to become a college football analyst with ESPN.
Bellotti was head coach of the Ducks for 14 seasons before he formally took over as athletic director last July. His resignation is effective April 5 and he’ll make his debut on ESPN on April 17.
Bellotti’s announcement Friday came as a surprise. At a hastily called news conference he said that working in television was something that he’d “thought about and maybe aspired to over the years.”
He paused to collect his composure several times while speaking about his decision.
His tenure as AD has been tumultuous. Earlier this week, he dismissed men’s basketball coach Ernie Kent because of mounting losses and dropping attendance.
He’s also seen a spate of misconduct by players on the football team. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, mentioned as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, was suspended for the upcoming season last week after pleading guilty to a second-degree burglary charge.
Running back LaMichael James, who set the Pac-10 freshman rushing record last season, pleaded guilty to an unrelated harassment charge and was suspended by coach Chip Kelly last week for the season opener on Sept. 4.
Last season, running back LeGarrette Blount punched a Boise State player in the aftermath of the opener and was suspended for the season, but returned late in the season after meeting certain academic and behavioral requirements.
“Timing in life is everything. This is not the most appropriate timing, in my perception, just because of the situations that have occurred,” Bellotti said. “I want everyone understand that I’m not running from anything at all. I’ve faced much more difficult situations as a football coach and weathered those. And I was planning on weathering these storms also as we move forward.”
The 59-year-old Bellotti had already been named as the successor to Pat Kilkenny when he took office last July. Kelly had been promoted in March from offensive coordinator to head coach.
Bellotti went 116-55 as coach of the Ducks and took the team to 12 bowl games. In 2001, Oregon won 11 games, including a 38-16 victory over Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl to finish ranked No. 2.
Last season under Kelly the Ducks went 10-3, winning their first Pac-10 title since 2001 and earning their first trip to the Rose Bowl since 1995.
Bellotti, who joined the Ducks as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Rich Brooks in 1989, said he will continue to make Eugene his home. His first broadcast will be the Auburn spring football game on ESPNU.
“Coach Bellotti ranks as one of the most successful head coaches in the perennial power Pac-10 Conference,” Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president of production, said in a statement. “His knowledge and experience will deepen our roster of analysts and provide us with a unique perspective of someone who recently coached in the game.”
Kilkenny was named AD in February 2007 and said at the time he planned to serve in that position for two years. A prominent booster, Kilkenny has spearheaded plans to build a new basketball arena to replace venerable McArthur Court.

The Baylor Bears opened spring drills on Tuesday, and naturally, the biggest question surrounding the workouts is the status of QB Robert Griffin. The multi-talented Griffin underwent knee surgery last October, and Baylor head coach Art Briles said his QB  is ahead of schedule. Griffin is expected to  participate in non-contact drills this spring, and Briles said he believes Griffin will be back at full strength by the summer.  CU fans will get to see Griffin next fall, when Baylor visits Boulder for an Oct. 16 game. …

Idaho is finishing up details on a new contract for football coach Robb Akey, who led the Vandals to a 9-5 record last year. Akey, who is 12-26 overall, is currently in the third year of a contract that is worth $258,000 per year, lowest in the WAC. The Vandals played one of the most memorable bowl games of the season last year when they beat Bowling Green 43-42 in the Humanitarian Bowl. …

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel has had two years added to his contract, pushing him through the 2014 season. Tressel currently makes about $3.5 million per year, and said he wants to continue to coach as long as he “enjoys it.” An addendum to the new contract gives Tressel a job as an Ohio State associate A.D. if he steps down as football coach “on good terms” before his contract ends, and he would be paid $150,000 for that job. …

Speaking of Ohio State, the school raised football ticket prices $7 this year, and added a buck to hoops tickets.  Buckeyes athletic director Gene Smith said OSU’s men’s basketball program — the Big Ten tourney champs — would lose approximately $350,000 this year.  …

Former Texas QB Colt McCoy reportedly scored a 25 on his Wonderlic test at the NFL combine. Among QBs, McCoy’s score was second best. Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford checked in with a 26. In case you’re wondering, Tim Tebow tallied a 22.

Tedford also announced Saturday that he has hired former Oregon QB Akili Smith.

Smith and Bradford will work as administrative assistants with the coaching staff. Smith will work with the offense; Bradford with the defense.

Bradford, who spent 10 seasons in the NFL — including several with the Denver Broncos — worked on the Kansas City Chiefs’ staff last year with current Cal defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast. He also coached for the Broncos for six years.

Bradford played from 1989-92 with Colorado.

Advancing to the national ballot were former coach Bill McCartney, along with two stars from the Mac glory years, running back Eric Bieniemy and linebacker Alfred Williams.

I have to believe Mac has a great shot. He took a Colorado program that had hit bottom in almost every way and turned it into a national power.  Two outright Big Eight titles, a tie for another and a national title. Those are numbers that should get him in.

I also think Williams and Bieniemy deserve berths, but it might be tougher to convince voters in their case.

There are 77 players and seven coaches on this year’s ballot.

Click here for an electronic view of the ballot that voters will receive.

And, there’s always the outside chance that CU could run the table in the Big 12 tourney and earn an NCAA Tourney berth. (Granted, way, waaayyy outside.)

But in the event that the Buffs do beat Texas Tech and then lose to Kansas in the Big 12 quarterfinals, here’s a scenario I’d love to see.

Sunday night, the Buffs earn an NIT berth. Defending national champion North Carolina also has to settle for an NIT bid. And, the folks who determine the pairings decide to send the Tar Heels to Boulder, where Roy Williams used to bring his Kansas Jayhawks on an annual basis.

Guaranteed, the Coors Events Center would be sold out for that one.

Just a thought …

When the CU Board of Regents voted in 1994 to decline the Pac-10 invitation, the final vote was actually 6-3 .

Three regents who had been elected in November but had not yet been sworn in as voting members favored the move.  Had they been members, the vote would have been 6-3 to join the Pac-10.

Sorry for the error.

Two of the players are on their wish list are currently playing JC ball in Idaho.

One they’ve been chasing for a while is Aziz Ndiaye, a 7-0, 245-pound native playing for the College of Southern Idaho.  A native of  Senegal, Ndiaye is a solid rebounder and shot blocker. Other schools pursuing Ndiaye include Oklahoma, Washington and Oregon State.

Also on CU’s list is  Guy-Marc Michel, a 7-1 native of Martinique playing at North Idaho College.  North Idaho won its conference this year and is ranked sixth in the nation. Michel led the conference last year in blocked shots, and he’s being pursued heavily by Gonzaga.

Word is Michel has been cleared for admission at Gonzaga.

Of course, nothing is ever so easy at Colorado. The task of getting JC players admitted to CU isn’t simple. Michel is fluent in three languages, and would appear to be the kind of student CU officials would like to have on campus. CU folks are quite strident about their quest for diversity, and one would think that someone such as Michel would fit those goals quite nicely.

Here’s hoping Michel at least gets the go-ahead for admission to CU before he makes a decision.

That’s a good step in the right direction for Bzdelik’s program. The Buffs lose just one senior, Dwight Thorne. They also have a host of quality players coming back, beginning with Cory Higgins, Alec Burks and Marcus Relphorde.

Honestly? This is a program that should be an NCAA Tournament team a year from now. I guarantee you, Bzdelik will be greatly disappointed if it doesn’t happen.

As for this year, an eighth-place conference finish is by no means a monumental achievement. But eighth place in a conference that’s likely to send seven teams to the NCAA tournament is moving in the right direction.

Here’s the entire spring schedule  (NT indicates no tackling in practice) …

CU spring schedule

March 6 — 8:30 a.m. meetings, 10 a.m.-Noon practice, shorts-helmets; Junior Day

March 9 — 2:30 p.m. meetings, 4-6 p.m. practice, shorts-helmets

March 10 — Pro timing day for 2009 seniors, 9 a.m.

March 11 — 2:30 p.m. meetings, 4-6 p.m. practice, pads-NT; Coaches clinic

March 12 — 2:30 p.m. meetings, 4-6 p.m. practice, pads; Coaches clinic

March 15 — 2:30 p.m. meetings, 4-6 p.m. practice, pads

March 16 — 2:30 p.m. meetings, 4-6 p.m. practice, pads-NT

March 18 — 2:30 p.m. meetings, 4 p.m. scrimmage, pads

March 20-28 — Spring break

March 29 — 2:30 p.m. meetings, 4-6 p.m. practice, pads

March 30 — 2:30 p.m. meetings, 4-6 p.m. practice, pads

April 1 — 2:30 p.m. meetings, 4-6 p.m. practice, pads-NT

April 2 — 2:30 p.m. meetings, 4 p.m. scrimmage, pads

April 5 — 2:30 p.m. meetings, 4-6 p.m. practice, pads

April 6 — 2:30 p.m. meetings, 4-6 p.m. practice, pads-NT

April 8 — 2:30 p.m. meetings, 4-6 p.m. practice, shorts-helmets

April 10 — Spring game, 1:30 p.m.