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Mike Leach still wants 2009 pay from Texas Tech

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Time has not healed all wounds for Mike Leach.

The former Texas Tech head coach says the Red Raiders still owe him money for the 2009 season after he was fired.

"This thing won't really go away," Leach told Brent Schrotenboer of USA TODAY Sports. "And it'll never go away until this thing is settled. And it should be settled, because why should the future generation bear the black eye and the cloud that their university cheated their most successful coach in history? And why should I bear that, some of the 10 most productive years of my career? I was cheated out of my salary, and all the great memories that I, fans, players and coaches had, are diminished."

Leach contends the school still owes him $2.5 million, which includes money from television, radio, and marketing. The 56-year-old sued Texas Tech for the money in 2012, but the Texas Supreme Court rejected the appeal - ruling that, as a state institution, the school had sovereign immunity and thus couldn't be successfully sued for damages.

After going 84-43 in 10 seasons in Lubbock, Leach was let go in 2009 after allegations he mistreated a player, Adam James, who was dealing with a concussion. James' father, former broadcaster and running back Craig James, told the school his son was locked in a closet for hours.

"I didn't lock Adam James anywhere. I didn't tell Adam James to go anywhere," Leach said. "I told the trainer to get him off the field."

Leach doesn't appear close to releasing the grudge, even though he's moved on and has been head coach of Washington State for the past five seasons.

"There hasn't been justice on this," Leach said. "I think that there needs to be. How is this justified? I mean, it's not justified any way you slice it. If they think it's justified, let's go to court. You prove your case in court. They don't want to go near a courtroom because they know what will happen, because they flat-out cheated me. And they lied, and they stole. And they know that's what they did, and they wouldn't be so resistant to go to trial if they were confident in their case. And they haven't refuted any of the facts because they can't."

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