Peter Berg Working on Mike Leach Docu-Series
Controversial college football coach may be next up for series set to launch with Freddie Roach
By Ben Grossman -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/13/2012 3:47:16 PM
HBO is eyeing controversial Washington State college football coach Mike Leach as the subject of a new documentary series.The team of Peter Berg, Jim Lampley, Sarah Aubrey and Michael Price are behind the project. That team produces the new HBO docu-series On Freddie Roach, set to debut Jan. 20, about the legendary boxing trainer battling Parkinson's Disease.
"I assume HBO will go for it because it will be really good," Berg tells B&C. "I don't know why they wouldn't."
Berg had gotten to know Leach over the years after reaching out to him following a 60 Minutes story and a New York Times Magazine story. Berg brought him in for a Friday Night Lights cameo, and Leach actually came to Hollywood for a month to live with Berg two years ago and observe Hollywood.
"I was just fascinated with him," Berg tells B&C.
So Berg sent Brendan and Emmett Malloy -- who shot the Roach series -- to Washington to spend three days with Leach last week.
"I thought he would be the my way or highway type," says Brendan Malloy. "He wasn't, but I think he gets interesting when something controversial happens."
The plan for the new series is to have it cover training camp and through the first or second game of the season.
Leach came under fire in 2009 when a player, Adam James, suffered a concussion under Leach's tutelage at Texas Tech; he was accused of handling the situation inappropriately after the student was ordered to refrain from sports activity. The college subsequently fired Leach, who filed suit against Texas Tech in Jan. 2010 for wrongful termination. Early the next year, the Court found that Texas Tech was immune to Leach's claim that the college breached his contract, though Leach's attorney announced they planned to appeal.
Lindsay Rubino contributed to this story
Talkback
-
.....It's much more likely that the concussion was incurred in a bar fight at Crickets' being that it's very unlikely James incurred a concussion playing football.
Becky T - 1/21/2012 10:05:35 AM EST -
The student athlete recanted his story when he was informed that perjury is a criminal offense. The athlete's father, Craig James, has repeatedly lied pertaining to his involvement. James recently finally admitted he accepted money while playing college football at SMU. The administration at Texas Tech, led by Chancellor Kent Hance, was caught red-handed conspiring to breach Leach's employment contract in e-mails published by THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS. Mike Leach did no wrong at Texas Tech. What he did was win games, graduate his kids, and keep his school out of trouble with the NCAA.
Red Mills - 1/17/2012 11:38:17 AM EST -
Now, now, Mr. Mahoney. It is a complete rumor, and likely a fabrication, that CRAIG JAMES KILLED FIVE HOOKERS WHILE AT SMU. You should be ashamed of yourself for spreading the baseless accusation that CRAIG JAMES KILLED FIVE HOOKERS WHILE AT SMU, and you should dedicate your work commenting on the internets to debunking this strange mythology that CRAIG JAMES KILLED FIVE HOOKERS WHILE AT SMU. We don't even know that CRAIG JAMES even KILLED a mouse, let alone FIVE, and certainly we don't have a lick of evidence that he purchased the service of HOOKERS WHILE he was engaged in his illustrious career as a football player AT SMU.
(holy cow seeing EDSBS memes pop up on B&C is happiness)
Anonymous Coward - 1/17/2012 8:31:08 AM EST -
Mike Leach gives me wood...in a Flashdance sorta way.
Ryan - 1/16/2012 2:40:02 PM EST -
Hadn't heard thatabout Mr. Bodyof work man. James is a complete phony glad he is off Tv.unfortunately politics suits James well.
paul seebeck - 1/13/2012 8:49:02 PM EST
No related content found.
Most Popular Pages
-
No Top Articles
Featured Company
-
Digital Rapids
Digital Rapids provides market-leading software and hardware solutions, technology and expertise for transforming live and on-demand video to reach wider audiences on the latest viewing platforms more efficiently, more effectively and more profitably. Empowering applications from..more





















