Coach Mike Leach, Suspended After Claims of Abuse, Wants to Play in Bowl

Dec. 29, 2009 — -- Texas Tech University football coach Mike Leach is still hoping to make it to Saturday's bowl game against Michigan State, despite being suspended after a team member accused him of confining him to a "dark shed" while the rest of the team practiced nearby.

An attorney representing Leach filed a temporary restraining order in a Lubbock, Texas, court Tuesday that would allow him to coach in the Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2, according to The Associated Press.

According to the filing obtained by the AP, Leach says in court documents that he "would never intentionally harm or endanger a player" and that he has been "forced into this situation without being afforded any process."

The university suspended Leach Monday after the family of receiver Adam James -- whose father is Craig James, a football analyst for ESPN -- complained to the university that the college sophomore had been mistreated.

But Leach's lawyer, Ted Liggett, said the allegations are untrue and that his client keeps all injured players near the team so that players still feel like "part of the team."

"Right now, we're going through the court system to try to get this decision reversed and have him coach in the bowl game," Liggett told ABCNews.com, calling the effort to get Leach reinstated before the Alamo Bowl an "uphill climb."

While the university itself did not name James in its announcement of Leach's suspension, calling the incident a "personnel matter," the family itself released a statement Monday identifying the 21-year-old as the player in question.

In the statement, the family claimed that their son had "been subjected to actions and treatment not consistent with common sense rules for safety and health."

The university has named defense coordinator Ruffin McNeill as the interim head coach who will lead the team in the Jan. 2 game.

Craig James, the player's father, will also no longer announce the game on Saturday, following the allegations, according to an ESPN spokeswoman.