Recruit: Tommy Tuberville left me at dinner to take Cincinnati job

Tommy Tuberville is introduced as the new football coach at Cincinnati on Saturday.

By Houston Mitchell

Dec. 13, 2012 12 AM PT

If you are going to dinner with former Texas Tech football coach Tommy Tuberville and he agrees to pay for it, make sure you get your food to go.

Devonte Danzey, a junior college offensive lineman who was being recruited by Tuberville to play at Texas Tech, told the recruiting website Wreckem247.com that Tuberville left the table in the middle of dinner in Lubbock on Friday night and never returned. Saturday morning, Tuberville was named the new football coach at Cincinnati.

Danzey said he asked Tuberville how long he planned to coach at Texas Tech, but Tuberville didn’t answer the question.

“I asked Coach [Charlie] Weis at KU [Kansas] and Coach [Dana] Holgorsen at West Virginia the same question, just so I know my relationship,” Danzey said. “Tuberville was just telling me he coached at Miami and Auburn, he coached 10 years and recruited Ray Lewis and kind of blew the question off.”

A few seconds later, Tuberville left the table, never to return. There was an assistant coach at the dinner who took over the recruiting pitch the rest of the night.

“The waitress brought our food out, and we thought he went to the bathroom, but he never came back to dinner,” Danzey said. “Then next thing I know, the next day, he made an announcement that he’s going to Cincinnati.”

Danzey says he has not ruled out playing for Texas Tech, but the Red Raiders have some work to do now.

“I had a good relationship with him and there was a good chance Texas Tech was going to be my school,” he said. “They are basically starting from scratch again and they may bring in a new staff that I don’t get along with, or that may not like my style of play.”

Danzey still has trips to make to Baylor, West Virginia, Kansas, Auburn and Washington State.

Note to Danzey: If anyone at those schools offers to take you to dinner, eat fast.

ALSO:

Manny Pacquiao’s mom blames knockout on his change of religion

Witness says she had to beg Josh Brent to pull Jerry Brown from car

Watch Jason Kidd beat former team with game-winning three-pointer