Tommy Tuberville left recruits at dinner to take Cincinnati job

Tommy Tuberville was in such a rush to leave Texas Tech that he didn't even have time to finish his dinner.

Junior college offensive lineman Devonte Danzey, who was in Lubbock for an official visit last weekend, told the recruiting site Wreckem247.com that Tuberville stepped away from a dinner with several recruits and assistant coaches Friday night and never returned. Saturday morning, Tuberville surprised many by accepting an offer to become Cincinnati's coach.

Danzey told Wreckem247.com he asked Tuberville about his future plans at Texas Tech and how long he expected to remain with the program, but Tuberville tiptoed around the question.

Moments later, Danzey said, Tuberville disappeared.

"The waitress brought our food out, and we thought (Tuberville) 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."

The next morning, when Danzey and other recruits were set to take a tour of the campus, Texas Tech offensive line coach Chris Thomsen (also the team's interim coach) told the group Tuberville was gone.

"There's always a next step," Tuberville said Saturday.

Think this is bad? It's nothing compared to Tuberville's exit from Mississippi in 1998. Less than a week after saying "They'll have to carry me out of here in a pine box" – meaning he was locked in for life – Tuberville took the job at Auburn.