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By Andy Baeuerle
College football, just like every other sport, has its secrets and masterminds who can make these secrets a reality. One of the most prominent masterminds in recent history was Coach Mike Leach. Leach is widely known for popularizing the “Air Raid Offense,” which uses long passes in football instead of short passes or running the ball. He was also known for his bright personality and his hatred of candy corn.
Born on March 9, 1961, Michael Charles Leach grew up playing football as a wide receiver at Cody High School in Cody, Wyoming. An ankle injury in his senior year prevented him from playing football in college, but he did play rugby at Brigham Young. An intelligent young man, Leach graduated from BYU in 1983 with a Bachelor’s in American Studies. He also earned a Juris Doctor from the Pepperdine University School of Law in 1986 and a Master’s of Sports Science and Sports Coaching from the United States Sports Academy in 1988.
While at BYU, Leach’s love for football began to blossom more as he stuck close to the football program and could often be found sitting in on film-watching sessions. BYU ran passing plays most of the time, which was uncommon in college football.
Coach Leach’s career began as an offensive line coach at Cal Poly in 1987 and as a linebackers coach at the College of the Desert in 1988. Between 1989 and 1999, Coach Leach coached at five colleges before landing his first head coaching job in 2000 for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Under Leach, the Red Raiders finished with nine or more wins in 2002, 2005, 2007, and 2008. In the 2002 season, Texas Tech beat their in-state rivals Baylor, Texas, and Texas A&M for the first time since 1997 and also won their first bowl game in 7 years against Clemson in the Tangerine Bowl (55-15.) Texas Tech’s offense became one of the highest-scoring teams during multiple seasons, winning multiple games by more than 60 points. When Leach was fired from Texas Tech in 2009, he had become the winningest coach in the football team’s history, with 10 consecutive winning seasons and 9 consecutive bowl game appearances. Leach still held the winningest coach title at the time of his death.
In 2012, Mike Leach was hired to become the 32nd head coach of the Washington State Cougars. The Cougars went 3-9 in Leach’s first season, with one of those wins being an upset of rival Washington. The Cougars would not have a winning season until Leach’s 4th season as coach. The Cougars finished 9-4 in 2015, finishing with a win against Miami in the Sun Bowl. The Cougars would finish 8-5 in 2016, 9-4 in 2017, and 11-2 in 2018. The 2018 season included wins over ranked in-conference opponents #12 Oregon and #25 Stanford. WSU would then defeat #24 Iowa State in the Alamo Bowl. In Leach’s final season at WSU, the Cougars would finish 6-7, losing to #25 Air Force in the Cheez-It Bowl.
Mike Leach resigned from Washington State after the 2019 season ended with him accepting the head coaching job at Mississippi State, recently vacated by Joe Moorhead. In his first season, Coach Leach’s Bulldogs, much like the other SEC teams, were restricted to conference play due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Bulldogs won only three games in the regular season, these three being: 44-34 against #6 LSU, 24-17 against Vanderbilt, and 51-32 against Missouri. The NCAA granted MS State a bowl eligibility waiver due to the Pandemic, where they defeated #24 Tulsa 28-26 in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Bulldogs bounced back in 2021, finishing 7-6 with wins over Louisiana Tech, NC State, #15 Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, #12 Kentucky, #17 Auburn, and Tennessee State. The Bulldogs then faced Leach’s first head coaching employer Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl, where the Bulldogs lost 34-7. In 2022, the Bulldogs showed no signs of slowing down, beating two Top 25 teams, and finishing the regular season 8-4 with a scheduled appearance in the ReliaQuest Bowl against the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 2.
On December 11, 2022, news broke that Leach had a “personal health problem” at his home in Starkville and had been transported to the Oktibbeha County Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. Later that day, Coach Leach was airlifted to University Medical Center in Jackson. While in the hospital, sources reported Leach suffering a heart attack, while the family requested privacy and would not release details until December 12. On December 12, it was revealed Coach Leach suffered a massive heart attack and also may have suffered multiple seizures causing significant brain damage. Coach Leach’s condition did not improve, and he passed away on the night of December 12 at UMMC at 61.
Throughout his 35-year career, Mike Leach became well-known in the college football world not only for his elusive and innovative playbook but also for his sense of humor and bright personality. Often after games concluded, or in press conferences, reporters asked Leach questions, not about the game, but about a wide range of things from marriage advice to his favorite candy types. This type of humor is not something you usually see among coaches, but this is something Mike Leach brought to the table and something he will always be known for. Another thing Leach was known for was his affection and obsession with pirates. This affection was so strong that he titled his autobiography “Swing Your Sword.” If Mike Leach wasn’t known as Coach, Daddy, or Grandpa, he was Captain or The Pirate.
Tributes to Coach Leach have poured in since his passing from fellow coaches such as Josh Heupel (Tennessee), Nick Saban (Alabama), Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss), Gus Malzahn (UCF), and so many other people he knew, such as Matthew McCoughnahey and the folks at Mossy Oak Outdoors in West Point, MS.
Coach Leach will be missed dearly by his family, friends, and the entire college football community. In memory of Coach Leach, the Mississippi State Bulldogs will still play in the ReliaQuest Bowl on January 2In memory of Coach Mike Leach, t.
If you haven’t seen them, here are links to tribute videos and memorable interviews with Mike Leach:
Mississippi State Athletics Tribute Video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3vm1O5XBnkw
Mike Leach Candy Interview: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmtg4AQ5IE0
Mike Leach Marriage Interview: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GUSKmzzh-X8
Mike Leach ESPN Tribute: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0pDFs-ebRlI
Coach Leach will always be remembered in college football history, whether he was a Red Raider, Cougar, or Bulldog. Coach Leach changed the game.
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