Mike Leach, 1961-2022

A one-of-a-kind coach is gone far too soon.

ESPN (“Mississippi State coach Mike Leach dies after hospitalization“):

Leach’s family said, in a statement released Tuesday by the school, that Leach participated in organ donation at the University of Mississippi Medical Center as “a final act of charity.”

“We are supported and uplifted by the outpouring of love and prayers from family, friends, Mississippi State University, the hospital staff, and football fans around the world,” Leach’s family said. “Thank you for sharing in the joy of our beloved husband and father’s life.”

Leach suffered what the university initially described in a news release as a “personal health issue” at his home in Starkville on Sunday, which required him to be airlifted to the UMMC in Jackson, about 125 miles from Mississippi State.

Leach, in his third season as Mississippi State’s coach, had told ESPN after the regular season concluded that he struggled with pneumonia during the season but was feeling better. He was at practice Saturday before suffering his health issue on Sunday.

News of him falling gravely ill swept through college football the past few days and left many who knew him stunned, hoping and praying for Leach’s recovery under grim circumstances.

Mississippi State has put a statement that begins:

Mississippi State University Head Football Coach Michael Charles “Mike” Leach passed away last night (Monday, Dec. 12) at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi, following complications from a heart condition. He was 61.

In a statement, the Leach family said: “Mike was a giving and attentive husband, father and grandfather. He was able to participate in organ donation at UMMC as a final act of charity. We are supported and uplifted by the outpouring of love and prayers from family, friends, Mississippi State University, the hospital staff, and football fans around the world. Thank you for sharing in the joy of our beloved husband and father’s life.”

Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum said: “Coach Mike Leach cast a tremendous shadow not just over Mississippi State University, but over the entire college football landscape. His innovative “Air Raid” offense changed the game. Mike’s keen intellect and unvarnished candor made him one of the nation’s true coaching legends. His passing brings great sadness to our university, to the Southeastern Conference, and to all who loved college football. I will miss Mike’s profound curiosity, his honesty, and his wide-open approach to pursuing excellence in all things.

“Mike’s death also underscores the fragility and uncertainty of our lives. Three weeks ago, Mike and I were together in the locker room celebrating a hard-fought victory in Oxford. Mike Leach truly embraced life and lived in such a manner as to leave no regrets. That’s a worthy legacy. May God bless the Leach family during these days and hours. The prayers of the Bulldog family go with them,” Keenum said.

MSU Interim Athletics Director Bracky Brett said: “We are heartbroken and devastated by the passing of Mike Leach. College football lost one of its most beloved figures today, but his legacy will last forever. Mike’s energetic personality, influential presence and extraordinary leadership touched millions of athletes, students, coaches, fans, family and friends for decades.

“Mike was an innovator, pioneer and visionary. He was a college football icon, a coaching legend but an even better person,” said Brett. “We are all better for having known Mike Leach. The thoughts and prayers of Mississippi State University and the entire Bulldog family are with his wife Sharon, his children and the entire Leach family.”

Leach, who was named Mississippi State’s 34th head football coach on January 9, 2020, was finishing his third season in Starkville and 21st as a head coach. Forever a college football icon, he leaves an incredible legacy as a husband, father, friend and leader of young men.

Condolences have been pouring in from around the coaching and journalistic community. Alabama Coach Nick Saban:

Mike Leach was a friend, and we are deeply saddened by his unexpected passing. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Mike over the last several years. I never knew quite where our conversations were going but they always made me smile. He was an offensive innovator who always did things his way and was admired for it. His teams were well-coached and extremely challenging to defend. They played with poise and toughness, which is a credit to his leadership. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Sharon, their children and the entire Mississippi State family.

The news that he had been hospitalized quickly circulated over the weekend with rumors that he would not recover unconfirmed by the major outlets out of respect for the family’s privacy. It’s truly sad news.

Leach was among the most innovative offensive minds in football and has had a tremendous impact on how the game is played. But he’s probably best known for his quirky relationship with the press. Unlike the vast majority of head coaches, who go out of their way to say as little as possible, Leach was often a stream of consciousness. He was a genuinely brilliant and thoughtful guy, with opinions to share on everything from Gerononimo to wedding planning to Halloween candy.

FILED UNDER: Obituaries, Sports, , , , , ,
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Scott says:

    As I wrote in the Open Forum thread, two of my kids went to Texas Tech and we attended a few of the games (despite the 6 hr drive from San Antonio). Always entertaining.

    I’ll always remember this 2008 game against Texas which ended:

    Lawrence’s extra point made it 33–32 Longhorns, their first lead of the game, with 1:29 left on the clock. The Red Raiders returned the kickoff to their 38-yard line, where Harrell went to work, completing passes of 8, 5, 11, and 10 yards to get a first down at the Texas 28-yard line with 15 seconds remaining. Harrell’s next pass was deflected to Texas safety Blake Gideon, but Gideon was unable to catch what would have been a game-clinching interception, giving Harrell another chance with eight seconds to go. Harrell’s pass went to Crabtree, who caught it near the sideline at the 6-yard line, broke a tackle, and went in for the touchdown with one second remaining. Thousands of Texas Tech fans rushed the field and had to be shooed off as officials reviewed the play to make sure Crabtree had stayed in bounds. Referee Karl Richards announced confirmation of Crabtree’s touchdown, and the Red Raider fans rushed the field a second time with one second still remaining on the game clock. As a result, the Red Raiders were charged with two excessive celebration penalties and had to kick off from their own 7-yard line following the extra point. However, Texas was unable to convert the kickoff for a touchdown, Texas Tech recovering an errant backwards pass attempt to ice the 39–33 win.

    My oldest idiot son was one of the fans running on the field. He remembers it fondly.

    For more Mike Leach stories:

    There Will Never Be Another Mike Leach

    2
  2. EddieInCA says:

    He was younger then I am. That was a shock. I’ve been a Mike Leach fan for a long time, and always thought he was much older than me. Damn.

    1
  3. Richard Gardner says:

    Living in Washington (State) where he was the Washington State University WSU Coach ~2010-18, there is lots of coverage. He got WSU back in the Bowls after a decade of zilch. WSU is in Pullman WA in what otherwise would be rural nowhere (Palouse) on the Idaho border – and 15 miles to the east is the University of Idaho (Moscow ID) = interesting pairing. Nearest significant airport is 80 miles away (GEG – Spokane).