Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach passed away Monday night due to a heart condition. He was older than 60.
In a statement released Tuesday by the school, the family of Leach said that he donated his organs as a final act of charity.
The family said they were supported by the love and prayers of family, friends, Mississippi State University, the hospital staff, and football fans around the world. Thanks for sharing in the joy of our beloved husband and father's lives.
The university initially said in a news release that he had a personal health issue at his home in Starkville and had to be flown to the UMMC in Jackson.
After the regular season ended, Mississippi State's coach, Mike Leach, said that he had battled with pneumonia but was feeling better. He was sick on Sunday and was at practice on Saturday.
The president of Mississippi State University said that the head football coach had cast a shadow over the college football landscape. The Air Raid offense changed the game. One of the nation's true coaching legends was Mike. It is with great sadness that we learn of his passing. Mike had a wide-open approach to pursuing excellence in all things.
Mike's death reminds us of the uncertainty of our lives. Three weeks ago, Mike and I were in the locker room celebrating a win. Mike Leach lived in such a way that he left no regrets. It's a good legacy. God bless the family during these times. The prayers of the family are with them
He was in his third head-coaching stint and had a 19 17 record for the team. From 2000 to '09 he was at Texas Tech. He was named the national coach of the year by the American Football Coaches Association.
Mississippi State's interim athletic director said they were devastated by the death of Mike Leach. One of the most beloved figures in college football passed away today. Millions of athletes, students, coaches, fans, family and friends have been touched by Mike.
Mike was a pioneer and an innovative person. He was a great coach but also a great person. It's better for us to know Mike Leach. The thoughts and prayers of Mississippi State University and the entire Bulldog family are with his family.
He was 158-107 in his 21 seasons as a head coach. He was known for his dry wit, quirky personality, and penchant for talking about history, business, and politics as well as he did quarterbacks making the right reads and receiver running the right routes.
He had a life-sized statue of a singing pirate in his office when he was at Washington State. The gift was a gift from Bob Knight, who was the basketball coach at Texas Tech.
After a fan ran onto the field and dropped his pants following a touchdown in Washington State's 24-21 win overStanford, the coach joked that he misses streakers. In the aftermath of Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election, Leach offered to be Trump's secretary of offense.
There were many interests of the man. His favorite place to travel was Key West, Florida. He earned a law degree from Pepperdine University and wrote a book about Geronimo and his approach to leadership. After graduating from college, he played rugby for the Mormon church. He didn't play football in college, but he studied the offense of LaVellEdwards.
After graduating from law school in 1986, Leach joined Hal Mumme's staff at Iowa Wesleyan as a football coach. The creator of the Air Raid offense said that he deserved a lot of credit for the scheme becoming a brand name. The offensive line coach at Iowa Wesleyan, who was also a publicist, sent out news releases to national newspapers about the team's high flying exploits.
He was the person who came up with the name. He came up with the name because he was the one who took it the farthest.
Tim Couch became the first overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft after he blossomed at Kentucky. After spending the 1999 season as Oklahoma's offensive coordinator, he dramatically improved the Sooners' offense under Bob Stoops, before landing his first head-coaching job at Texas Tech.
Texas Tech's record-setting offenses were developed by Leach. In 2008, the Red Raiders went 11-2 and finished in the AP Top 25.
He was fired as Texas Tech's head coach in December of 2009. Adam James said that he was mistreated after he got a concussion. The university fired him for a "defiant act of insubordination". He sued the university for wrongful dismissal but lost his bid for monetary damages because of a legal technicality.
He led the team to a bowl game in his second season and won at least eight games in each of the next three seasons.
Mumme said in a recent interview that Mike has been in the spotlight for 15 or 20 years. Everybody has looked to him. He has won football games at places you don't expect to win.
He is survived by his wife, children, and three granddaughters.
The football program was put in the hands of the defensive coach when the coach was taken to the hospital. The ReliaQuest Bowl will feature the Georgia and Illinois teams on January 2nd.
Dave Wilson and The Associated Press contributed to the report.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
