Mississippi State's Mike Leach honored at memorial as 'anything but typical'

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Mike Leach was a luminary and a larger than life character in college football. His impact was spelled out in detail on Tuesday as friends, coaches and players shared personal stories of his humanity, sense of humor and deep curiosity that drove him to the highest levels of the sport.

He died at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. He died at the age of 61.

Some of college football's most recognizable figures were in attendance at the memorial for the departed head coach at Mississippi State. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, and USC coach Lincoln Riley were some of the people who paid respects to the man.

Many of his friends and associates traveled to Starkville for the memorial. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin and Arkansas coach Sam Pittman came to pay their respects to him.

Frank Sinatra's "My Way" was playing as the service was about to start. With every speaker who came on stage, it was clear that the man who was born in California and raised in Wyoming was carving his own path.

Many people wore cowbell-shaped pins on their suits. There was a skull and cross bones inside the cowbell.

The president of Mississippi State said that he met the head coach for the first time. The man said he was struck by the curiosity of the man. He wanted to share what he'd learned and that's why he wanted to learn.

The College Football Playoff's decision to expand from four to 12 teams didn't sit well with the man who wrote a book about Geronimo. He tried to get the chair of the board of managers to listen to him.

Mike wrote a plan for a playoff. An elaborate plan.

The coliseum was filled with laughter. They agreed to disagree, according to him.

He was a different kind of football coach. Mike Leach was not typical.

Sankey said that they never talked about only one thing. He showed up to work in shorts and flipflops. At SEC media days in the past, Sankey said, he was asked why neckties were still popular when powdered wigs were gone.

He wasn't a college football player. He obtained his undergraduate degree, his master's degree, and his Juris Doctor from different universities. His first three jobs in football were offensive line coach, linebackers coach and head coach.

He connected with Hal Mumme in 1989. The Air Raid was created by them together.

After Mumme, he went to Kentucky. He became the head coach at Texas Tech after one season at Oklahoma.

At Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State, he had a winning record. His offenses passed the ball ten times. His impact was much more than the records. A number of current and former college head coaches are in his tree.

There wasn't a topic that he wouldn't discuss. He had strong opinions on Bigfoot, which Halloween candy was the best, and who would win in a college mascot fight.

According to Minshew, his favorite thing about Leach was his authenticity. He said that it was a combination of confidence and not caring what people thought of him. He was not afraid to be himself. Minshew said that he changed his life when he was with him in Pullman.

Minshew asked, "Do you want to lead the country in passing?".

Minshew was a graduate student at the time. Minshew broke the school record for passing yards in a single season and was drafted in the sixth round by the Jags.

Bob Stoops was a former Oklahoma coach. The Air Raid began to spread like wildfire when Texas Tech's Mike Leach left his staff at Oklahoma to become their head coach.

Most people didn't get to see how competitive he was. Stoops spoke to the Mississippi State players in attendance and said how proud he was of them for playing in the bowl game.

Stoops said there was a ball game going on. Can you just look at Mike? He's on his own 40 and he's going for it.

One day at Texas Tech, USC coach Lincoln Riley and Texas Tech coach Mike Leach were riding in a car together. Riley said that he almost sideswiped a truck on the road because he was lost in the conversation.

After laughing, Riley had to fight back tears thinking about how much he meant to him and his family. After working as a student assistant, graduate assistant, and a receivers coach at Texas Tech, Riley was given the chance to work as a student assistant, graduate assistant, and a coach.

Riley said that there will be more than funny stories and an innovative offense. He built relationships with people and how he built them.

He invested in others. It's a good reminder for us all. I wish you good health, my friend. You're the only one like that.

His family includes his wife, Sharon; his children, Janeen, Kim, andCody; and his three granddaughters.

A four-year deal was agreed to by the new head coach.

Mississippi State will play Illinois in a bowl game.