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In the aftermath of his untimely death at the age of 61 years old, much of the conversation surrounding late Texas Tech, Washington State, and Mississippi State head football coach Mike Leach has focused on his quirky, eccentric personality. And deservedly so, as Leach was undoubtedly one of the most unique characters to ever grace the college football stage.
But while Leach will perhaps be best remembered for his penchant for being a walking soundbite, it’s critical to recall that the man was also a footballing genius, as he’s largely credited with helping usher in a new age of college football with his high-flying Air Raid offense.
The peak of Leach’s collegiate powers perhaps came towards his tenure at Texas Tech, when he led the Red Raiders to a #2 ranking in the national polls following an epic victory over the University of Texas Longhorns back in 2008.
That victory not only propelled the Texas Tech program to new heights but it provided one of the enduring college football images of the century so far: Crabtree’s last-second sideline touchdown catch to win the game.
Unfortunately, despite the fact that the 2008 Red Raiders were able to follow up that legendary victory over the Longhorns with a 56-20 trouncing of #8 Oklahoma State the following week, they would eventually lose to the #5 Oklahoma Sooners, which ultimately cost them a place in the BCS National Title game.
Following his nine-year tenure with Texas Tech, Leach went on to coach at Washington State University for seven years from 2012 to 2019. Then, in 2020, Leach moved to the SEC to coach at Mississippi State, where he spent the final three seasons of his career.
In his final game as a head coach, Leach led the Mississippi State Bulldogs to a 24-22 victory over Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl, a win that Paul Finebaum categorized as the biggest win of his Miss St. career while eulogizing Leach on ESPN’s First Take on Tuesday morning.
Our thoughts are with Coach Leach’s family, friends, colleagues, players, and various loved ones during this difficult time.
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