Matt Johnson
Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Mike Leach has passed away at the age of 61, dying following complications from a heart condition.
Leach was hospitalized on Sunday after suffering a massive heart attack at his home. He was transported to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson and was in critical condition on Sunday night.
- Mike Leach coaching record: 158-107, 8-9 in bowl games
According to the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, Leach went 10-15 without medical attention. EMTs arrived at his home, using a defibrillator machine to store his heart rhythm to normal. However, he also reportedly might have suffered seizures and there was the possibility of brain damage.
On Tuesday, Mississippi State’s athletic department announced that Leach passed away on Monday night with family at his side.
“Mike was an innovator, pioneer and visionary. He was a college football icon, a coaching legend but an even better person. 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.”
Mississippi State athletic director Bracky Brett on the death of Mike Leach
The 61-year-old was one of the most beloved coaches in college football, serving as the mastermind of the “Air Raid” offense that changed NCAA football and bring a personality that made him a favorite among fans, players, coaches and the media.
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Born in Susanville, California, Leach called Cody, Wyo.his hometown. As captured by The Spokesman-Review in 2018, Leach grew up in the small Wyoming town with the hope of becoming a garbage man. Instead, he shaped the course of college football for generations.
“There’s nothing balanced about the 50 percent run, 50 percent pass because that’s 50 percent stupid.”
Mike Leach in 2018 on the perception that running an unbalanced offense is a bad thing
Before he graduated from Brigham Young University after earning a bachelor’s degree in American Studies, Leach played rugby for BYU. Watching the Cougars’ football program as a fan, Leach witnessed head coach LaVell Edwards and quarterback Steve Young lead a pass-oriented offense that was rare for its era.
Leach later earned a law degree, receiving a Juris Doctor from the Pepperdine Unversity School of Law in 1986. Describing his journey in 2021 during an hour-long interview for Mississippi State athletics, he shared how he used that law degree in a non-legal career.
He is also a graduate of the United States Sports Academy, receiving his Master of Sports Science degree in sports coaching in 1988.
Leach leaves behind his wife Sharon, four children and three grandchildren.
Mike Leach coaching tree and history
One of the most iconic coaches in college football began his coaching career in 1987 as an offensive line coach at Cal Poly. A year later, he gained experience on the defensive side by coaching linebackers at College of the Desert.
Leach’s first head-coaching gig came in 1989 in the American Football Association of Finland, serving as the Pri Bears head coach for one season. He bounced around college football in the following years, with stints at Iowa Wesleyan (1989-’91), Valdosta State (1992-’96), Kentucky (1997-’98) and then served as the Oklahoma Sooners’ offensive coordinator in 1999.
Named the Texas Tech Raiders head coach in 2000, Leach brought the Air Raid offense to college football. It resulted in one of the most entertaining offensive systems of its time, with many of Leach’s quarterbacks setting NCAA single-season passing records at that time.
In 10 seasons at Texas Tech, Leach’s Red Raiders went to nine bowl games including the 2008 Cotton Bowl. At the program’s peak, Texas Tech went 11-2 and reached as high as No. 2 in the AP Top 25 rankings. During his time in Texas, Michael Crabtree, Wes Welker, Danny Amendola and Graham Harrell all became college football stars with many going on to have very productive NFL careers.
“I think that when you die, you continue to progress. You continue to grow in kind of an elevated state, but I don’t think you sit there and wallow around and play the harp. I really don’t.”
Mike Leach in a 2017 interview with Brent Schrotenoer of USA Today
After being dismissed from Texas Tech, Leach returned to the sideline in 2012 with the Washington State Cougars. After posting a combined 12 wins in his first three seasons, Leach’s Cougars posted a 43-22 record over the next five years, earning five consecutive bowl game appearances.
Mississippi State hired Leach in January 2020, pulling the electrifying coach into the SEC with his Air Raid offense changing the Bulldogs’ style of football. After the team went 4-7 in a 2020 season impacted by COVID, Mississippi State went 7-6 in 2021 and 8-4 in the regular season this year.
Leach’s coaching tree features some of the best and most successful coaches in college football, including Dave Aranda, Neal Brown, Lincoln Riley, Dana Holgorsen, Josh Heupel, Seth Littrell and Sonny Dykes.
Sportsnaut extends its condolences to Mike Leach’s family, friends and the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
