College football has lost one of its greatest personalities.
Mississippi State confirmed Tuesday its football coach, Mike Leach, died Monday evening following complications from a heart condition. Leach was hospitalized at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi on Sunday, then passed a day later after being surrounded by family members. He was 61 years old.
“Coach Mike Leach cast a tremendous shadow not just over Mississippi State University, but over the entire college football landscape,” Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum said in a statement. “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.”
Across three stops at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State, Leach was 158-107 overall as a head coach, including an 8-9 record in bowl games. At Mississippi State, where he coached three seasons, Leach went 19-17, including a win over Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving in what would be the final game of Leach's coaching career.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Ohio State coach Ryan Day offered his condolences to the Leach family.
"I met coach Leach a couple of times," Day said Tuesday. "I certainly have a tremendous amount of respect for him and want to send thoughts and prayers to his family and all those down at Mississippi State, all the folks he's coached with and for, and the players. Just 61 years old, it really makes you take a deep breath and think about life in general. Life can move fast, certainly a lot comes with this profession. To lose him this young, it's a tragedy.
"One thing I guess, I didn't know him as well as others, but it looked like he enjoyed his time. He did it his way and there's a lot to be said for that. College football is certainly going to miss Mike Leach."
On the field, Leach was known for his prolific Air Raid offense. Off the field, the coach obsessed with pirate lore was one of the most charismatic personalities in the industry. He famously ranted about everything from weddings to college mascots, history and many other topics.
There will never be another one quite like Mike Leach.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 13, 2022
A true college football original. pic.twitter.com/ZnpJwMXT2q
As of now, Mississippi State is still scheduled to face Illinois in the Reliaquest Bowl on Jan. 2 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida – coincidentally, the stadium that features a giant pirate ship in the middle of it. MSU defensive coordinator Zach Arnett will serve as interim head coach for that game.
