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Mike Leach

deacdixieboy

deacdixieboy

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Didn’t want to post this on the Coaching Carousel thread because that just seemed crass. He had a serious medical issue today and was airlifted over 2 hours away. Reports are that he has passed or is in extremely critical condition with a very bad outlook.

Leach is a gem for college football and my thoughts are with him, his family, and MSU. I will also add that, more importantly, he always seemed like a good man (who some slimy folks associated with TT basically slandered). Hoping for good news. It was rumored that he was in bad health and would be stepping down after the bowl game.
 
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I am really sad to hear this. Yes, he is a gem. I would happily subscribe to a podcast of him just riffing on whatever topics crossed his mind.
 
16 year old video, which apparently means the quality is shit, but still worth it.

 
Per 247 (via r/CFB), "It appears to simply be a matter of time now... he's going out a winner."

Surprised to not see much more discussion about this here, especially considering how it's looking to be exactly the same situation as we experienced nearly 15 years ago. Sucks is putting it mildly.
 
smallbigtall said:
Per 247 (via r/CFB), "It appears to simply be a matter of time now... he's going out a winner."

Surprised to not see much more discussion about this here, especially considering how it's looking to be exactly the same situation as we experienced nearly 15 years ago. Sucks is putting it mildly.
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It's really been on my mind a lot since I heard yesterday. Leach never coached for a team I had any real connection to, but I've always like the guy for some reason. As has been said over and over, a different dude, but what I can tell mostly in a good way and if he is destined to pass, college football is going to miss him. Thoughts and prayers to him and his family, anytime is horrible, but especially tough here at the Holidays.
 
liveanddiedeac said:
It's really been on my mind a lot since I heard yesterday. Leach never coached for a team I had any real connection to, but I've always like the guy for some reason. As has been said over and over, a different dude, but what I can tell mostly in a good way and if he is destined to pass, college football is going to miss him. Thoughts and prayers to him and his family, anytime is horrible, but especially tough here at the Holidays.
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I think what I always liked about Mike was he reminded me a little bit of John Mackovic from a coaching standpoint when he was here at Wake. I know in 1979, John said, "hell, we are Wake, what do we have to lose?" and threw caution to the wind and we had that magical 8-3 season. Leach kind of had the same coaching persona in some ways and took chances others would not. Always like that gambler side of him.

I hope he makes a full recovery but things don't sound good at all.
 
Leach turned around a moribund program when he took the Texas Tech job in 2000. He's one of the few college football coaches to have never played a down of college football.

Texas Tech's 2008 38-33 win over #1 Texas was one of the most exciting football games I've ever seen. Michael Crabtree, who was an absolute beast in college, caught the game winner with once second left in the game. Eat it Mack Brown.

Leach succeeded Spike Dykes at Texas Tech. Spike's kid, Sonny, is the current TCU coach.

When Mike Leach took the Texas Tech job major college football was largely still three yards and cloud of dust. While the spread offense had been around, Leach's success with the the spread offense in Power Conference caused college football to change. Now almost every major program runs variations of his concepts. IMO, while he's a weird guy, Leach has had the largest impact on the way football is played today than anyone in the last 30 years.

Leach's coaching tree is extensive particularly considering he only coached at lesser Power V programs (Texas Tech, Wazzou and Miss. State):
  • Dave Aranda – Baylor head coach – Graduate assistant coach under Leach from 2000 to 2002 at Texas Tech when Leach was head coach of the Red Raiders
  • Neal Brown – West Virginia head coach – Played under Leach as a wide receiver in 1998 when Leach was offensive coordinator at Kentucky
  • Sonny Cumbie – Louisiana Tech head coach – Played under Leach as a quarterback from 2000 to 2003 when Leach was head coach at Texas Tech, then later in the decade, served as a graduate assistant coach under Leach
  • Sonny Dykes – TCU head coach – Coached wide receivers and later was the co-offensive coordinator under Leach from 2000 through 2006 when Leach was head coach at Texas Tech
  • Josh Heupel – Tennessee head coach – Played quarterback under Leach at Oklahoma in 1999 when Leach was the offensive coordinator for the Sooners
  • Dana Holgorson – Houston head coach – Coached alongside Leach as assistants at Valdosta State from 1993 to 1995, then served as a wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator under Leach from 2000 to 2007 when Leach was head coach at Texas Tech
  • Kliff Kingsbury – Arizona Cardinals (NFL) head coach – Played quarterback for Leach from 2000 to 2002 when Leach was head coach at Texas Tech
  • Seth Littrell – North Texas head coach – Played quarterback under Leach at Oklahoma in 1999 when Leach was offensive coordinator for the Sooners, then later served as running backs coach at Texas Tech from 2005 through 2008 when Leach was head coach of the Red Raiders
  • Lincoln Riley – USC head coach – Played quarterback for Leach in 2002 when Leach was head coach at Texas Tech, then joined Leach's Red Raider staff from 2003 through 2009, first as a student assistant before working his way up to being a wide receivers coach
  • Ken Wilson – Nevada head coach – Linebackers coach under Leach from 2013 through 2019 when Leach was head coach at Washington State
Oh, but that's not all. Here are some current assistants from the Leach tree with most either currently or previously holding coordinator titles:
  • Robert Anae – Syracuse offensive coordinator – Offensive line coach for Leach from 2000 to 2004 when Leach was head coach at Texas Tech
  • Bill Bedenbaugh – Oklahoma offensive line coach – Played offensive line for Leach in 1991 when Leach was offensive line coach at Iowa Wesleyan, then coached offensive line for Valdosta State in 1996 when Leach was also an assistant, then served as a graduate assistant, running backs coach and offensive line coach for Leach from 2000 through 2006 when Leach was head coach at Texas Tech
  • Alex Grinch – USC defensive coordinator – Defensive coordinator for Leach from 2015 through 2017 when Leach was head coach at Washington State
  • Brandon Jones – Houston running game coordinator/offensive line coach – Played on the offensive line for Leach from 2003 through 2006 when Leach was the head coach at Texas Tech, then served as an offensive assistant with the Red Raiders under Leach from 2007 to 2008
  • Eric Morris – Washington State offensive coordinator – Played receiver under Leach from 2004 through 2008 when Leach was head coach at Texas Tech and also served as a receivers coach for Leach in 2012 when Leach was head coach at Washington State
  • Wes Welker – Miami Dolphins (NFL) wide receivers coach – Played receiver under Leach from 2000 through 2003 at Texas Tech when Leach was head coach
 
Sounds like he's in comfort care and hasn't been responsive since he had the heart attack and it's just a matter of time. So heartbreaking. Brings up memories of losing the great Skip Prosser too soon.
 
And John Currie got fired for flying to California to offer him the UT job. Wow.
 
Sounds now like there is no brain function, coming from his being down & out at home for 15 minutes after the massive heart attack. Total shame because he was good for college football with his style
 
I distinctly remember watching that Texas/TT game. Crabtree went off and it was so fun to watch. I think the game I was watching had just ended but after seeing shots of the crowd and how jacked up they were I couldn't look away. One of the best viewing decisions I ever made.
 
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