Listen to Mike Leach's Call to Mississippi State Season Ticket Holders

On Thursday, Mike Leach was officially hired as the next head football coach at Mississippi State. And the outspoken new head coach is already trying to gain favor amongst his new supporters.

In audio published by Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger, Leach can be heard in a robocall reaching out to Bulldogs season ticket holders to try and rally the school's fanbase.

Here's what the new Mississippi State head coach said: 

Hey Bulldog family, this is your new football coach Mike Leach. Wanted to give you a quick call right here at the start and tell you how excited I am to be the head coach at Mississippi State. I'm loaded up and headed to Stark-Vegas.

We're going to score points and win a lot of games. But it starts with each and everyone of you jumping on board with us to make it happen. I can't wait to hear those cowbells ringing. See you soon. Hail State!

The Bulldogs fired coach Joe Moorhead last week after two seasons with the program. Associate head coach Tony Hughes was announced as the school's interim head coach while it started its search for a new one.

Mississippi State went 6–7 in 2019. The Bulldogs struggled early in the season and lost four straight conference games before snapping their skid with a 54–24 win over Arkansas on Nov. 2, then narrowly survived the Egg Bowl vs. rival Ole Miss.

Leach, known for employing the Air Raid offense, joins Mississippi State after serving as Washington State's head coach for eight seasons. In December, the Cougars agreed to extend Leach's contract through 2024. Leach led Washington State to its fifth straight bowl game appearance this season, where it lost to Air Force in the Cheez-It Bowl to finish the season at 6–7. His 55–47 overall record ranks third in program history.