Mike and Me: How One Eccentric College Football Coach Shaped My Life
When I first started covering Mississippi State football and head coach Mike Leach, I didn't know quite what I was getting myself into.
To be fair, I didn't know what it was like to cover a sporting event, period. I had just been given a position at MSU's student newspaper, the Reflector, and my first assignment was the Louisiana Tech game in 2021. It was the start of my time in journalism, and I definitely didn't want to mess up.
The game wasn't a blowout victory like expected, but the Bulldogs ultimately won on a last-second missed field goal. After the game, I made my way down to the press conference with plenty of media members that I did not know. I was a healthy mixture of excited about hearing the storied coach speak and nervous to be in that space with someone of such high standing in the world of college football. Those emotions were heightened when he was escorted into the room by a group of state troopers and sat in front of me.
I didn't know it then, but I was going to be seeing Leach a whole lot more in the coming year.
A few weeks after the first game, I was aimlessly scrolling through Twitter while laying in bed in Hathorn Hall. I stumbled across a post from Crissy Froyd, my now lead publisher, calling for site interns. Obviously, I jumped at the chance. Within a few days, I was selected for one of the open positions and became her newest intern.
What was once my free time quickly became filled with... Mike Leach and Mississippi State football. Monday afternoons were spent at Leach's press conferences: tardiness was common, but he was always entertaining. Plus, a catered lunch made the time pass quickly. We went to Leo Seal on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings to talk to players and assistant coaches after practices.
It was during these evening practices that Crissy and I began trying to catch the multiple stray kittens in the Leo Seal parking lot. Leach was intrigued by the cats and wanted one for himself, so naturally, we were going to find a way to get one. That's how Mort, the tiny gray kitten with the sweetest personality, came into our lives.
Mort lived with Crissy for a few days while we waited for the opportunity to take her to Leach. She wasn't too impressed by Crissy's German Shepherd, Mouse, but her short time in the little house on the outskirts of Starkville was filled with playing and snuggling. When it came time to give her to her new owner, it was a bittersweet moment. She was a bit confused when placed in Leach's outstretched hands, but within moments, it was obvious the two were going to be the perfect pair. She was quickly renamed Maggie, and if I remember correctly, he used sand from a lake to construct a litter box as soon as they got home.
We never were able to get the orange kitten, which was Leach's favorite of the bunch and the one he wanted as a companion for Maggie. Looking back, running after it when I saw it probably wasn't the best strategy. Crissy's attempt at using cat food was much smarter.
Our adventures with Leach and animals didn't end with the Leo Seal kittens. Once Crissy and I learned of his weekly Dawg Talk radio show, we took it as an opportunity to get out and have some fun. Mouse always accompanied us, sometimes sporting an "Air Raid" bandana that she wasn't super fond of. We'd grab a bite to eat and walk the few blocks to the radio show's setup in downtown Starkville.
Leach would usually stop to pet Mouse after the show ended, but he had his moments of wariness. The pup -- now God's forever companion -- was a large dog, and her long fur made her seem even bigger. He jokingly referred to her as an attack dog, but Mouse was only aggressive when she was protecting those she loved. And trust me, she loved Leach and was always happy to get a few pets and eat some of the food he offered her.
Our adventures following Leach took Crissy and me all across the South. We made our first trip to Arkansas, which almost didn't happen as I nearly crashed on an exit ramp in Memphis on the way. A week later, we witnessed him lead his team to a comeback victory on the Plains in Auburn. Those were surreal moments in my first season on the beat.
The season ended, but spring quickly came. Practices and scrimmages with Leach were one of a kind, and being able to watch him at work was a wonderful experience. He was determined to work with his team, rain or shine -- that was quickly proven as we waited nearly two hours in a monsoon for one spring game to begin. He was that determined to play on the field in a game setting.
Leach was finally able to hold his much-anticipated spring game on a hot Saturday, coincidentally on the same day as the Mississippi State baseball game against Ole Miss in Oxford. Nearly the entire portion of the beat that was still in town was there, with each of us keeping stats and working together to evaluate the team. He was more than happy to meet with us for questions after the game and let us watch him practice a few softball throws; he was preparing to throw the first pitch in a game later that afternoon. I'll always have the freckles from a wicked sunburn on my left shoulder to remember that day.
Believe it or not, my fondest memory of Leach occurred away from the gridiron. Over the summer, I worked at Walk-Ons in Starkville. I was used to seeing plenty of people I knew, as it was a new restaurant and stayed busy all the time. On a particularly rough night, I was running around my tables when I saw a familiar face walk in: Leach, wearing a maroon Hawaiian shirt. Everyone was a bit in awe of his presence, and he smiled and nodded toward those who were staring in his direction.
As he made his way with the hostess to the privately-reserved banquet room for his meal, he passed by where I was standing. Most coaches don't take the time to get to know and care about journalists and media members, but Leach was the exception. I smiled and greeted him as he walked by, and he slowed down in his tracks to tell me, "Hey! It's so great to see you!" The little moments like that are what left an impact on me, and I truly felt like he cared about me as a person and not just another face that he had to see in press conferences.
2022 was a bit of a different season for me. I was more involved than ever, as Crissy was splitting time between covering Mississippi State and the AAC-Champion Tulane Green Wave. I had more responsibilities and learned to operate on my own for games, but that stuff didn't feel so hard. However, my biggest challenge was learning how to ask Leach questions in press conferences. As hard as I had tried, I had still not been able to get over my nerves when it came to that sort of thing... with any coaches.
Looking back now, I'm so glad I finally began working to overcome that anxiety. I began to ask questions, trying not to let my hand shake holding the microphone and praying I wouldn't butcher my words. If I ever messed up or said something wrong, he never let me know that. Even though I saw myself as a 20-year-old student in a room full of professionals, he didn't. He doesn't know it, but simply taking the time to answer my questions thoroughly while looking me in the eye gave me more confidence than anything. When I had those interactions, I felt so proud of the baby steps I was taking and was thankful to be in that situation with Leach of all coaches.
My last time seeing Leach was on Saturday night at a Christmas party. It was just in passing -- I had left for a few minutes only to return and see him there -- but it gave me a quiet laugh seeing him in his cargo shorts as always. I didn't know that I'd never see him again, but I sure wish I would've had just a bit of a hint as to what was to happen to the first college coach who made an impact on my life.
Sometimes, you never know how important these simple moments are until they're forever in the past. I'll cherish these little things forever.
Without Leach, there's no telling where I'd be today. Our work with him helped Crissy and I become as close of friends as we are -- not relatives like he insisted that we must be. I formed friendships with everyone on the beat, and those have helped us through these last few days. He brought people together and lit up a room with his banter and somewhat strange analogies. His final win was a big one, and it was great to see him have that moment in his career.
Even though Leach has sailed away on his pirate ship in the sky, his legacy will forever live on. How could it not? Rarely in my life have I seen a coach have such a nationwide impact, uniting entire fanbases and being a light in the world.
There are never enough words, but until we meet again... thank you, Coach Mike Leach, for everything.
