Mike Leach Made College Football, Life Better
Mike Leach once was asked point blank while walking down the streets of Pullman, Wash., about death.
His death.
What would he want people to write in their obituaries of him on the day when he'd depart this world and enter another dimension far away from college football?
"Well that's their problem, they're the ones writing the obituary," Leach laughed. "What do I care, I'm dead."
How does one find a finite amount of words to describe a folklore larger than life? Larger than the game?
You don't, but then again, what does he care, right?
Leach passed away Monday evening following complications from a heart condition. He was 61 by birth, but 25 in spirit, having the energy most college kids can barely muster up for game days.
Strike that, most days.
Fans flock to media days, radio shows and television screens to hear about the status of their favorite teams. Reporters went for coverage, but they stayed for Leach, who always would leave you with a one-liner or an out-of-left-field quote mixed in with a laugh or two.
That's just the tip of the iceberg on the life of one of the more polarizing figures in the industry. He was witty. He was charming. He was viral in more ways than one. People often post countless minutes of the self-proclaimed pirate discussing topics that no one ever thought to ask a coach.
Nowadays, folks are filling social media boards with videos and text messages of Leach wishing them a Happy Birthday, thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery or condolences for the passing of a family member that left this world far too soon.
Is genuine the right word to sum up Leach's legacy? It's one of thousands that likely could be linked to the coach who won 158 games over distinguished 21-year career, but won the hearts of millions for simply being himself.
Leach was always beating off-tempo compared to the greats. He never played the sport like Nick Saban, Dabo Swinney, Kirby Smart or countless others. Rugby won him over while attending BYU.
He studied law at Pepperdine University. Then he earned a Master's Degree at the United States Sports Academy. Then, instead of taking his talents to a courtroom, he took them to the sidelines.
When the conventional coaching road closed its door, Leach created his own path. He started at Cal Poly before heading to a community college in Arizona. He spent a year overseas in Pori, Finland, before catching the attention of Hal Mumme at Iowa Wesleyan.
Mumme birthed the Air Raid offense into existence. Leach raised it into the formation we know today. He never laid his roots in blue-blood towns like Tuscaloosa or Columbus or Ann Arbor.
That wasn't his style. He was meant for places like Valdosta, Lexington, Lubbock and Pullman. And of course Starkville.
The places less traveled were a safe haven for the Leach Family. It was home.
His home.
Leach perfected the Air Raid system regardless of location. He helped lay out the foundation that turned Oklahoma into a powerhouse under Bob Stoops when hired away from Kentucky in 1999. He was influential in landing the commitment of Josh Heupel, a junior college transfer from Snow College and Ephraim, Utah. He also secured the commitments of Jason White from Tuttle High School and convinced Nate Hybl to leave Athens and join him in Norman.
Heupel won a national title. Hybl won a Rose Bowl MVP. White won a Heisman. And Oklahoma? It became the program we all know today.
Where would the Sooners be without Leach's impact? Where would Stoops rank among the college football greats without the pirate giving him advice on where to look for talent?
One could consider Leach a fixer-upper. Everywhere he landed, he left in better hands. Texas Tech hadn't won nine games in the regular season since 1995. Leach ended that streak after his first season in 2000 and finished with at least eight wins every year until his firing in 2009.
Washington State had gone 9-40 under Paul Worf during his four seasons at the helm. By 2015, the Cougars were consistently breaking into the AP's Top 25 poll, finishing with eight-plus wins in four consecutive seasons, including an 11-2 record in 2018.
Mississippi State swung a missed on Joe Moorhead following Dan Mullen's departure to Florida. Much like his coined phrase "swing your sword," Leach swung big, bringing stability to Starkville with a 7-6 record in 2021 and an 8-4 mark in 2022.
He broke down barriers and tore up the spirits of top programs in the Big 12. Then the Pac-12. Then the SEC. He terrorized defensive coordinators and turned unconventional schools into credible football institutions.
And he won. Everywhere he went, he planted a victory flag. The only accolades missing from his illustrious career were a conference title and a 60 percent win rate, a requirement to make the College Football Hall of Fame.
Something tells me that voters will make an exception to the rule when Leach's name appears on the ballot in the not-so-distant future.
The only thing more enticing than his high-tempo offense was his press conferences and postgame interviews. What was your favorite quote from Leach's time as the face of the football team?
Was it the time he said that Martin Stadium was "Like Woodstock, but everyone has their clothes on" following a win over then-No. 5 USC? How about his constant battle trying to convince the world that Candy Corn was like Mint Julips; meant to be served once a year because of the taste? Perhaps it was his six-minute rant on weather patterns in Lubbock, where he said "mud rain" was the best type of weather.
He said he'd reached out to Harry Potter enthusiasts on how to kill a Sun Devil and proclaimed that Stanford would never have a chance in a Pac-12 mascot battle royal because "that tree is going to get chopped down." And when an ESPN reporter asked for advice on her impending wedding, Leach said the best plan of action was to keep both families in the dark and elope to save money and stress.
Leach couldn't sell a sedan at the local car lot, but he could convince a room full of reporters that aliens were real and Bigfoot was more than an urban legend. If people believed that dinosaurs walked the earth millions of years ago based off bones, why couldn't a behemoth ape-like figure be found walking in the woods across the country?
That was Leach. Personable. Relatable. Authentic. One in a million.
Leach once told the fictional character Eric Taylor on the hit TV show "Friday Night Lights" that he needed to find his inner pirate. Maybe he wasn't talking just to Kyle Chandler or muttering words found a two-page script.
Perhaps it was a message to us. All of us. Not about taking over ships and raising bottles of rum, but rather finding our joy and capturing it through life's journey.
Pirates were known for pillaging villages and stealing buried treasure. The only thing stolen from the world of college football was one more quote from our favorite swashbuckler.
From our favorite lovable goofball and out-of-this-world coach.
From our Mike Leach.
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