A Jersey Guy: Leach was almost an iconic CFB fixture

The death of Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach has diminished the sport far beyond the scope of one Power 5 mentor.

Leach was someone who viewed college football and life through a different prism, often delightful, sometimes puzzling, but never boring.

My favorte Leach story is told by former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy, who was a blue chip recruit coming out of the Dallas Fort Worth area of Texas.

McElroy was headed to Alabama, but was intrigued enough by Leach's offensive system at Texas Tech to take a visit to Lubbock.

When he arrived on campus, ready to talk football with Leach, he was startled when Leach started talking about the essentials of life and posed a question about how many rooms were necessary in a house.

McElroy quickly returned home and committed to Alabama and Saban, where he won a national championship.

It prompted me to think about the current group of Top 25 CFB coaches and how they could fit into three categories:

1. Characters, whose personalities often overshadow what they do on the field.

2. NIL/Transfer Portal, flirting with the rules type of coaches who adjust to the current trends

3. Old School Coaches who rely on analytics and process and grudgingly move forward, who still succeed most of the time.

1. Georgia-Kirby Smart---Old school

Believes in the system, which is still based on recruiting.

Michigan -Jim Harbaugh--Old School

Was a character for quirkiness for a few years, but has gone more old school and now has back to back Big Ten titles and Final Four appearances.

3. TCU-Sonny Dykes. Character.

Comes from a strong football pedigree, the son of former SWC, Big 12 coach Spike Dykes

4. Ohio State-Ryan Day--Old School

Paid his dues as an assistant and is now running a Top 5 traditional program with the Buckeyes

5. Alabama-NIck Saban--Old School

The poster boy for old fashioned, "the process''' way of building a top tier college football program. G.O.A.T status

6. Tennessee-Josh Heupel--NIL, Transfer Portal

Rebuild using new tools and do it every year if necessary.

7. Clemson-Dabo Swinney--Old School

An Alabama product in Saban mold.

8. Utah-Kyle Whittingham

Old School

Most solid coach West of Mississippi, not a lot of fanfare, but gets the job done year after year.

9. Kansas State-Chris Kleiman---Old School

Paid his dues at FCS and lower levels, uses transfer portal, but still believes in building programs on a long term basis.

10-Lincoln Riley--NIL/Transfer Portal

Poster child for new breed of college football coaches and rebuilding EVERY year with new faces.

11. Penn State-James Franklin--Old School

We say old school with an asterisk since Franklin is not adverse to doing whatever works and will build a team using any system.

12. Washington-Kalan DeBoar-NIL/Transfer Portal

Made turnaround with Michael Penix Jr. at QB coming in from Indiana

13. Florida State-Mike Norvel-Old School

Was on endangered species list until this year's turnaround. FSU might be back among the blue bloods, but that may depend on transfer portal.

14 Oregon State-Jonathon Smith--Old School

Done a solid job with the Beavers, turning them into a Top 20 caliber team.

15--Tulane--Willie Fritz--Old School

Rebuilt, but used transfers to make it happen. Surprised he is still at Tulane.

16. Oregon-Dan Lanning--NIL, Transfer

Too soon to call since this was his first year coaching, but his success this season was based on Auburn transfer Bo Nix at QB.

17. LSU-Brian Kell--NIL, Transfer Portal]

Would have said old school at ND, but at LSU everything is on the table and the idea is that is has to be done quickly.

18. UCLA--Chip Kelly--Character

Was a systems guy early in his career, now he is more of a character with anything possible and a quirky personality.\

19. South Carolina-Shane Beamer--Character

Son of legendary coach Frank Beamer, Shane is making a mark at South Carolina with his own style, which uses transfer portal and some old time family wisdom.

20. Texas-Steve Sarkasian--Old School

Bounced around and has done more as a coordinator than a head coach. Endangered species.

21 Notre Dame-Marcus Freeman--Old School

Young guy with lots of new ideas, but he is coaching at ND and restricted in many ways.

22 Mississippi State-Mike Leach, RIP, Former DC and now new head coach Zach Arnett.

Leach was a legend. Too soon to tell what Arnett will be.

23. NC State-Dave Doeren--Old School

Has done a solid job at NC State, building a Top 20 program.

24. Troy-Jon Sumrail--NIL, Transfer Portal.

Just a guess here, since Sumrail is finishing his first year with a team which posted a solid 11-2 record. Need another year of data.

25. UTSA-Jeff Traylor-NIL, Transfer portal, Old School

Done a solid job in two years and will be moving on, sooner rather than later, but looks like a star in the making.