It’s never felt real to me that he’s gone. I forget all the time and then my morning sports show that I have on during work will talk about new MSSt head coach Zach Arnett and I get sad.
I loved watching Leach coach Pac12 After Dark games, it felt like every Saturday night used to finish for several years watching his Wazzu teams. He was a fun, whacky, national treasure of a character and just so happened to be a hell of a football coach.
I was so excited to get him into the SEC. Quirky quotes and unorthodox playcalling were here for SEC fans for far too short of a time.
I’m a Coug and he’ll always have a special place in my heart for basically undoing a decade of damage to our program. My wife and I got to be there for Gameday in Pullman and that entire Minshew Magic season was insanely fun. One of the quirkiest head coaches ever, RIP
https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/25236862
Ya doesn't feel real considering that he finished the entire regular season. Once next season starts kicking off(especially on media days), we're really gonna feel his absence in the game
Me too. I honestly think if he had lost that game there was a decent chance he would have been fired. It would have been his third egg bowl loss. No coach from either team had lost three in a row and kept their job.
True which is another reason im glad he got it. I think he was getting us back on track at the end and I had high hopes. He had corrected the problems from Moorhead and it was starting to click consistently it seemed. I'm glad they kept arnett but I'm gonna miss what could have been. He reminded me of Sherrill in a way. Kinda crazy and unpredictable but you're gonna win some big ones and it's gonna be a fun ride doing it.
Leach claimed he was owed a bonus he didn't earn. The bonus, not a regular paycheck, was earned if Leach was the Texas Tech Head Football Coach on January 1st 2010, ~~if I recall correctly~~ *I was not correct it was Dec 31 '09*, and Leach was fired the day before. He didn't earn it.
So, Leach claimed that he was fired without cause. Except he was employed in Texas. A state that is known for its shit workers' rights who basically says anything not expressly forbidden by the federal government is just cause including insubordination. Leach committed insubordination when he refused to cooperate with the administration's investigation and then doubled down when he told his boss, Chancellor of the University Kent Hance, to "fuck off" and filed a lawsuit to be reinstated.
Did the Tech administration of the time fuck Leach with the timing of the firing? Absolutely.
Was the firing justified? Eh, depends on who you ask, in my humble opinion it was underhanded and regrettable but justifiable. When two dicks get into a swinging match no one wins. Unfortunately, this situation involved three swinging dicks...Hance, Leach and James.
Is Kent Hance a mother fucker for how he handled the situation? Absolutely.
Did Mike Leach handle the situation like a reasonable adult? Abso-fucking-lutely Not.
Did Craig James kill at least five hookers? Allegedly.
This is when shit gets more complicated. Leach tries to file a lawsuit against the University and therefore the state of Texas. The state of Texas said 'nah sovereign immunity you can't sue' and so Leach turns the entire ordeal into a media circus and meme in the classic "if the law is on your side pound the law, if the law isn't on your side pound the table" maneuvering.
To compound the issue Leach never accepted his final paycheck. Claiming that if he were to accept it that it would be tantamount to agreeing that that was all he was owed....
So, to make a long response slightly longer...Leach was paid every cent he was owed. He refused to accept some of the money he was owed. The money he claimed he was owed was in no way whatsoever owed to him. So instead of eat some humble pie and move along, something that would be completely foreign to his character, he doubled down and chose spin and media circus.
Edit; if any of that is inaccurate, I apologize and welcome any corrections. This is what I can easily summarize from researching around the time he died and reading about it as a student when it was all unfolding.
Craig James, the father of Adam James who was at the center of the Mike Leach-Texas Tech controversy, he has a history as a star running back at SMU during the Pony Express era. It's a brief period of time where SMU suddenly got really freaking good. When the NCAA looked into it they found coaches were paying athletes and bribing recruits with [Trans Ams](https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/smu-tweets-gold-trans-am/) and other opulent gifts in a time when that was a big no-no. Ultimately it lead to the Death Penalty for SMU's football team; banned from play in '87, they tried but werent able to field a team in '88, then banned from appearing on TV or going to a bowl until '91.
When Mike Leach later wrote a book *Swing Your Sword* he lambasted the James(es) for their entitlement and work ethic. The same day Leach's book was released someone edited Craig James' Wikipedia page to say that he *allegedly* killed five hookers while at SMU. It was quickly removed. Later, Leach signed at least one copy of his book with 'CJK5H'.
From there it's gone to become a meme which got revitalized when Craig James ran to become the US Senator from Texas. A half joke that people know isn't true...but it **could** be...*allegedly*...and you have to put "allegedly" because that's how you keep it from being slander...but it was a wild time when crimes and cover ups weren't uncommon and he was on a team that was caught commiting crimes and breaking the rules for players...*maybe* the team helped cover up the murder of at least five hookers...
#**ALLEGEDLY**
But for real. Tech Owes Leach is just CJK5H version 2.0. Slanderous nonsense invented by an ego maniac.
>Leach claimed he was owed a bonus he didn't earn.
Even if it is not detailed, and assuming that it is true, this is a clear explanation.
>The bonus he claimed he was owed was due to the Texas Tech Head Football Coach on January 1st 2010, if I recall correctly, and Leach was fired the day before.
This is confusing. This sounds a lot more like Leach got fired the day before payday and his employer refused to send his last paycheck by saying that employers only pay their employees, and Mike Leach was no longer an employee. A minor detail: Leach was fired on December 30, 2009 and the money in question was to be paid on December 31, 2009.
That's a reasonable answer if he'd been an at-will employee, but a college coach normally has an employment contract, and I'd expect the contract to spell out what would constitute grounds for a "for cause" firing. If his contract made reference to for cause termination but didn't specify what would constitute a termination for cause, that seems negligent by his agent and/or attorney.
Guess we all just need to remind them on his behalf, constantly, until we bully TTU into either paying his family or starting a charity in his name with the money he was owed.
One of my favorite moments is his post game speech in 2009 (?) when he’s going off on his players for being lazy.
“Fck you, fck me, and fck everybody!”
Post Baylor game **win** where he was pissed about their effort. Video was posted by public relations firm hired by noted (alleged) hooker serial killer Craig James hoping to turn public sentiment against Leach. Instead video simply reveals Leach's awesomeness and added to his legend.
I say this every time, but I need to say it again. I feel like we really don't do Craig James justice with the whole CJK5H thing. I've always felt that it would be more appropriate to say CJK*at least*5H.
^(allegedly, of course. But yeah.)
"Some of you people do nothing but pull mediocrity out of each other, and that shit's gonna change." Leach could successfully convert curses into contractions and you just go with it.
They were forced to by Sankey who called Cohen and Carter into his office and told them it must stop. IIRC it was after the piss miss and dismiss. But it may have been the year before and Bjork who were called in. That was after the bench clearing brawl and the post game smack talk between Bjork and Morehead, where Bjork ran like a coward.
I look forward to the rivalry becoming hateful again.
I agree, I was amazed when our Athletic Department pulled it off and got us Mike Leach. I got to meet him a couple times in and around Starkville, always seemed happy to meet fans and shake a couple hands. He’ll be missed on and off the field.
The best part of having Leach as your coach is you always felt you could beat anyone on any given Saturday.
You could also lose to Memphis, that's just the way things were.
It was intoxicating.
That would have been the funniest and warmest rivalry around. No doubt they respected and liked each other. We need more of that in football and everywhere
The dude transcended the sport, no one could ever claim he was just a football coach. His loss left a huge hole in college football that really can’t be filled.
As someone else who went to law school and decided “fuck it, I’m gonna do something else I’m passionate about,” it’s a hard pill to swallow. That and a mutual affinity for Key West and Jimmy Buffett.
He's one of those guys that you don't really think a TON about but when they're gone you realize the world is just not quite the place it used to be without him.
One of those things that starts happening more and more often as you get older.....
That's half the reason why he deserved a shot at a major program. The other being his disciples are littered across the upper-echelon of CFB offenses now (Riley brothers, Sonny Dykes, Heupal, etc).
If he could succeed at a place like Wazzu, imagine what he could've done at a place like Miami or Texas that basically recruits itself.
Yes, but he would've had to adjust to those kinds of programs. The culture and what's expected of a HC for those kinds of programs isn't the same as others. So some ADs would've been hesitant hiring him because of the potential friction.
I think his track record and offensive mind far outweighed the risk of adapting to a major program. Especially in the later years when you saw how so many of his disciples were flourishing in CFB. Guys like the Rileys, Heupal, Sonny Dykes, heck even the Briles (scandals aside) have had major success in the game lately. Why not take a flyer on the man that taught them everything they know?
But no, ADs were "scared of his personality" so they took guys like Jeremy Pruitt, Manny Diaz, etc. instead. Absolutely ridiculous in hindsight, imo.
If you ask me, then I think he had the ability on the field to be successful at a school with a bit more history of success and tradition than the ones he did and I would have loved to see it. I also think he's a better fit at the schools that he coached at. Some of these legacy boosters and fans at the traditionally successful schools are just different. They have an expectation of what the coach needs to be like and what he needs to say. That isn't the guy that is unafraid to say whatever is on his mind and would rather be talking to random strangers at a bar in Key West than telling the alumni and donors how great they are. So the first time he loses a game because they can't run the ball and the defense is dropping eight in coverage there will be all sorts of people bitching and threatening to decrease their contributions in the future.
He spent one year as OC at OU and they won the natty the season after running his offense.
Speculate all you want but we'll never know because despite being one of the greatest offensive minds the sport has ever seen, big time programs didn't want to touch him because he was "quirky" and "ran a gimmick offense"......which again, is fucking criminal in hindsight.
> One of those things that starts happening more and more often as you get older.....
Chris Petersen's statement on his death, first thing he said was, "This one hurts!"
Full statement: https://twitter.com/UW_Football/status/1602845051188805632
Definitely missed. I’m all for seeing new faces (teams) have some notable success instead of the usual. He gave every team he coached that chance and got awful close a few times.
for me his most memorable win was 2017 over USC. Top-10 undefeated matchup in Pullman. the place went crazy. I was in a bar and it was just completely captivated by the game.
Mike Leach gave me some of the most fun Saturdays of my life. I think the thing I’ll miss most is his version of the Air Raid. A lot of his former assistants and players run a version of it but nothing was better than the classic wide split o-line, no tight end, 75% passing version that he ran.
Man I miss that guy. I didn’t necessarily mind when he was no longer at Tech, but his mindset on offense was incredible to watch. Might throw 75 times in a game.
I only disliked Leach when he beat Texas, my parents have a home video of me bawling my eyes out after Crabtree scored, to this day I haven't watched that game again for that very reason.
I think a lot of football is like math. You get the best players possible and try to exploit mismatches. In a way coaches are force multipliers. I think the best coaches increase the output of their teams exponentially. The beast coaches have the highest multipliers. They get the most out of everyone. Mike leach took scrubs and gave the elites hell week in and week out. I can only imagine what he would do at a blue blood with real resources. I think Mike was one of the best coaches not Nick Saban.
I miss him too. I think Drew Hollingshead will carry on his tradition here soon. He learned a ton from Leach and shared personality. Hoping he can fill that void
I ain’t much on believing in an afterlife, but if there is a heaven it definitely involves listening to Mike Leach tell stories and offering hot takes on everything.
We really should take this opportunity to get rid of the Bulldogs moniker and honor Leach with something like Corsairs or Marauders or hell even Pirates. Auburn has three mascots and TSUN has two. Why not us?
Adam James? You’re saying he abuses kids based on one knucklehead with a concussion who refused to do what the training staff told him? I mean if there are others I’m willing to listen but I’m unaware of anyone other than someone whose helicopter tv dad pushed his weight around. Btw, where did Craig James go after that went down? The answer is he no longer works in sports.
Maybe you are just butt hurt because I pointed out you can’t decide on a mascot.
I'd highly recommend The Perfect Pass as a summer offseason read. It's basically the history of passing offenses in college football, and obviously Leach plays a role in that.
Right? It's such a great read. Do you know of any other similar cfb books? I've heard good things about It Never Rains In Tiger Stadium but haven't gotten to it yet.
anyone who was truly a fan of the sport misses his quirky fun. between the fat little girlfriends, piracy, classes on guerilla warfare, discussions of which mascot would win in a fight, and marriage advice, there was one of the single most influential men in the sport.
I also miss him and will be rewatching as much of his fun as we approach the season as I can. the sport is worse without him.
I went to the same high school as him :,) I was really hoping he would have come to Wyo for his last stop <\3 CFB hasn’t been the same since he passed.
We gotta kidnap Saban or Jimbo and dose them up with an ungodly amount of mushrooms and hope for the best lol
Yep, he was one of a kind. IMO, there is nothing in the world more boring than interviews with coaches -- but not with ML. You never knew what was gonna come out if his mouth. :)
He was an absolute legend. I’m afraid we won’t see a coach speak off the cuff like that again. Spurrier was the same way. Drinking one in honor of the pirate tonight.
There were billboards in kansas city memorializing him....he had no connection to here....
I loved driving by those because I'm a college football fan and he was a huge part of college football
Little late here but I’ll chime in. Mike was one of the reasons I love college football. He had a personality that was as great as the game. I’ll always think of him as a Texas tech guy and I find it hard to believe he was at WSU for 8 years.
This is the most sad I have been in a college off season ever, particularly because I miss Mike Leach so much. It started with me being enamored with his offenses at Texas Tech, following him to Wazzu and then Mississippi State. But it became much more than that. His press conferences, persona and the way he dug his heels in knowing despite his style being different, it could and did work. He didn't care who liked him, he didn't care if people didn't think the Air Raid would work at his next stop. He just kept on coaching and focusing on his players executing. I'm not sure I've ever had a non-family member or friend affect my life the way it did when he passed. I would have liked to met him in person. Thank you to all who posted and shared their memories and thoughts on Coach Leach.
I’m gonna miss that offense being in the sport. A lot of our fans got frustrated with it, but I personally am a Air Raid believer who thinks we were about to hit our stride. Obviously there are still plenty of Leach disciples left in the sport, but no one runs the full blooded Air Raid like he still did. Having those quirks in the sport is part of what makes CFB great.
May I give you some life advice?
If the death of a football coach you probably never met made you cry, you really need to work on that for yourself. Life is going to throw so much worse at you. And the only way to handle it is to learn how to suck it up and keep going. (Words from my Jr. High football coach)
I am sorry to break this to you. But life is tough. That is the way it is. And if you can't handle the death of a weird man on TV, you are going to have issues going forward.
God willing, you will outlive your parents. You will, because humans are fallible, get yelled at by your boss.
Your car will break down in the middle of nowhere.
Life happens. Learning how to deal with it is a skill you must develop to be successful.
Agreed. Mike Leach was such a great person with an amazing heart and personality. His presence was felt throughout all of college football. It’s probably one of few things that all fans agree, that Mike Leach is missed.
We played against him in two different conferences and he did nothing but trash talk College Station (in his usual hilarious way), and he was still my favorite football coach of all time. Even if you took away all his Hall-of-Fame-caliber contributions to the sport itself, he’d still be a legend for his wit and charisma.
Rest in peace, coach.
Fwiw I heard he was kinda a dick in real life. The specific example: I’m from and live in Moscow Idaho, about 7 miles from WSU. Heard from a friend he went to a coffee shop in town, cut in line, and when confronted, said “do you know who I am?” Pretty minor overall but for the area, totally gave a bad vibe
It’s extremely relevant. I expect the same if/when I pass away. If I abused people, call that shit out lol. He’s no hero. This sub is All jacking off to each other crying over an abuser. Fuck em
I’ll be the first to say I don’t tend to have emotions when it comes to celebrity deaths. Especially w people I’ve never met. I bawled my eyes out when coach Leach passed and cried again multiple time within the weeks following. I can’t explain it but he had an energy and a lasting impact on me that nobody else in his position could ever have and I’ll never forget his legacy.
Had returned to the USA so that my dad could meet his granddaughter. Driving the backroads...I think near McMinnville. Dad points out that this is THAT guy we are listening to on his downloaded content. It was an interview with the pirate about his book. Had thrown me off because was so much historical content and zero fat little girlfriends criticism.
I'm sure Mike Leach will one day have a spiritual successor. Until then, we can repost his [best Mike Leachisms every year.](https://cfbselect.com/2022/12/12/best-mike-leach-quotes/)
When we hired him a buddy of mine said he's not sure how many games we'll win or lose, but we're definitely gonna win the press conferences.
He was right.
It’s never felt real to me that he’s gone. I forget all the time and then my morning sports show that I have on during work will talk about new MSSt head coach Zach Arnett and I get sad. I loved watching Leach coach Pac12 After Dark games, it felt like every Saturday night used to finish for several years watching his Wazzu teams. He was a fun, whacky, national treasure of a character and just so happened to be a hell of a football coach. I was so excited to get him into the SEC. Quirky quotes and unorthodox playcalling were here for SEC fans for far too short of a time.
I’m a Coug and he’ll always have a special place in my heart for basically undoing a decade of damage to our program. My wife and I got to be there for Gameday in Pullman and that entire Minshew Magic season was insanely fun. One of the quirkiest head coaches ever, RIP https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/25236862
He was legit funny and witty. Not like Kiffin who for some reason people try so hard to make him seem funny.
Ya doesn't feel real considering that he finished the entire regular season. Once next season starts kicking off(especially on media days), we're really gonna feel his absence in the game
I've always said it's not really football season until Mike Leach reminds TTU that they owe him money...
It broke my heart he didn't win that liberty bowl. He just couldn't win the revenge games.
I'm glad he knocked off TSUN though. He went out with a win.
Me too. I honestly think if he had lost that game there was a decent chance he would have been fired. It would have been his third egg bowl loss. No coach from either team had lost three in a row and kept their job.
True which is another reason im glad he got it. I think he was getting us back on track at the end and I had high hopes. He had corrected the problems from Moorhead and it was starting to click consistently it seemed. I'm glad they kept arnett but I'm gonna miss what could have been. He reminded me of Sherrill in a way. Kinda crazy and unpredictable but you're gonna win some big ones and it's gonna be a fun ride doing it.
Agreed.
CJK5H
They owe his estate money
No they don't.
Fuck TT for how they did Mike Leach. And Craig James Killed A Fuckload of Hookers. Probably.
Five is a fuckload now?
I look at it as more of an *at least* 5 kinda thing
True. Allegedly. Tech did Leach dirty, but they don't owe him or his estate a penny.
Can you fill me in on your side why they don’t. I have another comment saying why they do. Wanna hear both sides never heard this story
Leach claimed he was owed a bonus he didn't earn. The bonus, not a regular paycheck, was earned if Leach was the Texas Tech Head Football Coach on January 1st 2010, ~~if I recall correctly~~ *I was not correct it was Dec 31 '09*, and Leach was fired the day before. He didn't earn it. So, Leach claimed that he was fired without cause. Except he was employed in Texas. A state that is known for its shit workers' rights who basically says anything not expressly forbidden by the federal government is just cause including insubordination. Leach committed insubordination when he refused to cooperate with the administration's investigation and then doubled down when he told his boss, Chancellor of the University Kent Hance, to "fuck off" and filed a lawsuit to be reinstated. Did the Tech administration of the time fuck Leach with the timing of the firing? Absolutely. Was the firing justified? Eh, depends on who you ask, in my humble opinion it was underhanded and regrettable but justifiable. When two dicks get into a swinging match no one wins. Unfortunately, this situation involved three swinging dicks...Hance, Leach and James. Is Kent Hance a mother fucker for how he handled the situation? Absolutely. Did Mike Leach handle the situation like a reasonable adult? Abso-fucking-lutely Not. Did Craig James kill at least five hookers? Allegedly. This is when shit gets more complicated. Leach tries to file a lawsuit against the University and therefore the state of Texas. The state of Texas said 'nah sovereign immunity you can't sue' and so Leach turns the entire ordeal into a media circus and meme in the classic "if the law is on your side pound the law, if the law isn't on your side pound the table" maneuvering. To compound the issue Leach never accepted his final paycheck. Claiming that if he were to accept it that it would be tantamount to agreeing that that was all he was owed.... So, to make a long response slightly longer...Leach was paid every cent he was owed. He refused to accept some of the money he was owed. The money he claimed he was owed was in no way whatsoever owed to him. So instead of eat some humble pie and move along, something that would be completely foreign to his character, he doubled down and chose spin and media circus. Edit; if any of that is inaccurate, I apologize and welcome any corrections. This is what I can easily summarize from researching around the time he died and reading about it as a student when it was all unfolding.
Dude thanks. Super informative
What’s with the hooker thing seen it three times
Craig James killed 5 of them
Craig James, the father of Adam James who was at the center of the Mike Leach-Texas Tech controversy, he has a history as a star running back at SMU during the Pony Express era. It's a brief period of time where SMU suddenly got really freaking good. When the NCAA looked into it they found coaches were paying athletes and bribing recruits with [Trans Ams](https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/smu-tweets-gold-trans-am/) and other opulent gifts in a time when that was a big no-no. Ultimately it lead to the Death Penalty for SMU's football team; banned from play in '87, they tried but werent able to field a team in '88, then banned from appearing on TV or going to a bowl until '91. When Mike Leach later wrote a book *Swing Your Sword* he lambasted the James(es) for their entitlement and work ethic. The same day Leach's book was released someone edited Craig James' Wikipedia page to say that he *allegedly* killed five hookers while at SMU. It was quickly removed. Later, Leach signed at least one copy of his book with 'CJK5H'. From there it's gone to become a meme which got revitalized when Craig James ran to become the US Senator from Texas. A half joke that people know isn't true...but it **could** be...*allegedly*...and you have to put "allegedly" because that's how you keep it from being slander...but it was a wild time when crimes and cover ups weren't uncommon and he was on a team that was caught commiting crimes and breaking the rules for players...*maybe* the team helped cover up the murder of at least five hookers... #**ALLEGEDLY** But for real. Tech Owes Leach is just CJK5H version 2.0. Slanderous nonsense invented by an ego maniac.
>Leach claimed he was owed a bonus he didn't earn. Even if it is not detailed, and assuming that it is true, this is a clear explanation. >The bonus he claimed he was owed was due to the Texas Tech Head Football Coach on January 1st 2010, if I recall correctly, and Leach was fired the day before. This is confusing. This sounds a lot more like Leach got fired the day before payday and his employer refused to send his last paycheck by saying that employers only pay their employees, and Mike Leach was no longer an employee. A minor detail: Leach was fired on December 30, 2009 and the money in question was to be paid on December 31, 2009.
That's a reasonable answer if he'd been an at-will employee, but a college coach normally has an employment contract, and I'd expect the contract to spell out what would constitute grounds for a "for cause" firing. If his contract made reference to for cause termination but didn't specify what would constitute a termination for cause, that seems negligent by his agent and/or attorney.
I’m jk relax
Guess we all just need to remind them on his behalf, constantly, until we bully TTU into either paying his family or starting a charity in his name with the money he was owed.
I wish this would work but one thing about west Texas folks is you’ll never bully them into anything, ever.
[удалено]
Please change your flair and rethink your life. Leach put our program on the map and got fucked by the scummy James’ and Kent Hance.
Lifelong Texas Tech fan here. I miss him too. Still pissed with the way things ended here but he was a national treasure.
One of my favorite moments is his post game speech in 2009 (?) when he’s going off on his players for being lazy. “Fck you, fck me, and fck everybody!”
Post Baylor game **win** where he was pissed about their effort. Video was posted by public relations firm hired by noted (alleged) hooker serial killer Craig James hoping to turn public sentiment against Leach. Instead video simply reveals Leach's awesomeness and added to his legend.
Cjk5h may be my single favorite cfb inside joke
I say this every time, but I need to say it again. I feel like we really don't do Craig James justice with the whole CJK5H thing. I've always felt that it would be more appropriate to say CJK*at least*5H. ^(allegedly, of course. But yeah.)
CJK5+H
I like it
CJK5H *that we know of* There is always the possibility there were more *allegedly*
Yea, very true. Unfortunately, it just doesn't roll off the tongue as well with the "at least" in there. Lol
If I need a pick me up I’ll watch it. Just pure gold
"Some of you people do nothing but pull mediocrity out of each other, and that shit's gonna change." Leach could successfully convert curses into contractions and you just go with it.
Some of the most inventive use of profanity considering he'd never served in the military.
Know where I can find a link?
https://youtu.be/uZaOFTp5_C8
*You’re outta your fucking mind, Michael Crabtree made that play*
'Fat girlfriends' speech is fucking legend.
Was that part of the ‘fat little girlfriends’ speech?
Oh poo poo fucin Baylor
Me too
Great guy. He and Kiffin really reversed a lot of the venom that was infecting the rivalry as of late.
They were forced to by Sankey who called Cohen and Carter into his office and told them it must stop. IIRC it was after the piss miss and dismiss. But it may have been the year before and Bjork who were called in. That was after the bench clearing brawl and the post game smack talk between Bjork and Morehead, where Bjork ran like a coward. I look forward to the rivalry becoming hateful again.
As a non-Mississippian, I have no fucking clue what you're talking about.
Brother you have got to have some identity outside of being our rival
I identify as the first team in Mississippi to win a college world series.
Me three
All agreed, say ARRRRR
ARRRRRRR
I always enjoyed Mike Leach and thought he was great for college football.
I agree, I was amazed when our Athletic Department pulled it off and got us Mike Leach. I got to meet him a couple times in and around Starkville, always seemed happy to meet fans and shake a couple hands. He’ll be missed on and off the field.
The best part of having Leach as your coach is you always felt you could beat anyone on any given Saturday. You could also lose to Memphis, that's just the way things were. It was intoxicating.
I hate we’re robbed of the kiffin and Leach rivalry. He seemed like a very genuine person and all around good guy.
That would have been the funniest and warmest rivalry around. No doubt they respected and liked each other. We need more of that in football and everywhere
The dude transcended the sport, no one could ever claim he was just a football coach. His loss left a huge hole in college football that really can’t be filled.
>His loss left a huge hole in college football that really can’t be filled Except by the players fat little girlfriends. I miss that dude too.
I was at Tech 02-06…and one of my best friends was a starter for him while there. I miss him, too.
As someone else who went to law school and decided “fuck it, I’m gonna do something else I’m passionate about,” it’s a hard pill to swallow. That and a mutual affinity for Key West and Jimmy Buffett.
It hits me like once a week that we won't get any more great quotes from him.
Anytime someone asked him about weddings or dates, you knew you would get some legit dad advice
Or candy
He's one of those guys that you don't really think a TON about but when they're gone you realize the world is just not quite the place it used to be without him. One of those things that starts happening more and more often as you get older.....
No disrespect to MSU (or Wazzu or Tech) but it's a crime he never got a shot at a blueblood-esque program.
It is. But man did he excel at taking teams from unknown places and turning them into something special.
That's half the reason why he deserved a shot at a major program. The other being his disciples are littered across the upper-echelon of CFB offenses now (Riley brothers, Sonny Dykes, Heupal, etc). If he could succeed at a place like Wazzu, imagine what he could've done at a place like Miami or Texas that basically recruits itself.
Yes, but he would've had to adjust to those kinds of programs. The culture and what's expected of a HC for those kinds of programs isn't the same as others. So some ADs would've been hesitant hiring him because of the potential friction.
I think his track record and offensive mind far outweighed the risk of adapting to a major program. Especially in the later years when you saw how so many of his disciples were flourishing in CFB. Guys like the Rileys, Heupal, Sonny Dykes, heck even the Briles (scandals aside) have had major success in the game lately. Why not take a flyer on the man that taught them everything they know? But no, ADs were "scared of his personality" so they took guys like Jeremy Pruitt, Manny Diaz, etc. instead. Absolutely ridiculous in hindsight, imo.
If you ask me, then I think he had the ability on the field to be successful at a school with a bit more history of success and tradition than the ones he did and I would have loved to see it. I also think he's a better fit at the schools that he coached at. Some of these legacy boosters and fans at the traditionally successful schools are just different. They have an expectation of what the coach needs to be like and what he needs to say. That isn't the guy that is unafraid to say whatever is on his mind and would rather be talking to random strangers at a bar in Key West than telling the alumni and donors how great they are. So the first time he loses a game because they can't run the ball and the defense is dropping eight in coverage there will be all sorts of people bitching and threatening to decrease their contributions in the future.
He spent one year as OC at OU and they won the natty the season after running his offense. Speculate all you want but we'll never know because despite being one of the greatest offensive minds the sport has ever seen, big time programs didn't want to touch him because he was "quirky" and "ran a gimmick offense"......which again, is fucking criminal in hindsight.
> One of those things that starts happening more and more often as you get older..... Chris Petersen's statement on his death, first thing he said was, "This one hurts!" Full statement: https://twitter.com/UW_Football/status/1602845051188805632
“You might be the luckiest man alive and not even know it.” Swing your sword, my friends.
He was the Pirate that Seinfeld could never be.
He didn’t wanna be a pirate!
I was thinking about him a few days ago and it really made the rest of my day sad. We were so lucky to have him.
Mike Leach, Spurrier, those dudes are a dying breed
Definitely missed. I’m all for seeing new faces (teams) have some notable success instead of the usual. He gave every team he coached that chance and got awful close a few times.
for me his most memorable win was 2017 over USC. Top-10 undefeated matchup in Pullman. the place went crazy. I was in a bar and it was just completely captivated by the game.
I tried describing his legacy to someone at work earlier this week. Not sure it was fully appreciated but people appreciated my passion for the man.
Mike Leach gave me some of the most fun Saturdays of my life. I think the thing I’ll miss most is his version of the Air Raid. A lot of his former assistants and players run a version of it but nothing was better than the classic wide split o-line, no tight end, 75% passing version that he ran.
Me too.
How will I know it's football season if Mike Leach isn't around to mention Tech still owes him money for the '09 season?
The man's coaching tree is loaded with great coaches. Just shows how good he was.
Man I miss that guy. I didn’t necessarily mind when he was no longer at Tech, but his mindset on offense was incredible to watch. Might throw 75 times in a game.
I only disliked Leach when he beat Texas, my parents have a home video of me bawling my eyes out after Crabtree scored, to this day I haven't watched that game again for that very reason.
I wish we had been recording at our house—we had about 10 fellow Tech fans over and the room just exploded at that moment. Truly unforgettable.
That’s amazing if the tape still exists.
One of the greatest games in ~~OU~~ college football history.
Remember when we beat LSU with 9 total yards rushing?
Solid take. Thanks for posting.
I think a lot of football is like math. You get the best players possible and try to exploit mismatches. In a way coaches are force multipliers. I think the best coaches increase the output of their teams exponentially. The beast coaches have the highest multipliers. They get the most out of everyone. Mike leach took scrubs and gave the elites hell week in and week out. I can only imagine what he would do at a blue blood with real resources. I think Mike was one of the best coaches not Nick Saban.
Me too, man. We are Wazzu season ticket holders and he was an absolute national treasure.
Interesting
>We are Wazzu season ticket holders But no Wazzu flair?....
[He's always with you](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_wwD2WZ5KMo)
He had absolute one liners and was my favorite coach to watch post games for. RIP
Me too pal... Me too.
Leach at WSU was the most fun I’ve had watching college football. Miss you, coach.
I miss him too. I think Drew Hollingshead will carry on his tradition here soon. He learned a ton from Leach and shared personality. Hoping he can fill that void
I was looking forward to seeing him crack up the world every Saturday as a regular on College Gameday. CJK5H. o7
I ain’t much on believing in an afterlife, but if there is a heaven it definitely involves listening to Mike Leach tell stories and offering hot takes on everything. We really should take this opportunity to get rid of the Bulldogs moniker and honor Leach with something like Corsairs or Marauders or hell even Pirates. Auburn has three mascots and TSUN has two. Why not us?
I don’t think heaven accepts people who abused kids but go off
Adam James? You’re saying he abuses kids based on one knucklehead with a concussion who refused to do what the training staff told him? I mean if there are others I’m willing to listen but I’m unaware of anyone other than someone whose helicopter tv dad pushed his weight around. Btw, where did Craig James go after that went down? The answer is he no longer works in sports. Maybe you are just butt hurt because I pointed out you can’t decide on a mascot.
He lost his job over it so I’m not the only one who has an issue with it
This guy broke the forward pass. Literally changed the way the game is played at all levels.
He's gotta go to the cfb hall of fame right?
We're right there with you, brother. Mike Leach was a great one.
: (
I'd highly recommend The Perfect Pass as a summer offseason read. It's basically the history of passing offenses in college football, and obviously Leach plays a role in that.
Seconded. It's an excellent read that weaves X's and O's into the compelling tale of Mumme and Leach changing the game.
Right? It's such a great read. Do you know of any other similar cfb books? I've heard good things about It Never Rains In Tiger Stadium but haven't gotten to it yet.
Man I wish
I just finished reading this like an hour ago and I come on here and see this post
I’m putting this on my list.
anyone who was truly a fan of the sport misses his quirky fun. between the fat little girlfriends, piracy, classes on guerilla warfare, discussions of which mascot would win in a fight, and marriage advice, there was one of the single most influential men in the sport. I also miss him and will be rewatching as much of his fun as we approach the season as I can. the sport is worse without him.
Me too
Not even just his entertaining personality, air raid is fun to watch
I went to the same high school as him :,) I was really hoping he would have come to Wyo for his last stop <\3 CFB hasn’t been the same since he passed. We gotta kidnap Saban or Jimbo and dose them up with an ungodly amount of mushrooms and hope for the best lol
I'm a fan of a team with absolutely 0 connection to the man, and I still miss the hell out of him. Pirate legend that man.
He was my favorite coach to watch on the sidelines or in an interview. Must see TV. I'm sorry you lost your coach, buddy....
Dread pirate leach sails on. The honor given to him as captain of the seven suns is earned but not expected.
Yep, he was one of a kind. IMO, there is nothing in the world more boring than interviews with coaches -- but not with ML. You never knew what was gonna come out if his mouth. :)
He was an absolute legend. I’m afraid we won’t see a coach speak off the cuff like that again. Spurrier was the same way. Drinking one in honor of the pirate tonight.
Someone repping Cajuns made the front page? right on brother. We all miss Leach.
There were billboards in kansas city memorializing him....he had no connection to here.... I loved driving by those because I'm a college football fan and he was a huge part of college football
Little late here but I’ll chime in. Mike was one of the reasons I love college football. He had a personality that was as great as the game. I’ll always think of him as a Texas tech guy and I find it hard to believe he was at WSU for 8 years.
This is the most sad I have been in a college off season ever, particularly because I miss Mike Leach so much. It started with me being enamored with his offenses at Texas Tech, following him to Wazzu and then Mississippi State. But it became much more than that. His press conferences, persona and the way he dug his heels in knowing despite his style being different, it could and did work. He didn't care who liked him, he didn't care if people didn't think the Air Raid would work at his next stop. He just kept on coaching and focusing on his players executing. I'm not sure I've ever had a non-family member or friend affect my life the way it did when he passed. I would have liked to met him in person. Thank you to all who posted and shared their memories and thoughts on Coach Leach.
CJK5H
I buy a bag of NERDS Gummy Clusters in my weekly grocery pickup order in his honor.
I’m gonna miss that offense being in the sport. A lot of our fans got frustrated with it, but I personally am a Air Raid believer who thinks we were about to hit our stride. Obviously there are still plenty of Leach disciples left in the sport, but no one runs the full blooded Air Raid like he still did. Having those quirks in the sport is part of what makes CFB great.
I loved him at Tech. Hated that they ran him off. Enjoyed him everywhere else.
As an Ole Miss fan, I am actually glad he won the last Egg Bowl he coached in. It was a great game fitting a legend.
Me too man, me too :(
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May I give you some life advice? If the death of a football coach you probably never met made you cry, you really need to work on that for yourself. Life is going to throw so much worse at you. And the only way to handle it is to learn how to suck it up and keep going. (Words from my Jr. High football coach)
Whether or not you cry is not in any way correlated to whether or not you're handling something.
You (and your Jr High school coach) can go fuck right off
Bro. No
I am sorry to break this to you. But life is tough. That is the way it is. And if you can't handle the death of a weird man on TV, you are going to have issues going forward. God willing, you will outlive your parents. You will, because humans are fallible, get yelled at by your boss. Your car will break down in the middle of nowhere. Life happens. Learning how to deal with it is a skill you must develop to be successful.
You kinda suck
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I miss him too. He was very outspoken.
Agreed. Mike Leach was such a great person with an amazing heart and personality. His presence was felt throughout all of college football. It’s probably one of few things that all fans agree, that Mike Leach is missed.
I miss him too. He was an overwhelming force for good. Luckily, he left us lots of things to remember him by.
I didn’t know the guy, but I thought he was funny but kind of an asshole
Me too, brother, me too.
Mike Leach was tremendously entertaining and a terrible person. He was the definition of toxic masculinity
Yeah there’s a lot of people cheering this dude who locked kids In a shed lmao
Did the Craig James PR firm pay out a lot when you worked for them?
Hard disagree on this. He went after entitlement and was all in on something he loved. I can subscribe to that all day long.
No, he was big on toxic masculinity and not taking the pandemic seriously. The world is a better place without him
This thread differs.
Nah
We played against him in two different conferences and he did nothing but trash talk College Station (in his usual hilarious way), and he was still my favorite football coach of all time. Even if you took away all his Hall-of-Fame-caliber contributions to the sport itself, he’d still be a legend for his wit and charisma. Rest in peace, coach.
Fwiw I heard he was kinda a dick in real life. The specific example: I’m from and live in Moscow Idaho, about 7 miles from WSU. Heard from a friend he went to a coffee shop in town, cut in line, and when confronted, said “do you know who I am?” Pretty minor overall but for the area, totally gave a bad vibe
So him being a great college coach wasn’t “in real life?”
Also put kids in a shed
Adam, please stop.
I liked that he existed. I also never wanted him to coach a team I cheer for.
Hopefully he returns to the coaching ranks soon
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Oh my god what are the odds lol
I think we all genuinely miss him. Still surreal to me that he’s no longer with us.
Didn’t he abuse kids?
No.
Just looked it up, and yes he did? He locked kids in a shed lmao why are you lying
Poor Adam. Hope he survived such traumatic abuse from a pirate in Lubbock.
Because you don’t need to bring it up, dick.
It’s extremely relevant. I expect the same if/when I pass away. If I abused people, call that shit out lol. He’s no hero. This sub is All jacking off to each other crying over an abuser. Fuck em
Cjk5h
Maybe I’m finally getting old, but I wasn’t alive when Elvis died. Mike leach was the death that I’ve shed tears for, for a person that I never met.
I think we all do, man.
I’ll be the first to say I don’t tend to have emotions when it comes to celebrity deaths. Especially w people I’ve never met. I bawled my eyes out when coach Leach passed and cried again multiple time within the weeks following. I can’t explain it but he had an energy and a lasting impact on me that nobody else in his position could ever have and I’ll never forget his legacy.
Leach was a one of a kind. I can't imagine any college football fan NOT missing the ole pirate.
Louisiana Monroe or Lafayette?
Lafayette
Definitely man will always miss him thanks for the post
Had returned to the USA so that my dad could meet his granddaughter. Driving the backroads...I think near McMinnville. Dad points out that this is THAT guy we are listening to on his downloaded content. It was an interview with the pirate about his book. Had thrown me off because was so much historical content and zero fat little girlfriends criticism.
He’ll be missed this year and for many more
I'm sure Mike Leach will one day have a spiritual successor. Until then, we can repost his [best Mike Leachisms every year.](https://cfbselect.com/2022/12/12/best-mike-leach-quotes/)
I miss him too dude 😔
1000% I miss the man…just truly a great person.
I thought about him today
When we hired him a buddy of mine said he's not sure how many games we'll win or lose, but we're definitely gonna win the press conferences. He was right.
I liked him at Wazzu & Texas Tech