🏈 Mike Leach, passes away at 61 - Report: MSU to name Zach Arnett new HC

[50+yeartidefan]

Can happen at anytime to anyone

One of good guys in coaching I always thought

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

Dang, hate seeing this. I did not know he was THAT much younger than Saban.

I did not know he was that damn close to my age. I would have had him pegged for closer to 70.

 

[64Tide]

Will rally miss him.

 

[ElephantStomp]

Dang this sucks. Thoughts are with his family, friends, coaches, and MSU family

 

[rick4bama]

RIP Coach.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

This is going to sting for a long time. Leach was fascinating, and I was fascinated by him. His on-the-field coaching aside, which by itself was seismic in terms of it's impact across the game of football, he was a character that will never be duplicated. He didn't care what people thought of him and he was 100% genuine, whether it was in front of a microphone at media days or talking to a stranger on the street. I'm not sure you could find a college coach with a bigger circle of friends. I guess that speaks to his loyalty too. His life was as unique as his personality. Born in CA, grew up in Cody, WY, coached all over from Valdosta St to Washington St, was going to retire in Key West... There are stories that he'd call his friends at 2 am just to talk about nothing in particular. I've heard accounts where he'd ride his bike to his favorite Key West bar, go in and befriend some other folks and sit and chat with them for hours like they were best friends. I always thought it was awesome that he attended the US Sports Academy in Daphne. I moved to Daphne a couple years after he got a Master's degree from there. At the time I wouldn't have known who he was anyway, but it wasn't much later that stories about him started to circulate as his career started to take off. I've often thought of those classes he taught at WSU... how lucky those select few students were that got to take them. How cool would that have been? Those folks got a fun and unique experience and have some great memories to lean on for the rest of their lives. I was so glad when MSU hired him, the SEC needed him IMO, and State was a great fit. There was a chance he was going to go to Tennessee a few years ago, an I'm so thankful that didn't happen. I just hate that he's gone though, and can't really explain why it's bothering me so much. But it hurts. And I hurt for his family and friends. Sorry for the rambling... Long Live The Pirate

 

[We All Bleed Crimson]

I really hate to hear this. Prayers for family,

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Saw where Saban said...he n Leach would often talk...and Saban never knew exactly where the conversations would go...

 

[Rolltide24]

Christmas of 2017, he and the Cougs stayed in our hotel for their bowl game against Michigan State. We saw him around the hotel several times during the days they were there, talking to fans and kids. He was in the lobby talking more times than not when we’d come through. Seemed pretty cool for a head coach to be that accessible. Not the norm these days.

 

[TerryP]

The mascot battle in the PAC.

Arizona: “I’m going to say the Wildcat is out.”
USC: “The Trojan, does he have a horse or is he on foot? Does he have a bow and arrow or just his sword?”
UCLA: “The Bruin, definitely formidable.”
Cal: “Another bear up at Cal.”
Stanford: “The tree, I bet that tree is going to get chopped down. Unless we’re going to go with a bird and somebody might get pecked or something, I don’t know.”
Oregon: “The Duck might lose interest and just fly away and get out of there, which may be good advice under the circumstances.”
Washington: “The Husky, no chance.”
Oregon State: “The Beaver, we’ll see how long that beaver can hold its breath.”
Utah: “The Ute, we’re back to — is he on horseback? Does he have a bow and arrow? Did he trade for a rifle? Because if that Ute has a rifle, there’s some definite problems.”
Arizona State: “You’d have to get one of those Harry Potter activists to read up on how you kill a Sun Devil, because there’s a lot of outside stuff there.”
Colorado: “Just as far as a beast alone, a Buffalo is going to be pretty hard to tangle with.”
Washington State: “Butch (The Cougar) is going to have to be clear-minded and crafty. Butch will find a way, no question.”

 

[UAgrad93]

RIP Coach Leach!! You brought so much to the game of college football besides great passing attacks. You brought a sense of humor that was unmatched by anyone in the sport where pressure is so often the name of the game. My thoughts and prayers are with your family and the Hail State nation. #SwingYourSword

 

[PurlJam]

 

[im4uainva]

Rest in Peace Coach Leach.

 

[Bamabww]

One of the good guys in college football. Prayers for those he left behind.

 

[UAgrad93]

The mascot battle in the PAC.

Arizona: “I’m going to say the Wildcat is out.”
USC: “The Trojan, does he have a horse or is he on foot? Does he have a bow and arrow or just his sword?”
UCLA: “The Bruin, definitely formidable.”
Cal: “Another bear up at Cal.”
Stanford: “The tree, I bet that tree is going to get chopped down. Unless we’re going to go with a bird and somebody might get pecked or something, I don’t know.”
Oregon: “The Duck might lose interest and just fly away and get out of there, which may be good advice under the circumstances.”
Washington: “The Husky, no chance.”
Oregon State: “The Beaver, we’ll see how long that beaver can hold its breath.”
Utah: “The Ute, we’re back to — is he on horseback? Does he have a bow and arrow? Did he trade for a rifle? Because if that Ute has a rifle, there’s some definite problems.”
Arizona State: “You’d have to get one of those Harry Potter activists to read up on how you kill a Sun Devil, because there’s a lot of outside stuff there.”
Colorado: “Just as far as a beast alone, a Buffalo is going to be pretty hard to tangle with.”
Washington State: “Butch (The Cougar) is going to have to be clear-minded and crafty. Butch will find a way, no question.”

 

[TerryP]

Going overboard without mentioning Hal Mumme.

 

[BAMAneck]

I really got to know him as a person when he was Co hosting with bill king on Rivals radio.

He’d be in key west I think it was , talking college football with Bill King . On occasion college fans could call in and ask Coach questions and he’d never fail to deliver on a great story.

 

[BamaFisher]

Kiffin had some really great words about him today:
“I can't imagine college football without him. I'm grateful to be part of his final win, hug him and watch him walk off like the winner he is. I know God is welcoming the Pirate home now."

Whole article here:

Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin on death of Mike Leach: 'Can't imagine college football without him'

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin reflected on the life and legacy of late Mississippi State coach Mike Leach.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[TerryP]

This is wild.

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Quick story: I texted him once asking about the best prank he had ever seen in CFB. He immediately calls me. “I’m glad you asked. So, um, ah, this one time …” He shares a couple stories and after like 15 minutes, I hear the distinct sound of a whistle.

“Mike, where are you right now?”

“Oh, I’m just at practice.”

“Uh, I can let you. This isn’t that important.”

“Are you kidding me? So, where was I. Oh, yeah, … “ The man picks up right where he left off, offering story suggestions, while coaching practice for another 20 mins.

Another time, at Pac-12 media day, @ESPNRittenberg and I were talking to Leach. He was our last scheduled interview before lunch. It was supposed to be about 10 minutes. (That is not, as it turns out, enough time to discuss the merits of rent control.)

I was living in LA at the time. Mike went to law school at Pepperdine and was familiar with the area I lived. In law school, he played in a weekly touch football game somewhere off the Sepulveda Pass. “We had all these characters out there, but there was this one guy…”

The guy stopped showing up. It was noticeable, but not unusual – regulars dropped out all the time. But then Mike started seeing the suspect sketches in the newspaper. “They looked a lot like him.”

I don’t remember what the timeline was – or if Leach even told us that part – but eventually, a picture of the man from the pickup football game showed up in the newspaper. He had been arrested. He was a serial killer.

(And Leach had to be dragged away to his next interview)

Adam and I looked at each other, like "WTF did we just hear? Was that real life?"

Then we had to shift gears back into mundane media day questions about what a great offseason everyone had.

Leach was truly one of a kind.