As you are reading the column, you’ve probably already heard that Mike Leach has passed away.
The Mississippi State head coach wasn’t here long, but he certainly made a huge impact on the lives of not only State fans, but everyone in general.
Leach is probably one of the most honest people in the world. And if you don’t want to know what he thinks, don’t ask the question. He is a pirate, Seinfeld fan and an offensive guru extraordinare.
He certainly made it fun to watch postgame and pregame interviews. You might get anything that day. He might go into why he hates coffee, or perhaps why he dislikes candy corn, which is something I agree with him on for sure. That stuff is nasty.
When John Cohen somehow brought him from Washington State to StarkVegas, I never thought he’d fit in like he did. He’s a journeyman that has worked all over the country. He was Bob Stoops’ offensive coordinator at Oklahoma when they won the national championship back in 2000. He took Texas Tech, a perennial bottom dweller of the Big XII, and made them a contender.
He had success at Washington State when few coaches had success there.
And he came to Mississippi State and made waves immediately, knocking off defending champion LSU in his first game.
Sure, I know his offense was a bit maddening, but I’ve seen him take a 28-3 deficit and turn it into a blowout win at Auburn last year.
He’s the ultimate underdog. He finds the ultimate underdogs and creates winners. Guys like Will Rogers thrive with a coach like Leach. They play with a chip on their shoulder and have set some SEC and State records that may not be broken anytime soon.
Mike, we are going to miss you. I hate we didn’t get to know you as long as we’d wished, but you left a mark on all of our lives that we’ll never forget.
Rest in peace at that great big pirate ship in heaven.
Brent Maze is the publisher of The Newton County Appeal. He can be reached at bmaze@newtoncountyappeal.com.
