Washington State Cougars: Former Head Coach Mike Leach Passes Away at 61 – The Coach, The Man, The Legacy
Ed Stein
|
On to the SEC
His decision to leave the Washington State Cougars for Mississippi State after the 2019 season was disappointing for CougNation but understandable. It was an SEC job at a school with more money for both him and his assistant coaches.
MSU was a perennial bottom-feeder in the SEC West. However, just like he did with Wazzu, Leach had the Bulldogs headed in the right direction.
2022 was his third season in Starkville. Mississippi State finished with an 8-4 record, ranked 22 in the most recent Coaches Poll and headed to the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa.
The Mike Leach Coaching Tree
Leached will be missed by all those his life touched. His football legacy lives on through the many successful coaches that developed in his system as either players or assistants.
Among them are current head coaches Josh Heupel (Tennessee), Sonny Dykes (TCU), Dave Aranda (Baylor), Lincoln Riley (USC), Dana Holgorsen (Houston), Neal Brown (West Virginia), Eric Morris (North Texas, 2022 Washington State Cougars Offensive Coordinator), Ken Wilson (Nevada), Sonny Cumbie (Louisiana Tech) and Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals). Former head coaches Seth Littrell, Greg McMackin, Ruffin McNeill, and Art Briles also played or coached under Leach.
R.I.P. Mike Leach, you were an original.