Mississippi State announced on Tuesday that Mike Leach, the stern, pioneering, and unfiltered college football coach who helped revolutionize the passing game with the Air Raid offense, has passed away due to complications from a heart condition. He was 61. At his home in Starkville, Mississippi, Leach, who was in his third season as head coach at Mississippi State, fell ill on Sunday. Before being flown by air to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, 120 miles away, he was treated at a local hospital.
As a final act of charity, he was able to participate in organ donation at UMMC,” the family said in a statement released by Mississippi State. The outpouring of love and prayers from friends, family, Mississippi State University, the staff at the hospital, and football fans all over the world lift us up and support us. We are grateful that you were able to share in our beloved father’s and husband’s happiness.
Leach struggled through a bout of pneumonia toward the end of the season, coughing uncontrollably at times during news conferences, but those who worked with him said that he seemed to be getting better. Many people who knew Leach were left in shock when they heard that he was seriously ill over the course of the past few days and prayed and hoped for his recovery in the face of dire circumstances.
He has had a profound effect on a college football over the past two decades and will continue to do so for many years to come. Leach was well-known for his pass-happy offenses, wide range of interests (he wrote a book about the Native American leader Geronimo, loved pirates, and taught a class about insurgent warfare), and rambling news conferences that happened out of the blue.
Drain’s groups were reliable champs at programs where achievement didn’t come simply. Leach went 158-107 in 21 seasons as head coach at Texas Tech, Washington State, and Mississippi State. He did not invent the Air Raid offense, but his quarterbacks certainly mastered it, and they posted impressive passing statistics.
Leach’s interview was as likely to focus on football as it was to veer off into politics, wedding planning, or hypothetical mascot fights. Before the billionaire businessman ran for president and then campaigned for him in 2016, he considered him a friend. His insatiable curiosity led him to travel the world. He was most appreciative of those who went beyond their area of expertise.
Leach stated to The Associated Press last spring, “I completely admired that.” You will, after all, pass away in 100 years. You’ve mastered basketball; now you’re going to try to master something else. You’ll put in the effort, not be afraid to try, and you’ll know that many people will be watching you. It was fantastic for me. Leach was excellent at the Xs and Os, despite the fact that he enjoyed researching topics other than football.
Four of the top six of the 20 greatest passing seasons in major college football history were led by Leach quarterbacks. Leach transformed passers such as B.J. Symons (448.7 yards per game), Graham Harrell (438.8), Connor Halliday (430.3), and Anthony Gordon (429.2) into Heisman Trophy contenders by calling plays from a folded piece of paper smaller than an index card.