Have You Seen This? Mike Leach was the best of us. Here's some of the best of him

EN MEMORIAM — The college football world is in mourning Tuesday on the way-too-early passing of legendary head coach Mike Leach.

Leach, who died late Monday at age 61 following complications from a heart condition, was a BYU graduate and highly regarded head coach for his stops at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State. He never played a down of college football, but after growing up in Cody, Wyoming, from age 12 he came to BYU to play rugby.

He developed a kinship with college football Hall of Fame coach LaVell Edwards, offensive coordinator Norm Chow, and the Cougars quarterbacks of his day in Marc Wilson, Jim McMahon, and Steve Young that interested him in becoming a coach himself.

But Leach was way more than a football coach. After graduating from law school at Pepperdine, he traveled from Iowa to Oklahoma to Kentucky to Finland, taking Hal Mumme's Air Raid offense at Iowa Wesleyan and popularizing it to the sport, proving that it can be used to win in college as a head coach at Texas Tech, Washington State and finally Mississippi State, where he passed.

He died with a winning record of just over 59%, a career record of 158-107 that is roughly one win shy of the necessary 60% win percentage required to gain entry into the college Hall of Fame.

The three-time conference coach of the year, including twice in the Pac-12, deserves the honor, though.

"The world of college football lost a great one today," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, who was a linebacker on the WAC power BYU teams that Leach would often join during film review sessions. "Mike Leach was a close friend and I will miss him. He was a person I always looked forward to conversing with, not only about football, but life in general. He brought a wealth of knowledge to our profession, and I admired and loved how straight up and unfiltered he was. Truly a one of a kind coach and person.

"My heart goes out to his wife and family in this devastating time. Mike, I love you and we will miss you."

Leach was known for his offense, but also so much more. Equally conversant in football as he was in almost every facet of life, the popular and eclectic football mind is equally well known for his advice on marriage, candy corn, Bigfoot and the time he chased a raccoon for three hours "just to see where he lived."

He often walked to and from work, and would pick up phone calls from reporters around the country for conversations that started about football but usually turned into something else over the span of a couple of hours.

Leach's presence in the college football universe will be missed.

"I am devastated to hear of Mike's passing," said BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe, a defensive back for the Cougars from 1978-82. "Mike was a BYU alum and has been a friend of ours for many years. His daughter and son worked in our athletic department while BYU students and were incredible young people. We love the Leach family, and we offer our constant prayers and sincere condolences at this time.

"Mike's connections to BYU and our football program is strong. He is a strong branch of the LaVell Edwards coaching tree. He didn't play football at BYU but could see the possibilities for his coaching future by learning LaVell's system. His success on the field is matched by his joy for life and the many people like me, who call him friend."

Leach is survived by his wife, Sharon, and their children, Janeen, Kimberly, Cody and Kiersten. His son Cody was a student assistant on BYU coach Kalani Sitake's staff prior to graduating in 2021 with a degree in kinesiology.

"We are all trying to process the news of Mike Leach's passing today. My deepest, heartfelt condolences are for the entire Leach family," Sitake said. "I truly enjoyed and appreciated my friendship with Mike. His son Cody also worked with me on our staff. Mike has left us way too soon. We will all feel his missing presence as an exceptional coach, leader, father, husband and friend and as one fo the biggest personalities in our game."

Tributes have poured in from around the college football world, and beyond, including this one from ESPN and longtime college football reporter Gene Wojciechowski, who called Leach "a martini mix of ingredients never seen before in college football." ESPN's Rece Davis called him "an electic, mold-breaking guy in the coaching profession."

Everyone has a memory of Leach, but perhaps the finest are those from his fellow coaches, even competitors.

"To think I was just hugging him a couple of weeks ago," said Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, a longtime friend of Leach who coached against him in a 24-22 loss in the Egg Bowl last Thanksgiving night. "I knew something was off in pregame. I'm glad that he won his last game, and I had that last huge with him.

"I will miss his stories. ... I looked forward to his every year. He would never stop; I'd finally have to say, 'hey coach, let's go play the game.' And he'd always say, 'we'll meet in Key West, and whoever wins the game has to buy the flight down.' For those who didn't get to know him, he was really unique, a big heart, and a wonderful person. He will really be missed."

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