It’s an extremely dark day for all of college football as Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach has passed away. The school announced his passing shortly after 8am central time, Tuesday morning. Leach, 61, suffered a heart attack over the weekend and his situation became dire almost instantly.
The innovator of the “Air Raid” offense, he has two national Coach of the Year awards and three conference coach of the year awards to his credit. His legacy is of course, very complicated, and some of his methods were strongly questioned, but he was considered universally entertaining and interesting by pretty much anybody who covered him.
Reliaquest Bowl Illinois vs #22 Mississippi St. FYIs
Kickoff: Jan. 2, noon ET, ESPN2
Early Game Preview/Matchup Analysis: go here
Spread: MSU -1.5 -110 Money Line, O/U 45.5 Illini -105 ML
Illini Bowl Game History: go here
Key Stat: Illinois is first in the FBS in 12.3 ppg allowed
Most of his players loved him too, but there were some high profile clashes, here and there, with those who played for him. Miss St. is set to play Illinois in the Reliaquest Bowl (formerly the Outback Bowl) in Raymond James Stadium in just 20 days. Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett was named head coach in the interim.
Shockingly, and sadly, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen the head coach of an Illini opponent in a bowl game pass away, from a heart attack, so close to the date of the game. In his final game, legendary head coach Bear Bryant beat the Illini 21–15 victory in the 1982 Liberty Bowl. Afterward, Bryant was asked by a reporter what his retirement plans were. He replied, “Probably croak in a week.”
Four weeks after he said that, on January 25, 1983, Bryant checked into Druid City Hospital in Tuscaloosa after experiencing chest pain. A day later, he died after suffering a massive heart attack.
What a crazy coincidence. Here are the abbreviated versions of the statements made by Illini football leadership figures on the passing of Mike Leach.
Bret Bielema
“Today is a sad day for college football. We lost a great coach, a great person, and one of the legendary personalities in our sport. Mike and I built a long friendship after first meeting at the Alamo Bowl in the early 2000s. We shared so many memories over the years. RIP, Mike.”
Josh Whitman
“On behalf of Illinois Athletics, we are saddened to hear of the passing of Mike Leach. Coach Leach was one of our game’s great innovators and a beloved figure in college football.”
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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