(CBS Sports) Veteran college football coach Mike Leach, 61, died Monday night following complications from a heart condition. Leach, who has led Mississippi State since 2020, was transported to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson on Sunday to receive treatment for a medical incident suffered in his home.
Leach was last seen in public Saturday night at a local holiday party.
The Leach family released a statement on his passing Tuesday morning through the school: “Mike was a giving and attentive husband, father and grandfather. He was able to participate in organ donation at UMMC as a final act of charity. We are supported and uplifted by the outpouring of love and prayers from family, friends, Mississippi State University, the hospital staff, and football fans around the world. Thank you for sharing in the joy of our beloved husband and father’s life.”
Acclaimed as the architect of the innovative and record-setting “Air Raid” offense alongside Hal Mumme, Leach was a two-time national coach of the year and three-time Power Five conference coach of the year. He who won a pair of Power Five division titles and led his teams to 19 bowl games during his 21-year head coaching career.
A high school football player who spent five years competing in rugby at BYU (1979-83), Leach earned a master’s degree from the U.S. Sports Academy and his Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University before taking over offensive line responsibilities at Cal Poly in 1987. He rose to prominence developing the Air Raid as Humme’s offensive coordinator at Iowa Wesleyan (1989-91), Valdosta State (1992-96) and Kentucky (1997-98) before branching off to join Bob Stoops’ staff at Oklahoma in 1999.
Proving his Air Raid viable at two major programs, Leach earned his first head coaching job at Texas Tech in 2000. His decade-long career with Red Raiders — in which he compiled an 84-43 record with 10 straight bowl appearances while becoming the winningest coach in program history — came to an abrupt end when he was ultimately fired during an investigation into alleged inappropriate treatment of a player.
After two years out of the game, Leach reemerged at Washington State in 2012 and similarly turned around the Cougars with winning seasons in four of his final five campaigns, including an 11-2 mark in 2018.
Mississippi State hired Leach away in 2020, a month after rival Ole Miss brought in Lane Kiffin as its coach. The Bulldogs went 15-10 in his last two seasons with Leach compiling a 158-107 overall record as a head coach at the collegiate level.
Leach’s 158 wins ranked sixth among active Power Five coaches at the conclusion of the 2022 season, and his Air Raid offense allowed his teams to lead the FBS in passing across 10 of the 21 seasons in which he was a head coach.
