6 min read

Mike Leach

Leach was my favorite. He left us with so many memories and a tremendous impact on the game we love, here are the ones I want to remember.
Mike Leach
Darren Carroll/Sports Illustrated

There are so many more qualified people to write about Mike Leach than some random NC State podcaster but he's been my favorite personality in college football since I can remember watching college football.  So just like the podcast is therapy for my NC State fandom, this is my therapy for Mike Leach's passing.

All of these stories put into words Leach and what he meant to the people around him, the game of football and life in general better than I ever could. Read them.

Andy Staples has a great obituary for Leach.

Mike Leach, MSU coach and CFB innovator, dies at 61
Every college football team that runs a version of the Stick or Mesh will have been influenced by Mike Leach.

Wetzel's read is fantastic.

Mike Leach, a bolt of personality and football savant, is dead at 61
Mike Leach, a bolt of personality, is dead at 61.

Chrissy Ford's story nearly moved me to tears showing how genuine of a person Leach was.

‘Call Anytime’: What Mike Leach Meant to Me and All of Us
Mike Leach’s impact on countless lives, including my own, will never be forgotten in the midst of this unexpected loss for not only Mississippi State, but the entire world of college football.

Pat Forde sums it all up

Mike Leach Was a One-of-a-Kind College Football Coach
Leach broke the mold both on the field and off, and his death leaves a sport without one of its unique figures.

ESPN remembers Leach

Favorite Leach Moments.

There are so many historically great moments that Mike Leach gave us that I'm sure I won't be able to list them all as they resurface on the internet today but here are some of my favorites.

Leach calls the NC State vs UCF game.

Leach plants a fake playsheet for Texas to find.

That 1999 season planted the seeds for an offensive revolution in Norman, and it also included Leach planting something else. At the Texas game in the Cotton Bowl, Leach masterminded a plot to leave a fake play sheet on the field during pregame warmups. A Texas assistant found the sheet and brought it to Longhorns defensive coordinator Carl Reese, who proceeded to call plays thinking it was real. The Longhorns fell behind 17-0 before Reese realized he’d been duped. Texas went on to win 38-28, but Leach had served notice that he’d be a massive pain for Big 12 defensive coordinators.

Leach chose his team captain based on his performance on the Price is Right.

Leach would talk to anyone

One of the best mike leach stories I saw was a story from Lincoln Riley I’ll look for it but a gig called leach and they talked for a bit and lost signal and leach called him back and talked for like 30 more minutes, Riley said when the call ended he asked leach who it was and leach said “they had the wrong number”

...On the college football playoff

Leach needs a kicker, he recruited a student contest winner.

Weather man messes up the weather report for a game, Leach goes and does the weather

I remember when Leach was mad at his local weather man for getting the game report wrong so he went on the weather  a few weeks later and did the weather report.

Leach on Weddings and dating

....on wedding planning

Leach's thoughts on halloween and candy

On his love of cargo shorts

On the impact of technology and society

Offense, officiating and the game

....on balanced offense!

And finally a great thread on Leach's impact on football

it's long but worth the time.