Mike Leach career: Tracing Mississippi State HC's coaching history and records
Mike Leach tragically passed away on Monday night, December 12, 2022, after sudden complications from a heart condition. He was only 61 years old, making his death even more shocking. In addition to being beloved by his family and friends, he was also an excellent college football coach.
Leach began his coaching career at Cal Poly in 1987 as an assistant. He was then hired by head coach Hal Mumme in 1989 to be the offensive coordinator at Iowa Wesleyan University. They formed a dynamic duo and are credited with inventing the popular air raid offensive system in college football that's still used by many programs today.
Mike Leach and Hal Mumme remained in tandem for 10 seasons until 1998. They made stops at three different college football programs, including Valdosta State, before landing in the prestigious SEC conference at the University of Kentucky. Leach's innovations eventually got him hired by legendary head coach Bob Stoops at Oklahoma University, one of the best college football programs in the country.
Mike Leach's head coaching career record (158-107)
Texas Tech (84-43)
Mike Leach landed his first head coaching job with Texas Tech in 2000 and spent 10 years with the program. He impressively earned a winning record in each of his seasons with the team.
He also earned a bowl game appearance every year, winning six out of 10. This includes an appearance in the Cotton Bowl in 2008 after winning the South division of the Big 12 conference.
Washington State (55-47)
Leach resigned from Texas Tech following the 2009 college football season. He spent three years in the world of broadcasting before being hired by Washington State in 2012 to be their head coach. He finished with a winning record in four of his eight seasons with them, while appearing in six bowl games. He appeared in the Alamo Bowl in 2018 after winning the North division of the Pac-12 conference.
Mississippi State (19-17)
Mike Leach's most recent head coaching gig is also his most prestigious. He landed a job as the head coach of Mississippi State in the SEC conference in 2020. He earned a winning record in two of his three seasons in the most difficult conference in all of college football. He also earned bowl game appearances in all three seasons.