The multiple record-breaking coach, Mike Leach, known for his popular Air Raid Offense, was once fired from a college Football team that he collected several wins for. Many might know that the reason was stated to be his ill-treatment of a football player from the team, but in reality, the truth is much more complex.
Many coaches face termination for all sorts of reasons, whether it’s due to cheating, improper coaching, or any other reason, but Mike Leach was no ordinary coach. He led every team he guided to victory and came up with detailed strategies that would almost always guarantee a win.
Along with Hal Mumme, Leach was one of the few coaches who popularized their way of winning, which mostly consisted of utilizing the Air Raid offense. Even after he was removed from the job, Mike Leach continued to coach at different places until he died in 2022.
Mike Leach: The Story Behind The Coach
This California-born coach first ventured into the world of football through his high school. His great performance led him to be invited to join Brigham Young University, which he played for until he injured his ankle. The injury was severe enough to prevent him from participating in future football matches.
Not losing hope, Mike continued to be a part of any sports team or organization. He also reportedly participated in a few rugby games after the incident. His coaching career took off with the work he did as a coach for Cal Poly Mustangs. He became an offense coach after working along with Hal Mumme and Bob Stoops.
Bob Stoops was the main coach behind Oklahoma Sooners Football, and with Mike Leach being one of the staff members in 1999, the football team’s offense became significantly better.
He joined Texas Tech University as the coach for the college football team in the early 2000s and gained many awards and controversies during his time at the university.
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Who Are The Texas Tech Red Raiders?
This is the football Team of Texas Tech University. They have gained about 11 conference titles, a feat that’s pretty remarkable for a college football team. It has had a range of coaches, such as Spike Dykes and Dell Morgan, to name a few.
Mike Leach won the title of Big 12 Conference Coach while he was still part of the college team. Under Mike’s leadership, the team received much appreciation and awards.
Texas Tech Fires Mike Leach: The Reason Behind it
The reason behind Mike Leach’s firing is said to be his mistreatment of an injured player. Adam Jones, the son of Craig Jones, a former football player, reportedly was injured after one of the matches. He had been suffering from a concussion, and it was severe enough that it needed rest and no football for some time.
Adam admits that Mike called him to the practice and made him stand even when he was suffering. This caused Craig Jones to file a complaint against Mike Leach. Now Mike’s history of working with Texas Tech wasn’t all good before this happened, and this just gave the college officials enough reason to fire him.
They first suspended him for an unknown amount of time on December 28th, 2010, and asked him to apologize to Adam Jones. Leach chose not to do that, and thereby was sent a termination letter and fired on December 30th, 2010. The college officials said the reason was mostly his act of insubordination by refusing to apologize or send a letter to Adam Jones.
Where Is Mike Leach Now?
After he was fired from Texas Tech University, Mike continued to pursue coaching. In 2010, he worked along with Roger Twibell for a while. He came out with an autobiography the next year, and in the same year joined Washington State on November 30th.
He stayed on that team from 2012 to 2019. In 2020, Mike Leach joined the Mississippi State Bulldogs, where he was paid almost $5 million yearly. Before the 2022 Bowl Game of Mississippi State, He passed away on December 12th, 2022, at the age of 61 years.
Mike had been suffering from heart disease for a while now and had been hospitalized for a few days. He was taken to UMMC at Jackson when he was feeling ill, where he later succumbed to his heart condition. Mike reportedly donated his organs after his death. Many came forward with their condolences to the family, including Mark E. Keenum and Bracky Brett.
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