The Pirate docks in the skies
Much has been written about Mike Leach in the wake of his passing. He leaves behind a lasting legacy that won’t be forgotten.
By: The Waco Kid
@TheWacoKidBS
Always up for a gag, Mike Leach accepts a fake mustache from QB Gardner Minshew after a win over Colorado (Screencap Via: ESPN)
“Well that’s their problem, they’re the one writing the obituary, I mean what do I care? I’m dead.”
There are few moments throughout college football history that transcend life itself. A singular event that echoes through time and space touching the vast majority of hearts across this great country and creating a hollow sort of longing that one did not even know they were capable of feeling until the moment had come and gone. The passing of Mike Leach is the first time, in the past twenty years, that I can remember a football event having such a profound impact on fan bases all over the world. From his SEC family to his Pac 12, Big 12, Gulf South, Continental Athletic, and Big Sky Conference families, there was never a program that he did not leave an everlasting fingerprint on.
Whether that imprint was on the football field, in the classroom, or even just passing by on the streets of Lubbock, Pullman, or Starkville, Leach was quick to make sure his wacky wit and humble aura brought happiness to those in the vicinity. Known for his part in the birth of the Air Raid offense, Leach was not only a genius on the field but off as well. He graduated from the Pepperdine School of Law earning his J.D. and a thirst for knowledge of things beyond this world. This yearning for impressively random facts led to him becoming the eccentric, beloved man he left this world as.
There are stories upon stories of the impact Mike Leach made on other’s lives not only as a top collegiate coach but also as a human being. I, personally, never had the privilege of being in the man’s presence but through osmosis was more than entranced by the oddities of this polarizing public figure. Growing up in Texas, you learn at a very young age that you are either a Texas Longhorn fan or a Fightin Texas Aggie fan. With there being a few outliers near Waco, Ft. Worth, and Lubbock. When Texas Tech hired Leach as their head coach that all changed. Now there were little Red Raiders running rampant throughout the state. All of the sudden it was no longer a burnt orange or maroon state but rather a tapestry also covered with black and red. Everyone loved watching the Air Raid offense at Tech, it took a mediocre Big 12 program to new heights and national notoriety.
Great players began to develop under his tutelage from Kliff Kingsbury to Graham Harrell, Wes Welker to Danny Amendola, and who could forget Michael Crabtree with just seconds left in the game against #1 ranked Texas making the game winning catch to cement not only Tech in football lore but Mike Leach’s legacy as a top coach. For the first time in Texas history, you were cool if you threw the guns up outside of Lubbock. Leach made Lubbock and Texas Tech attractive to fans and recruits. Without him the west Texas town would just be another barren wasteland where football dreams would go to die. After him, Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, Jakeem Grant and many other top NFL talents found their way to Lubbock to don the black and red. On top of player development, his antics gave him a national platform. It wasn’t an act - it was just Mike Leach. As genuine as they come. From his intrigue with the pirates his school’s mascot was named after, to aliens and bigfoot, he never held his tongue about what was going on in that brilliant mind of his.
Being from Waco,Texas I vividly remember seeing a video of him in the locker room after BEATING Baylor 20-13, going on a profanity laced rant about how his team isn’t entitled to anything just because they won a bunch of games the year before. And I just had to giggle while watching it, one because Baylor sucked and he was right and two because I was immature and the colorful, innovative ways he dropped the “F” bomb during his speech was just too much for my teenage mind to handle. Hell, I still giggle at the dazzle and elegance he had for the usage of that word. And who could forget the iconic presser where Leach spoke about his players and their “fat little girlfriends” enlarging their already overgrown egos. There was never a dull moment with the Pirate and he made sure you were always kept on the edge of your seats.
As he progressed as a football coach and moved on to coach at Washington State and Mississippi State, his rants took a bit of a turn. They were no longer primarily aimed at the ineptitude of his players and teams but rather hilarious topics of discussion ranging from marriage to Halloween candy. I believe at this point he was not only regarded as a highly respected coach but he was quickly becoming one of America’s most interesting and sought after people. Everyone loved being in his midst and getting a glimpse into what really goes on inside the mind of a mad genius and for that college football fans will never be able to express how grateful we truly are.
Here at Biscuits & SEC, I do not think there has been a week that has gone by since this blog was founded two years ago that we did not talk about the Pirate on either a podcast or in one of our blogs. In fact, he was the subject of one my first pieces, and we loved him as a meme character - because he was a living meme in the best possible way. He was one of our favorites to discuss and watch on television. Even though he may never have read anything we wrote about him, I rest easy knowing that outlets all over the country were able to paint a picture of who Mike Leach was and the legacy he will leave behind for the rest of time. So, thank you, Mr. Leach for making our lives a little better every time you spoke and giving us something to look forward to each and every weekend. Before our conclusion, below are some of the Pirate’s greatest moments as shared on YouTube. Hope they bring as much joy to you as he has us over the years.
While Leach will honored and remembered in the coming weeks, college football will say their final goodbye when Mississippi State takes the field against Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl. And what better way to honor the late Captain than to have his send off be in a stadium featuring none other than a real life Pirate Ship. A perfect ending to an imperfect, yet magnificent coaching career. It truly will be an Ode to Coach Leach, the man, the mentor, the friend. I, for one, plan on donning the maroon and white as the Bulldogs enter the final game of the Leach era.
So even though Mike Leach doesn’t care what his obituary may say, I would like to think it would read something like, “Onward, Onward towards Valhalla”, the masses cried, as the last of the great Pirate Captains set asail on his final voyage into eternal glory. For his spirit may have left this earthly plain, but legends never truly die. Especially in the Southeast…”
Meet you at the dock in Heaven, Coach.