Mike Leach is known for his pass-happy offense and wide-ranging interests — he’s written books on Native American leaders and pirates, taught a class on insurgent warfare, and has a lust for butting heads with authority. He also loves to ramble at news conferences and often wanders off topic.
Leach walked briskly, but when someone approached, he would slow down and chat for a few minutes. He likes Pullman’s small-town familiarity.
Janeen Leach’s Biography
Mike Leach was a two-time national coach of the year and an architect of the NCAA’s record-breaking air raid offense. He led Texas Tech to a 115-77-3 record and the school’s first winning season in 2008. He then moved to Washington State, where he developed quarterbacks such as Kliff Kingsbury and Graham Harrell into national players and Heisman Trophy contenders.
Before that, he worked with Hal Mumme at Iowa Wesleyan College, where they developed the Air Raid offense and a team that set an NAIA passing yardage mark one season. He later served as the offensive coordinator at Valdosta State and Kentucky.
He was also known for his wide-ranging interests, including writing a book about Native American leader Geronimo and teaching a course on the connection between football and insurgent warfare. He also had a fascination with pirates and kept a talking, life-sized pirate statue in his office. He is survived by his wife Sharon and four children, Cody, Kimberly, Kiersten, and Janeen.
Her Parents
The news of Mike Leach’s death has shocked the college football world. He was a legendary coach with a huge following. His fans and players have taken to social media to pay their respects. He was the head coach of Washington State and Texas Tech. He is survived by his wife Sharon and four children: Cody, Kimberly, Kiersten, and Janeen.
Leach was an innovative thinker who created the Air Raid offense, which revolutionized the game of college football. He was also a fun-loving personality who was known for his quirky media interviews. He would riff on topics like candy corn, wedding preparation, Bigfoot, and pirates.
When Leach was at Texas Tech, he was accused of mistreating one of his players. He left the team after the incident. He later sued Texas Tech, but the lawsuit is in limbo because the state of Texas protects public institutions from being sued. The coach was a huge influence at BYU, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree and coached. He was also a law graduate from Pepperdine University.
Her Personal Life
There wasn’t much Leach wouldn’t talk about. He had opinions about everything from the existence of Bigfoot to which Halloween candy was the best and who would win in a hypothetical battle of college mascots. At news conferences, he was as likely to veer into politics as into football.
During his 10-year tenure at Texas Tech, Leach built one of the nation’s top offenses. But the end of his coaching career was brought about by an accusation that he mistreated a player. Adam James, the son of ESPN broadcaster Craig James, claimed that Leach locked him in a closet after he suffered a concussion. Leach vehemently denied the allegation and sued the university for wrongful termination.
In 21 seasons as a head coach, Leach compiled a record of 158-107. His Air Raid offense spread from the Big 12 Conference to high schools, the NFL and beyond. He also influenced the next generation of coaches, including USC’s Lincoln Riley, TCU’s Sonny Dykes, Houston’s Dana Holgorsen and Kliff Kingsbury of the Arizona Cardinals.
Her Career
Leach was one of the most productive passing offense coaches in college football history, and he won three national coach of the year awards. His teams produced several All-Americans and three Pro Bowl players. His 2008 team won a school-record 11 games and was ranked No. 1 in the country.
During his tenure at Valdosta State, Leach directed an offense that smashed 66 school records and 22 conference marks. He was named the 1996 Division II Offensive Coordinator of the Year.
In just one season at Oklahoma, Leach took the Sooners from last in the Big 12 to first in both total and passing offenses. He was later named Big 12 Offensive Coach of the Year.
Leach’s rambling, off-the-cuff news conferences often veered into topics from candy corn to wedding preparation to hypothetical mascot fights. He wrote a book about Native American leader Geronimo and had a passion for pirates. He also taught a five-week course at Washington State on Insurgent Warfare and Football Strategies.