We honestly didn’t know what we had…

[dawgstudent]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0adcP7ACnyZ1TWeLHh1o2eAnrGCB3UgKvDgczKx2LsGyZdgxxzW7Kv9Vw5FRr3aw8l&id=100044283706834&mibextid=qC1gEa

I've been thinking of Coach Mike Leach this morning.
Thinking of how I miss him.
Thinking about the Crimson Tide heading to Starkville this weekend and Coach Saban not chatting with Coach Leach before the game.

I thought over the next few days I would share some heartwarming stories that Coach Leach fans have sent my way.

Jeff Tyler of Wetumpka, AL contacted me to tell me a great story.
It’s a story that reminds us of Coach Leach’s patience, his keen memory and his interest in others.
I think you will enjoy this tale!

“Three years ago, I took my 11-year-old son to a Mississippi State game.
Jackson wanted to see pre-game warm-ups, so we were practically the first fans in the stadium.
We took our upper level seats, and my son asked if he could walk down to the field level seats to watch warm-ups, and I let him.
Well, this kid somehow managed to convince a security guard that he was supposed to be on the field.
The next thing I saw was my son walking up to Coach Leach and fist bumping him.

“The two started talking, and a few minutes later Coach Leach was calling over a couple of his players.
Now, my son was a center on his YMCA team- Coach Leach had his centers showing my son how to snap the ball!
I was in the upper deck, totally dumbfounded that an SEC coach just spent time in pre-game showing some kid he’d never met how to snap a football.
My kid comes back to our upper deck seats beaming with pride- I saw it as a memory of a lifetime.

“Two years later we went to another game- my son was again in the front row watching warm-ups.
A graduate assistant ran over and yelled, Are you Jackson?’ and my son said, ‘Yes!’
The graduate assistant said, ‘Coach Leach wants to see you,’ and he took my son out on the field.

“Coach Leach asked my son if he’d been practicing, and then made him do several snaps.
Coach told him to keep working on it, gave him a football and sent him on his way.
I was in the stands dumbfounded that a coach remembered my son’s name, remembered that day, and knew what spending five minutes of his time with a kid could mean.”

Thanks, Jeff, for this wonderful story.

If anyone wonders why Mike Leach was and is so loved, they need only listen to the story of the coach and 11-year-old Jackson Tyler.

Then we will all understand…

In a snap.

*Picture courtesy Justin Ford/Getty Images
Mississippi State Athletics
#ShareTheGoodNews
#MikeLeach The University of Alabama Alabama Football

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

Leach was such a great dude off the field and on the field. He had a personality that wasn't fully about football and he could still be successful. That's what's amazing most of these coaches that are succeeding are consumed by it. Leach enjoyed life.

 

[FlotownDawg]

Mike Leach didn’t act like a typical football coach, which is why a segment of our fan base didn’t like him. They thought he didn’t care enough about football. It wasn’t that at all. His successful career record shows that. He just had an inquisitive, well rounded personality that included many interests, football being one of them. The outpouring of love for Coach Leach after his passing showed just how much he meant to the college football world, both as an innovative offensive mind and as a good person.

 

[Dawg1976]

Great story. I miss him too.

 

[blitz2Win]

great story, what a good guy

 

[Hugh's Burner Phone]

Damn onions. Who brought them to work and set them on my desk?

 

[Johnnie Come Lately]

When we hired him, I thought it was a horrible hire and fit for us. I was wrong. He was the perfect fit for a place like Mississippi State / Starkville.

 

[GloryDawg]

I guess if some on this board went back and look at a lot of their post while he was here would probably feel a little uncomfortable.

 

[Lucifer Morningstar]

I guess if some on this board went back and look at a lot of their post while he was here would probably feel a little uncomfortable.

Proud to say I am not one of those people. I had known of Leach at Texas Tech and WSU. I embraced him from the very beginning because if you read about him there are all kinds of stories just like this one. I remember both myself and my wife cried when he died. This story is just another example of how great he really was and how his legacy will live on. It even warms the ole Devil’s heart.

 

[dawgstudent]

I came to the conclusion in the beginning of last season that I wasn't going to fully judge him until Will exhausted his eligibility. I was never a 100% Leach fan as the coach of Mississippi State but as a person - he was made of gold.

 

[AdamDawgDude]

Parson was going to be a great fit for Leach. We just need a little movement and the occasional 5 yards out of the QB to deal with a rush. Regardless, I liked Coach Leach as our specific coach because he made football fun. If winning is the only way football is enjoyable, out fan base is going to have several tough weekends each year. Win or lose, Leach was a blast to watch and I always appreciated his honesty.

 

[Dawgs_4_life]

He really was a treasure. On the field and off.

 

[Drebin]

I guess if some on this board went back and look at a lot of their post while he was here would probably feel a little uncomfortable.

Nah, because most people don't equate criticism of performance to personal attacks. It's kinda like when people are called "Will haters" because they dare question his play as a QB. It's pretty low IQ stuff.

There were a few attacks on Leach's character at times - the only ones I really remember were about the time he posted the cartoon of the old lady knitting a noose on twitter that people tried to twist into him being a racist....that was some shameful BS on everyone's part who participated in that.

It's possible to be frustrated with our play at times under Leach while at the same time being grateful for his time here and appreciative of all he did on and off the field.

 

[Chesusdog]

I really do believe Parson in Leach's offense was gonna be special. The air raid can absolutely work if the QB can be relied on to make yards out of nothing and make them not be able to drop eight in coverage every play.

 

[Coast_Dawg]

Anybody that looked at that man and said he is a national treasure knew…

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

I know the Air Raid wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea. When it didn’t work, it was hard to watch. But those times it did work, it was a lot of fun to be a State fan. 2020 LSU and 2021 Auburn are two of my favorite wins ever, and I’ve followed the program since ‘99.

Leach was a one of one person. Don’t know that we will ever see another quite like that guy.

 

[HRMSU]

Shame on Texas Tech administration. What a railroad job that was, but at least it gave us the chance to experience the good and bad of the legendary Pirate! Swing your Sword!

 

[Brokerdawg]

If Mike Leach could have somehow won one of his first two Egg Bowls we would have realized what all he accomplished at MSU.

I don't have the stats in front of me but his wins over Top 25 programs in his short time at MSU is probably unprecedented. For whatever reason Bama was kryptonite to the AirRaid.

 

[L4Dawg]

For whatever reason Bama was kryptonite to the AirRaid.

Scheme, especially a finesse scheme, can only compensate for inferior talent to a point. I've seen it in HS up close. When that point is exceeded, it gets ugly really quick.

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

If Mike Leach could have somehow won one of his first two Egg Bowls we would have realized what all he accomplished at MSU.

I don't have the stats in front of me but his wins over Top 25 programs in his short time at MSU is probably unprecedented. For whatever reason Bama was kryptonite to the AirRaid.

It used to drive me crazy that people would insinuate that he was a worse coach than Moorhead solely based on Egg Bowl record. The only thing that allowed Moorhead to save any kind of face for two years was Matt Luke. Leach had to deal with a much more competitive OM than even Mullen did for a large chunk of his time here.

Kiffin had the better team their first two years and we weren’t able to overcome it. But Leach got them in Oxford the last time.

 

[She Mate Me]

I guess if some on this board went back and look at a lot of their post while he was here would probably feel a little uncomfortable.

A few would, many would not, and that's their problem.

 

[greenbean.sixpack]

I think we knew what we had and he was well beloved. Since his death, there have been a few folks who have tried to rewrite history and say that many of us (State fans) wanted to Leach fired. Couldn't be further from the truth. A half dozen folks on a message board or FB don't equal "many" or "most."

 

[blitz2Win]

I think we knew what we had and he was well beloved. Since his death, there have been a few folks who have tried to rewrite history and say that many of us (State fans) wanted to Leach fired. Couldn't be further from the truth. A half dozen folks on a message board or FB don't equal "many" or "most."

It seemed like there was a group that really had a strong dislike for Coach Leach, and I never really understood why. I agree though , the average fans I knew in real life really liked him.

 

[mcdawg22]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0adcP7ACnyZ1TWeLHh1o2eAnrGCB3UgKvDgczKx2LsGyZdgxxzW7Kv9Vw5FRr3aw8l&id=100044283706834&mibextid=qC1gEa

I've been thinking of Coach Mike Leach this morning.
Thinking of how I miss him.
Thinking about the Crimson Tide heading to Starkville this weekend and Coach Saban not chatting with Coach Leach before the game.

I thought over the next few days I would share some heartwarming stories that Coach Leach fans have sent my way.

Jeff Tyler of Wetumpka, AL contacted me to tell me a great story.
It’s a story that reminds us of Coach Leach’s patience, his keen memory and his interest in others.
I think you will enjoy this tale!

“Three years ago, I took my 11-year-old son to a Mississippi State game.
Jackson wanted to see pre-game warm-ups, so we were practically the first fans in the stadium.
We took our upper level seats, and my son asked if he could walk down to the field level seats to watch warm-ups, and I let him.
Well, this kid somehow managed to convince a security guard that he was supposed to be on the field.
The next thing I saw was my son walking up to Coach Leach and fist bumping him.

“The two started talking, and a few minutes later Coach Leach was calling over a couple of his players.
Now, my son was a center on his YMCA team- Coach Leach had his centers showing my son how to snap the ball!
I was in the upper deck, totally dumbfounded that an SEC coach just spent time in pre-game showing some kid he’d never met how to snap a football.
My kid comes back to our upper deck seats beaming with pride- I saw it as a memory of a lifetime.

“Two years later we went to another game- my son was again in the front row watching warm-ups.
A graduate assistant ran over and yelled, Are you Jackson?’ and my son said, ‘Yes!’
The graduate assistant said, ‘Coach Leach wants to see you,’ and he took my son out on the field.

“Coach Leach asked my son if he’d been practicing, and then made him do several snaps.
Coach told him to keep working on it, gave him a football and sent him on his way.
I was in the stands dumbfounded that a coach remembered my son’s name, remembered that day, and knew what spending five minutes of his time with a kid could mean.”

Thanks, Jeff, for this wonderful story.

If anyone wonders why Mike Leach was and is so loved, they need only listen to the story of the coach and 11-year-old Jackson Tyler.

Then we will all understand…

In a snap.

*Picture courtesy Justin Ford/Getty Images
Mississippi State Athletics
#ShareTheGoodNews
#MikeLeach The University of Alabama Alabama Football

So he went to 2 games in 3years? No wonder our attendance sucks*****

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

 

[skipper.sixpack]

Some of us should really be embarrassed about the quotes that were made during the Leach era…
I wish we would learn lessons about it during the Arnett era
Give the guy a chance.
He ain’t loosing on purpose.

 

[mcdawg22]

Nah, because most people don't equate criticism of performance to personal attacks. It's kinda like when people are called "Will haters" because they dare question his play as a QB. It's pretty low IQ stuff.

There were a few attacks on Leach's character at times - the only ones I really remember were about the time he posted the cartoon of the old lady knitting a noose on twitter that people tried to twist into him being a racist....that was some shameful BS on everyone's part who participated in that.

It's possible to be frustrated with our play at times under Leach while at the same time being grateful for his time here and appreciative of all he did on and off the field.

Exactly. From all accounts Croom was a nice guy off the field and Mullen was a dick. Sorry give me Mullen all day.

 

[ETK99]

Some of us should really be embarrassed about the quotes that were made during the Leach era…
I wish we would learn lessons about it during the Arnett era
Give the guy a chance.
He ain’t loosing on purpose.

Nobody has attacked Arnett personally. He needs to do his job just like the rest of us. College coaches make millions to coach a game. I wasn't a fan of the Leach offense at all but he won 8 games last year and that's what counts on the field.

 

[dog12]

Exactly. From all accounts Croom was a nice guy off the field and Mullen was a dick. Sorry give me Mullen all day.

Mmmm-hmmm. If our opponents dislike our head football coach and regularly badmouth him, then he is doing something right. I want our opponents to HATE our football coach, and our football team, with a passion.

 

[skipper.sixpack]

Nobody has attacked Arnett personally. He needs to do his job just like the rest of us. College coaches make millions to coach a game. I wasn't a fan of the Leach offense at all but he won 8 games last year and that's what counts on the field.

Are you kidding..no one has attacked Arnett??
You haven’t read the board much.
He was hired to quickly.
Shouldn’t have changed offense.
Shouldn’t have fired coaching staff.
He acts silly during interviews.
He’s not intense anymore.
ETC ETC

 

[ETK99]

Are you kidding..no one has attacked Arnett??
You haven’t read the board much.
He was hired to quickly.
Shouldn’t have changed offense.
Shouldn’t have fired coaching staff.
He acts silly during interviews.
He’s not intense anymore.
ETC ETC

I said personally. There's a difference in his personal and professional life. He's fair game professionally. More so now than ever with fans actually contributing money towards recruiting.

 

[Dawgtruc]

As much as we want to criticize Zach for the way this team is under-performing….Mike Leach would want us to give him a chance. Mike saw something in Zach. Our administration saw a guy that really seemed to have his **** together and was a better than average leader of young men.

Yes, we will be 2-3 after Saturday, but some winnable games lie ahead. I’m open to supporting best I can. Improvements can be made on the fly. I believe that.

 

[Lucifer Morningstar]

 

[DawgInThe256]