Nick Saban tells Mike Leach story illustrating his uniqueness as a coach

Nick Saban never met anybody like Mike Leach; not that anybody has. During an appearance on the “Hey Coach & The Nick Saban Show,” the Alabama head coach reflected on his relationship with Leach.

“Mike Leach was one of a kind from a personality standpoint. He was a very unique person, very intelligent person, and had a myriad of interests,” Saban said. “Last year when we played, like before the game when you go up and usually say, ‘Hey, how you doing your team’s playing? Shake hands. Good luck. Hope everybody stays healthy.’ That’s the normal coach talk.

“He asked me about like, ‘Who do you use to invest in real estate?’ I mean like off-the-wall stuff, and really interested. And then he’d say, ‘Well, I have these guys, man. And I just don’t know if they’re the right guys to be doing what I want them to do. But, it was completely like something that you never ever think of.”

More than a personality

Leach’s out-of-the-box thinking shined in more than conversations. With successful stints at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State, Leach was a two-time national coach of the year and three-time conference coach of the year.

Known for his air-raid offense, Leach led 10 separate teams to lead the NCAA in passing yards per game. After three successful seasons in Starkville, Leach died on December 11, 2022, after suffering complications due to a heart condition.

Saban and Co. went 3-0 against Leach during his tenure with the Bulldogs. Nonetheless, Saban claims Leach always presented a challenge.

“You go play him in the game, man, and you’re seeing stuff like, ‘Wow, where did he come up with this stuff? And how are we gonna defend that?'” Saban said. “He was a very unique coach from a systematic standpoint, but an interesting way that he did things and had a tremendous amount of success relative to the way a lot of other people think you need to do things.”

Nick Saban looks back on a friend

It isn’t the first time Saban has praised Leach’s clever coaching. After Leach died in December, Saban wrote a heartfelt message remembering his friend.

“Mike Leach was a friend, and we are deeply saddened by his unexpected passing. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Mike over the last several years. I never knew quite where our conversations were going, but they always made me smile. He was an offensive innovator who always did things his way and was admired for it.

“His teams were well-coached and extremely challenging to defend. They played with poise and toughness, which is a credit to his leadership. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Sharon, their children and the entire Mississippi State family,” Saban wrote.

Now, with Zach Arnett in the driver’s seat, Mississippi State will look to pick up its first win against Alabama since 2007. The two teams will square off at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.