Mike Leach provides powerful pineapple pizza opinion

Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach is frequently asked off-topic questions by the media because he is known to give some of the best answers of any coach in college football. 

The often-introspective Bulldogs coach took one of those random questions during Wednesday’s SEC coaches teleconference.

“I’m against it,” Leach said with conviction when asked if he likes pineapple on pizza. “I think it’s a terrible idea. It’s like bad mixed metaphors. No pineapple… I like pineapple, too, but it doesn’t belong on pizza.”

This actually is not the first time Leach has been asked this question. Before coaching his first game in Starkville, Leach was asked the same question in August 2020. He gave the same emphatic answer.

What does Leach like? Outer Banks

While Leach is staunchly opposed to Hawaiian pizza, he loves TV shows with beachy settings. 

Following an Oct. 2 upset win over Texas A&M, ESPN’s Cole Cubelic asked the head coach if he would watch the second season of the Netflix series “Outer Banks” to celebrate the victory. 

“I already watched all that,” Leach said. “Anything by the water that’s got cool looking trees and boats, yeah I’ll watch that just like ‘Bloodline.’ You know any of them of that type.”

His preferred TV shows are not a surprise, as the head coach is known to have a deep admiration for pirates and the water. He even has a beach house in Key West where he spends much of the offseason.

Bulldogs looking to finish the season strong

After a blowout loss to Alabama on Oct. 16, Mississippi State is 2-1 since with the only loss being a heartbreaker to Arkansas that ended after kicker Nolan McCord missed a game-tying field goal to close out the game. 

Mississippi State went 0-for-3 on field goals on Saturday, prompting Leach to call for kicking tryouts in Starkville. They are reportedly happening next week. 

The Bulldogs finish the season with Auburn, Tennessee State and Ole Miss. Their two remaining SEC opponents are ranked, but Mississippi State toppled a ranked Kentucky team two weeks ago and also beat solid, now-ranked Texas A&M in College Station and handled now-ranked NC State on Sept. 11.

The Bulldogs are a 5.5-point underdog at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday. The game against Auburn starts at 11:00 a.m. CT on ESPN.