LOOK: Texas Tech football honors Mike Leach with uniform, helmet design
Late former Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Mike Leach is gone but not forgotten. Multiple teams across the country have done various things this bowl season to honor the veteran head coach. And one of his previous coaching destinations has joined in on commemorating his memory. In the TaxAct Texas Bowl on Wednesday, the Texas Tech Red Raiders will add a decal to their uniform honoring Leach.
On the back of the Red Raiders helmets will be a decal between the American flag and the Big 12 logo in honor of their former head coach. The decal will consist of a skull and cross swords and black and white representing Leach’s nickname, The Pirate.
Leach was the head coach at Texas Tech from 2000- 2009. During that time, he led the Red Raiders to one of the better runs of consistency in college football. Texas Tech had three nine-win seasons — 2002, 2005, and 2007, along with an 11-win season in 2008. The Red Raiders were also named Co-Big 12 champions with Oklahoma and Texas that year. It was the Red Raiders’ first conference championship since 1994. When Leach left Texas Tech, he did so as the winningest coach in the program’s history with 84 wins. Also, underneath Leach, the Red Raiders never had a losing season and climbed all the way to No. 2 in the AP poll — the highest ranking ever in school history still to this day.
To say that Leach had a great impact on Texas Tech would be an understatement. What he did with the Red Raiders will forever live on in the history books and in the minds and hearts of fans of the program. And this decal is just a small token to show appreciation to their former head coach.
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Arkansas football honors Mike Leach with helmet decal
Teams across the college football landscape have been paying their respects and honoring the Mississippi State Bulldogs’ late head coach, Mike Leach. And ahead of their Liberty Bowl matchup against the Kansas Jayhawks, the Arkansas Razorbacks revealed their uniform addition honoring Leach.
On the back of the Razorbacks’ helmets on Wednesday will be a decal with the name “Mike.” The “I” in the decal will be replaced with Mississippi state’s signature cowbell with a skull and crossbones, a sign for pirates. The skull and crossbones represent Leach’s nickname, The Pirate.