Greg Sankey issues touching tribute to Mike Leach at SEC Media Days

Last December, the college football world lost one of its iconic characters, Mike Leach. There were numerous tributes for The Pirate then and they continued during SEC media days, as Commissioner Greg Sankey took the time to honor Leach during his speech.

The head coach at Mississippi State at the time of his death, Leach was known for numerous things, including how he interacted with the media. So, as SEC media days are underway in Nashville, Leach is particularly missed at this time.

You can watch Greg Sankey honor Mike Leach during SEC media days, here:

Memories of Mike. #SECMD23 on 📺 @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/07NbV2USrf

— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) July 17, 2023

“Last year in Atlanta, one of my backstage conversations was about the uselessness of neckties,” Greg Sankey said. “It was a conversation that went much longer than I anticipated and ended in the rhetorical question of why neckties survived but powdered wigs went away.”

Of course, Sankey had that conversation with Leach, a person who was always unique to who he was. So, to honor Leach during the 2023 SEC media days Sankey made the decision not to wear a tie.

Greg Sankey went on to emphasize the impact that Mike Leach had on the SEC and all of college football during his career.

“He provided wedding advice, evaluated Halloween candy, and if you ended up on a phone call talking about history, you had better have scheduled a great deal of time, as he recited his historical knowledge. He also observed the world from a perspective that made you think and often made you laugh and sometimes made you just perplexed,” Sankey said. “And it’s important that we remember the people who have contributed, be it for the short term or the long term to this wonderful conference.”

Joey McGuire honored Mike Leach at Big 12 media days

At Big 12 media days, Joey McGuire chose to honor Mike Leach. After previously wearing a “Swing your sword,” shirt at Texas Tech’s bowl game, the Red Raiders head coach wore a suit with a pirate-themed lining to media days.

#SwingYourSword 🏴‍☠️ pic.twitter.com/rUtPH6psx6

— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) July 13, 2023

The suit was a clear tribute to Mike Leach, who previously coached at Texas Tech and was nicknamed “The Pirate.” Later, McGuire joined the ESPN crew and explained his decision to honor Leach.

“It’s just a tip of the cap to Mike Leach, and respect to him. Kind of starts with being a high school coach, and the influence he had on the game. You can’t go a Friday night and not see something that Mike Leach — a part of his offense, in any stadium in Texas,” McGuire said.

“So I feel — I didn’t know him very well, but I feel like I get to know him more and more every day, being the head coach of Texas Tech.”