Lane Kiffin releases powerful statement on the passing of Mississippi State coach Mike Leach

Hired to lead SEC East rival squads in the same offseason, Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach brought character and hilarity to the state of Mississippi from the very beginning. Following the passing of the 61-year-old Mississippi State head coach, Kiffin reacted to Leach’s death with a powerful message on Tuesday.

“I truly loved Coach Leach and every minute I shared with him,” Kiffin said. “I have been able to work with several of his former players and coaches and they have told so many amazing stories about the impact he had on their lives.

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— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) December 13, 2022

“Going back to our years together in the Pac-12, I have always felt tremendous respect and admiration for coach, his unique personality and his innovative mind, and I can’t imagine college football without him. I’m grateful to be a part of his final win, hug him and watch him walk off like the winner that he is.

“I know God is welcoming the Pirate home now.”

In the duo’s last faceoff in the 2022 Egg Bowl, Leach’s Bulldogs defeated the Rebels 24-22. It was the Pirate’s lone win in the rivalry series after losing the game in 2020 and 2021.

Kiffin on the loss of Mike Leach

On SportsCenter, ESPN’s Matt Barrie asked Kiffin to gauge the reaction around the state to Leach’s death at the age of 61. The Rebels skipper is in the midst of the sprint leading up to early signing day but he said the support for Leach was felt around the state as he was on the trail in Mississippi on Monday.

“I was in the state recruiting yesterday and tried to go by Jackson but obviously not good timing,” Kiffin said. “You feel it everywhere. I don’t know, maybe this is something for fans that Coach Leach and I brought here, that there doesn’t have to be hatred… You can have great rivalries and passion and still love each other. I loved him. I kept hearing that it was so unique, ‘You’re not supposed to do that here,’ he would say the same thing.

“We’d hug after every event and say, ‘See you next time, buddy.’ I can’t believe that’s not going to happen again.”

One of the few rare Division-I head coaches who never played the game at a high level himself, Leach accumulated a record of 158-107 over his 21 seasons at the helm of Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State.

Leach suffered a massive heart attack which led to him taking an ambulance to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson on Sunday, according to the Clarion Ledger.

Upon arrival at the home, EMTs used a defibrillator machine and delivered multiple shocks to restore normal heart rhythm, per the report. Leach went by helicopter to UMMC after stabilization, per the report. He was in critical condition on Monday following his heart attack, according to a release from the school.