Mississippi State’s football head coach Mike Leach died Monday night as a result of a massive heart attack he had on Sunday. He was 61.
Leach was airlifted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi when he was found unresponsive in his Starkville home.Mississippi State Football’s Twitter page confirmed the news Tuesday morning of his death.
Leach was in the middle of his third year with the Bulldogs, signing in 2020. He had previously been the head coach for Texas Tech from 2000 to 2009, becoming the winningest coach in school history and then the head coach for the Washington State Cougars from 2012 to 2019.MSU Bulldog family, college football community mourns the death of Coach Mike Leachhttps://t.co/LzWyLyX3xM
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) December 13, 2022
The news shocked many across the sports world and Mississippi State has already begun commemorating Coach Leake across Starkville.
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— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) December 13, 2022
The Leach family issued a statement shortly after:
“Mike was a giving and attentive husband, father and grandfather. He was able to participate in organ donation at UMMC as a final act of charity. We are supported and uplifted by the outpouring of love and prayers from family, friends, Mississippi State University, the hospital staff, and football fans around the world. Thank you for sharing in the joy of our beloved husband and father’s life.”
Mississippi State is scheduled to face off against Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl on January 2nd.
