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The college football world is still reeling from the loss of Mike Leach, who passed away last week at the age of 61 on December 12th. There wasn’t another coach in college football who shared a personality like Leach. So many who crossed paths with Leach during his time on the sidelines had nothing but positive things to share. On Tuesday, former players and coaches who worked with Leach came together to celebrate the life of the pirate in a touching memorial for one of college football’s greatest minds.
As the Mike Leach memorial begins, a familiar and fitting tune plays over the scene: Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.”
Those close to Leach often compare his life to the lyrics. He did it his way. pic.twitter.com/gxxrpXpIjZ
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 20, 2022
Lincoln Riley shared some nice words about Mike Leach at the memorial today:
"He truly did invest in other people."@LincolnRiley pic.twitter.com/J0AB6TLvyQ
— Blake Levine (@blake_levine) December 20, 2022
#Eagles QB Gardner Minshew at the Mike Leach memorial on Leach's confidence and way about him: “He really didn't give a f*ck what people thought:”
Via @KaylaAndersonTV
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) December 20, 2022
Tributes were delivered by current USC head coach Lincoln Riley, former Kentucky head coach Hal Mumme, and one the biggest college stars Leach ever coached, Garnder Minshew. Maybe there’s no cooler way to describe Leach than what those close to him told Ross Delleneger. Per Dellenger’s tweet:
“As the Mike Leach memorial begins, a familiar and fitting tune plays over the scene: Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” Those close to Leach often compare his life to the lyrics. He did it his way.”
Minshew easily had the quote of the evening when discussing his college football coach:
“He was different. You never really felt like an underdog with him. He had confidence. It was part confidence, part just not really giving a f*** what people thought. It was awesome, man”
College football has a massive hole in it with the passing of Leach. No one handled a press conference better than Leach, and nobody was easier to root for. Leach was everything you would hope to see in college football. It was easy to understand from the memories shared during his memorial that he loved his players and his staff. The pirate is gone, but his legacy in the game of college football will live forever. A truly, one of a kind personality.
