The state of Mississippi is paying an emotional tribute to the late head coach Mike Leach with an incredible helmet design and his name spray-painted on the field at their bowl game…playing as a team for the first time since his death from a heart attack at age 61
- The Bulldogs unveiled bespoke helmets with a Jolly Roger embroidered on the side
- The special design is a touching homage to Mike Leach’s nickname – “The Pirate”
- Leach’s name was painted on the side of the field at Raymond James Stadium
- Mississippi State played Illinois in Monday’s ReliaQuest Bowl game in Florida
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The state of Mississippi honored its late head coach Mike Leach with a special helmet design ahead of Monday’s ReliaQuest Bowl game.
The team’s legendary figurehead died of a heart attack last month at the age of 61, and he also had his name spray-painted on the field before the team played football on Monday – the first time since his death when he beat Illinois 19-10 defeated after falling behind in half (3-7).
Before the game, the Bulldogs unveiled customized helmets with a Jolly Roger on the side to pay tribute to Leach’s nickname, “The Pirate.”
His first name, “Mike,” was painted on the side of the Bulldogs’ bench at Raymond James Stadium, home of Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, prior to their meeting with Illinois.
The State of Mississippi honored Mike Leach with his pirate nickname with a special helmet design
Leach’s first name was painted near the Bulldogs bench before the ReliaQuest Bowl game
Leach was in his third season at Mississippi State before dying of a heart attack on December 12
The players also lined up in Leach’s preferred air attack formation – designed with four wide receivers and a running back – in the opening game of Monday’s game. In a noble gesture, Illinois refused to delay the game.
Monday’s bowl game almost got canceled, but the Mississippi State football team wanted to play because they said Leach would expect them to, according to defensive coordinator Zach Arnett, who was hired Dec. 15 as Mississippi State’s new head coach.
“It has been expressed and they understand that we are doing exactly what Coach Leach would want us to do,” he said. “And that’s to end this season, focus on the game, put in the work and prepare.”
“There’s no better way for us to honor him and show our respect to him and his family than to go out and play a full game and compete in the way he would expect us to,” he added.
Mississippi State honored Mike Leach in his first game since his death.
Illinois refused to delay the game.
RIP MIKE LYE. pic.twitter.com/IYvSfXaGjh
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 2, 2023
Monday’s bowl game continued as a Mississippi state player vowed to play to make Leach proud
The Bulldogs defeated Illinois 19-10 in their final game of the year after being down 7-3 at halftime
The state of Mississippi has played bowl games for 13 straight years, though none before has been quite like this one.
“A bowl game is a reward for the hard work and success of their year this season,” Arnett said. “You definitely deserve this opportunity.”
Leach was in his third season at Mississippi State before his sudden death. He previously coached college-level football at Texas Tech between 2000 and 2009. He served as Washington State’s head coach for nine years between 2012 and 2019.
Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett (right) was named to replace Leach after his death
The 61-year-old was also the 2018 American Football Coaches Association National Coach of the Year and had 158 career wins, making him the fifth-best coach among active NCAA I football coaches that year.
He also served as a mentor to several head coaches who were once under his wing, including Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, TCU coach Sonny Dykes, USC coach Lincoln Riley, Baylor coach Dave Aranda, the University of Houston coach Dana Holgorsen, North Texas coach Seth Littrell and Nevada coach Ken Wilson.
Last month, Texas Tech honored Leach by playing Ole Miss in his favorite offensive scheme—the air attack formation—in his Texas Bowl game.
Ole Miss, the last team to defeat Leach’s Mississippi State before his sudden death on Dec. 12, rejected the penalty in an emotion-filled opening quarter.