Two years ago, the world lost one of its brightest souls, Mike Leach. Texas Tech honored the late head coach by placing him in its Hall of Honor in 2023. Today, Washington State inducted Leach into its Hall of Fame.
Now, the Red Raiders and Cougars will face off in what could be called the Mike Leach Legacy Bowl.
Texas Tech, Washington State To Honor Legendary Head Coach Mike Leach in Week 2
Leach holds the record for most wins at Texas Tech and ranks third all-time at Washington State. Under his leadership, both programs enjoyed one of their most successful eras, with a combined 16 bowl game appearances.
His impact extends far beyond wins and losses, as Leach was one of the greatest offensive minds in the sport’s history. Alongside Hal Mumme, Leach revolutionized every level of football with the introduction of the Air Raid in the 1980s.
Leach never stopped innovating, but arguably his second-biggest impact comes from his expansive coaching tree.
Former Leach assistants who went on to become college head coaches:
- Dave Aranda: Baylor (2020-present)
- Zach Arnett: Mississippi State (2023)
- Art Briles: Houston (2003-07), Baylor (2008-15)
- Jeff Choate: Montana State (2016-20), Nevada (2024-present)
- Sonny Dykes: Louisiana Tech (2010-12), California (2013-16), SMU (2018-21), TCU (2022-present)
- Dana Holgorsen: West Virginia (2011-18), Houston (2019-23)
- Seth Littrell: North Texas (2016-22)
- Greg McMackin: Hawaii (2008-11)
- Ruffin McNeill: East Carolina (2010-15)
- Lincoln Riley: Oklahoma (2017-21), USC (2022-present)
- Ken Wilson: Nevada (2022-23)
Former Leach players who went on to become college head coaches:
- Neal Brown: Troy (2015-18), West Virginia (2019-present)
- Sonny Cumbie: Louisiana Tech (2022-present)
- Josh Heupel: UCF (2018-20), Tennessee (2021-present)
- Kliff Kingsbury: Texas Tech (2013-18), Arizona Cardinals (2019-23)
- Eric Morris: Incarnate Word (2018-21), North Texas (2023-present)
Washington State HC Jake Dickert and Texas Tech HC Joey Maguire recognize the significance of their Week 2 matchups and expect to put up points to honor Leach.
“I give Coach Leach credit for making Washington State football relevant and believe,” Dickert said earlier this week. “To do those two things against all odds, against resources, against what recent history was at that moment — I mean, that’s not easy to do.”
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“Man, I’m excited to go to Washington State and honor Mike Leach,” Maguire said. “What better way to do that than to have us there?”
The Cougars and Red Raiders’ Saturday night showdown on national TV promises to be a high-scoring spectacle — as evidenced by the 66.5-point total — reflecting the Air Raid offense that Leach pioneered at both schools.
Washington State threw 24 passes for 413 yards last week, while Texas Tech racked up 42 passes for 378 yards.
Although Leach is now in both school’s Hall of Fame, he is technically not eligible for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. The Hall has a 60% career win percentage threshold for coaches to be eligible, which Leach was just 0.04 percentage points short of with a 158-107 record.
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