In his own unique way, the late Mississippi State coach Mike Leach indelibly impacted Texas Tech and Ole Miss football history.
Coaching the Red Raiders from 2000-09, Leach helped Texas Tech reach previously unknown heights. A program that had won five bowl games in its history won five under Leach in a six-year span from 2002-07. The Red Raiders, who hadn’t scraped the AP top 10 since 1977 prior to Leach’s hiring, spent three weeks in 2008 ranked No. 2 in the country.
After a stint with Washington State, Leach took charge of the Bulldogs before the 2020 season. He tussled with the Rebels in three Egg Bowls, going 1-2 as Ole Miss ran a pass-happy offense not dissimilar from the Air Raid designs that Leach helped pioneer.