Mike Leach

#30
#30
https://www.si.com/college/2020/09/27/mississippi-state-lsu-air-raid-mike-leach-kj-costello

And then there was that bar in Hattiesburg, where Leach took part in karaoke, singing the sweet tunes of Jethro Tull’s “Nothing Is Easy.” The only reason he partook, he claims, is that there were three people in the bar, including the bartender, and no one knew who in the heck he was.
“I should have said ‘I’m Joey Freshwater,’” Leach laughs, a playful dig at his rival Kiffin. “There weren’t a lot of witnesses in me butchering that song.”
 
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#31
#31
I think it's one of those situations where when we thought we were gomna land him as coach, 99% of people were excited and couldn't wait to have Leach as coach. Then when it fell through, it was the ole "didn't want him anyway" routine.
 
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#33
#33
One thing I can almost guarantee, JG would not be the starting qb at Tennessee if Leach was here...Not sure he could stand that overthrowing the receivers and holding the ball too long stuff.
 
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#35
#35
Does this sound a little familiar, Leach takes over a program in a big 5 conference, at a university that is typically regarded as the smallest, perhaps weakest football program in the conference. Also, the university is considered a place where you typically can't get top recruits. A place that is simply out in the middle of no where....

Pullman, WA meet Starkville, MS

Leach was a headache, I'm glad he's yours to deal with. I think he was 4-4 against my Ducks. Every time you played WSU your gut churned.

He was 36-36 in conference play at WSU. That doesn't win championships very often. But it does give you headaches.
 
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#36
#36
GoDucks349 said:
Does this sound a little familiar, Leach takes over a program in a big 5 conference, at a university that is typically regarded as the smallest, perhaps weakest football program in the conference. Also, the university is considered a place where you typically can't get top recruits. A place that is simply out in the middle of no where....

Pullman, WA meet Starkville, MS

Leach was a headache, I'm glad he's yours to deal with. I think he was 4-4 against my Ducks. Every time you played WSU your gut churned.

He was 36-36 in conference play at WSU. That doesn't win championships very often. But it does give you headaches.
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Those are my thoughts too. He'll have some games like yesterday and he'll have some games he loses 57-35. He's never had a good, consistent defense anywhere he's coached. He'll be a thorn in the side of multiple SEC coaches every year, but I think he'll also drop games that he shouldn't. Outside of the 2018 season at Washington St and the 2008 season at Texas Tech, that's what he's done his entire career.

Leach has the reputation he does because he puts up eye-popping offensive numbers and occasionally wins big games at schools with relatively low expectations. That's fine and dandy at schools what aren't expected to be at the top of their conference, but at a big time job, giving up 50 a game and losing games you're not supposed to would get old, and his tangents about pirates and such wouldn't be as funny.

I'd love to watch an alternate reality where Leach ended up coming to Tennessee. It'd be wildly entertaining, but I also think it would be incredibly maddening. I think he almost certainly would upset some people every year, but he'd also play Kentucky, Vandy, or some other bad SEC team every year and lose 55-48.
 
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#37
#37
I think the difference is if he were at Tennessee he would pull in top 15 talent every year. He would also have the resources to get and keep a top DC. When you're at Washington St and you have an Alex Grinch, he gets plucked by a Ohio St and then Leach has to find someone else on a limited budget. Here, he would have had the funds available to get and keep a top DC.

I would have LOVED to have had Leach. Oh well, hope Pruitt works out.
 
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#38
#38
Elevated programs, National Coach of the Year twice.

He's succeeded in every opportunity he was afforded. I'll bet he has a better record at MSU than Mullen and few folks think Mullen can't win at the top.
 
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#39
#39
GoDucks349 said:
Does this sound a little familiar, Leach takes over a program in a big 5 conference, at a university that is typically regarded as the smallest, perhaps weakest football program in the conference. Also, the university is considered a place where you typically can't get top recruits. A place that is simply out in the middle of no where....

Pullman, WA meet Starkville, MS

Leach was a headache, I'm glad he's yours to deal with. I think he was 4-4 against my Ducks. Every time you played WSU your gut churned.

He was 36-36 in conference play at WSU. That doesn't win championships very often. But it does give you headaches.
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And he did it at Washington St...Not many people win as a coach there.
 
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#41
#41
Roustabout said:
I was one.
Already broke the all time passing yardage at Miss State and close to SEC record.
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Does the 9 yards rushing also set an SEC record? His Air Raid will definitely put secondary's on high alert, but if a DC can scheme a way to stop it or slow it down, then State will stagnate. It may take a few games and opponents but in a league of defensive minds, it will come and he will have to learn to adjust to be here long term.

However, KJ may very well wind up being the best QB in his system by season end, and he is one and done. If he does not have a high octane QB on standby for next year, and a couple receivers to boot, his systems brings itself down.
 
#42
#42
GVF said:
Does the 9 yards rushing also set an SEC record? His Air Raid will definitely put secondary's on high alert, but if a DC can scheme a way to stop it or slow it down, then State will stagnate. It may take a few games and opponents but in a league of defensive minds, it will come and he will have to learn to adjust to be here long term.

However, KJ may very well wind up being the best QB in his system by season end, and he is one and done. If he does not have a high octane QB on standby for next year, and a couple receivers to boot, his systems brings itself down.
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In most version of the 'air raid' the running game is replaced by a quick pass to an Hback to camps near the LOS after the snap as a safety valve on most plays. Still have the risk of an interception, but if your secondary is playing way back or spread out, it's just as effective as a run play.
 
#43
#43
GVF said:
Does the 9 yards rushing also set an SEC record? His Air Raid will definitely put secondary's on high alert, but if a DC can scheme a way to stop it or slow it down, then State will stagnate. It may take a few games and opponents but in a league of defensive minds, it will come and he will have to learn to adjust to be here long term.

However, KJ may very well wind up being the best QB in his system by season end, and he is one and done. If he does not have a high octane QB on standby for next year, and a couple receivers to boot, his systems brings itself down.
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I’m keeping in mind that Leach did this in his first year, first game, ever in the SEC, taking over a very down program. I think he’ll struggle at state to recruit, but I’ll bet you he’ll light up some defenses.

One has to wonder what he could do at a top tier program.
 
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#44
#44
It's a shame Leach will never get to coach a Tier 1 program.

Dude has taken over the toughest P5 jobs and won consistently. The Super Bowl winning QB last year (Mahomes) was an Air Raid QB and now most of the NFL teams are running variants of the Air Raid. Yet, so many people are still convinced that it can't possibly work, because Mike Leach didn't win a national championship at frickin' Washington State. That's among the 10 toughest P5 jobs in America (Vandy, Duke, Kansas, Oregon State are maybe tougher, but not many more).

There's some people here that think if a coach can't get a middle school team to beat the Super Bowl champs, that means he's a bad coach. Leach could win a national title at a school like Tennessee, Florida, or Florida State. No doubt in my mind. He's even been pretty good at finding underrated DCs over the years, but he can never hold onto them, because they always leave for higher paying jobs.
 
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#49
#49
Why is the defense his Achilles heel? Is there something unique about his offense which makes a decent defense more challenging or impossible? Is it what Diderots mentioned...can't keep DCs...and the turnover creates issues?
Seems to me if he could get a consistently decent defense on the field, he would win championships.
 
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