John Cohen found his man.
And he did so with a big-name coach in Mike Leach, referred to by some as college football’s resident pirate. Cohen confirmed the hire in unique fashion, with a “Pirates of the Caribbean” themed tweet early Thursday afternoon.
Leach will succeed Joe Moorhead, who was fired Jan. 3 after going 14-12 in two seasons with the Bulldogs. His stint ended with a 38-28 loss to Louisville in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl.
“Mike Leach is a proven winner who has established a culture of excellence for nearly two decades as a head coach,” said Cohen, the MSU athletic director. “An offensive genius and two-time national coach of the year, he has a track record of building programs to national prominence with accountability and a blue-collar approach.
“We are thrilled to welcome him and his family to the Mississippi State family and look forward to watching our football program grow under his leadership.”
The interest level of college football in the Magnolia State has taken off in the last month, with the Leach news and Ole Miss’ new coach, the flamboyant Lane Kiffin, already in place.
“Welcome to the state old pirate and friend!!” Kiffin tweeted.
Prior to Leach’s arrival, Wazzu did not appear in a bowl game for eight straight seasons and had won just nine games in four years under previous coach Paul Wulff.
Leach’s 43 wins since 2015 marks the most for a Washington State coach during a five-year span. The Cougars have led the FBS in passing offense four times in the past seven seasons. In 10 seasons as the head coach at Texas Tech (2000-09), Leach guided the Red Raiders to a 84-43 record.
But the pirate-loving coach has made some headlines for his unusual tell-like-it-is approach. He got a lot of attention for his news conferences, where he has doled out wedding advice and pondered which Pac-12 mascots would survive a fight.
Leach was fired by Texas Tech after being accused of mistreating a player with a concussion and then having conflicts with the administration. When things haven’t gone his team’s way on the field, Leach has not been shy about calling players soft and making other disparaging remarks.
But on the field, his teams win more than they lose, and his quarterbacks typically throw for more yards than just about any in the country.
“I can’t tell you how excited I am to be the head football coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs,” said the new MSU coach on Thursday.
“I loved Washington State, but I am excited for the next chapter in the SEC. It’s a privilege to be a part of the MSU family, and we look forward to getting down to Starkville shortly.”
He will be formally introduced at a noon press conference on Friday. That event will be open to the public.
nContact Bill Burrus at 581-7237 or bburrus@gwcommonwealth.com.
