Mike Leach memorial: Live updates as Mississippi State honors coach, college football icon

STARKVILLE — The eyes of the college football world turn toward Starkville on Tuesday as Mississippi State hosts a memorial service honoring, mourning, and celebrating the life of former football coach Mike Leach.

Leach, who died at 61 on Dec. 12 after complications from a heart condition, will be honored inside Humphrey Coliseum. Doors open at noon with the ceremony starting at 1 p.m. For those who cannot attend, the service will be aired on SEC Network and can be streamed on the ESPN website and app.

Guests from across the nation are expected to attend. Speakers have not been announced, but Leach's legacy could call for some big names, particularly in college football, to take the stage.

Leach is remembered as one of the most innovative and influential coaches in modern football. His role in creating the Air Raid offense is celebrated alongside a personality unlike any other in the sport.

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Leach's coaching career started in 1987 as an assistant at Cal Poly. He followed that up with stints at College of the Desert, Iowa Wesleyan, Valdosta State, Kentucky and Oklahoma. In 2000, he finally got a chance as a head coach at Texas Tech.

Leach spent 10 seasons with the Red Raiders before he was fired in 2009. After a couple years away from coaching, he returned to the sidelines at Washington State, where he spent eight seasons. He was hired by Mississippi State in 2020 and coached the Bulldogs to a 19-17 mark in three seasons.

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Former Washington State players Gardner Minshew, Gabe Marks share Leach-isms

Former Washington State QB Gardner Minshew, now an Eagles quarterback, was short but sweet in his speech.

Leach's impact on Minshew, in simple terms, was to live life 100% genuinely.

"Not giving a (expletive) what people thought," Minshew said.

Former Washington State wide receiver Gabe Marks called Leach the most consistent man he had ever met. Marks shared some Leach-isms, life lessons that had a long-lasting impact on him.

"If you seek truth, you can always find treasure in any situation." Marks said, among other Leach-isms.

"We're all related in our relationship with him."

A call from Matthew McConaughey nearly caused Mike Leach to crash his car

Lincoln Riley, who started his coaching career under Leach at Texas Tech, was riding in a car with Leach one day, he shared. Leach, who was driving, got a call. He showed Riley the caller ID. It was Texas fan, actor and Leach friend Matthew McConaughey.

As Leach and McConaughey spoke, Leach unknowingly (to him) nearly ran a truck off the road. The truck driver came back alongside Leach and flipped him off. Leach, immersed in the phone call and unaware of what he had done, opened the door window, waved to the truck driver and introduced himself.

"Rest in peace, my friend," Riley said. "There will never be another one like you."

Before Riley, Bob Stoops shared the story of Leach coming from Kentucky to Oklahoma as offensive coordinator. He also said that Leach would be proud of Mississippi State for playing the Reliaquest Bowl in two weeks through all the adversity.

Gardner Minshew is next.

Hal Mumme shares the origin story of Mike Leach the pirate

Mumme said Leach's infatuation with pirates began while the pair were coaching at Iowa Wesleyan.

Mumme said the two wanted to ride to the Florida keys and needed an excuse to do so, and Leach found a kicker in Key West. The two drove through Florida, and found themselves at Captain Tony's in Key West. Mumme said the two stayed up until the early morning hours, and Mumme went to bed by 2 a.m. Leach, a night owl, stayed at the bar and met the namesake of the bar, Tony Tarracino. Leach told Mumme the next morning about his late-night meetup with Tarracino, who relayed to Leach that Jimmy Buffet's song, Last Mango In Paris, was written about Tarracino.

Leach and Mumme drove back through Florida, and Mumme mentioned that he liked Charleston, S.C. during the ride back. Mumme thought aloud that he thought he could get a job coaching The Citadel. Leach replied: "I don't want to play soldier. I'd rather play pirate."

Former OU coach Bob Stoops and USC coach Lincoln Riley are next.

Greg Sankey: 'I learned to never schedule a 15-minute phone call with Mike'

Greg Sankey shared a few stories from his time knowing Leach, which began in full when Leach took the job at MSU.

"I learned you never schedule a 15-minute phone call with Mike," Sankey said.

Sankey said that Leach was the only coach he had ever had a conversation with during halftime of a game. The two also had a long conversation before SEC Media Days one year, talking about Leach's recent trip to Africa, paddle boarding, neckties and powdered wigs.

Hal Mumme, the former Kentucky coach who created the Air Raid offense alongside Leach at Iowa Wesleyan, Valdosta State and UK, is up next.

Mark Keenum is the first to speak

MSU radio voice Neil Price introduces Mississippi State president Mark Keenum.

Keenum shared a story about Leach pushing for a 64-team CFP and trying to leverage Keenum's status as the chairman of the CFP's Board of Managers to make it happen. He also gave his condolences to the Leach family.

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is next up to the podium.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is in attendance.

Lincoln Riley, Bob Stoops, MSU players among those expected to speak

USC coach Lincoln Riley and former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops are expected to speak today.

Also expected to speak: Mississippi State QB Will Rogers and LB Nathaniel Watson, along with MSU president Mark Keenum.

A full, but not necessarily complete, list:

A Twitter List by skrajisnik3

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mike Leach memorial: Live updates from Mississippi State's service