Gundy Says Good-Bye to Friend Mike Leach/The Pirate Won his Last Game

STILLWATER – It is so symbolic and sentimental that long-time college football head coach Mike Leach won his final game. Leach stood on the visitor’s sidelines and collected his first Egg Bowl trophy with a 24-22 win over Ole Miss in that Thanksgiving Day rivalry game. It turns out the to be the last game that Mike Leach, “the Pirate” and one of the true innovators of college football coached in. Leach did not invest the no-huddle airraid spread offense. Hal Mumme gets credit for that, but Leach, who coached alongside Mumme took that offense to Power Five football and made it popular. He streamlined the spread and also trained a number of coaches that have spread themselves and passed the offense on making it one of the most popular in football. The spread even ran up the football X-and-O food chain to become popular in the NFL. 

Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy always had an appreciation for Leach. In Gundy’s first season his biggest win and only Big 12 win was a 24-17 upset over No. 15-Texas Tech and Mike Leach in Stillwater. 

In 2010 Gundy hired Leach pupil and good friend Dana Holgorsen as offensive coordinator and the air raid came to Boone Pickens full-time with Brandon Weeden pulling the trigger. It was fun times and out of coaching after being run off at Texas Tech, Leach spent a lot of time here. He and Hologorsen were known to shut down some establishments and keep one open.

Texas Tech Athletics

Leach celebrates Insight Bowl win with Graham Harrell.

The downtown Louie’s Bar and Grill was the place one night where the story has the bar keep sliding the keys to Holgorsen and telling him to lock up when he and Leach decided to call it a night or a morning. 

Leach finished his career 158-107. He was 84-43 in his career at Texas Tech (2000-09); 55-47 at Washington State (2012-19); and he was 19-17 at Mississippi State (2020-22).

Leach was 8-9 all-time in bowl games and he was 5-4 in his nine games against Oklahoma State. He was 2-3 in his five games coaching against Mike Gundy.