Appreciating The Leach Coaching Tree

STARKVILLE – Say you're sitting on your couch, flipping through all the action on television on a college football Saturday. Even if Mississippi State isn't on, chances are you'll come across game after game where Bulldogs head coach Mike Leach is having an impact.

That's because Leach boasts one of the best – if not the best – coaching trees in the sport. From coast-to-coast, Leach's pupils are leading young men and having success. There are NFL connections as well.

Just take a look at some of the head coaching names connected to Leach:

Dave Aranda – Baylor head coach – Graduate assistant coach under Leach from 2000 to 2002 at Texas Tech when Leach was head coach of the Red Raiders
Neal Brown – West Virginia head coach – Played under Leach as a wide receiver in 1998 when Leach was offensive coordinator at Kentucky
Sonny Cumbie – Louisiana Tech head coach – Played under Leach as a quarterback from 2000 to 2003 when Leach was head coach at Texas Tech, then later in the decade, served as a graduate assistant coach under Leach
Sonny Dykes – TCU head coach – Coached wide receivers and later was the co-offensive coordinator under Leach from 2000 through 2006 when Leach was head coach at Texas Tech
Josh Heupel – Tennessee head coach – Played quarterback under Leach at Oklahoma in 1999 when Leach was the offensive coordinator for the Sooners
Dana Holgorson – Houston head coach – Coached alongside Leach as assistants at Valdosta State from 1993 to 1995, then served as a wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator under Leach from 2000 to 2007 when Leach was head coach at Texas Tech
Kliff Kingsbury – Arizona Cardinals (NFL) head coach – Played quarterback for Leach from 2000 to 2002 when Leach was head coach at Texas Tech
Seth Littrell – North Texas head coach – Played quarterback under Leach at Oklahoma in 1999 when Leach was offensive coordinator for the Sooners, then later served as running backs coach at Texas Tech from 2005 through 2008 when Leach was head coach of the Red Raiders
Lincoln Riley – USC head coach – Played quarterback for Leach in 2002 when Leach was head coach at Texas Tech, then joined Leach's Red Raider staff from 2003 through 2009, first as a student assistant before working his way up to being a wide receivers coach
Ken Wilson – Nevada head coach – Linebackers coach under Leach from 2013 through 2019 when Leach was head coach at Washington State

Oh, but that's not all. Here are some current assistants from the Leach tree with most either currently or previously holding coordinator titles:

Robert Anae – Syracuse offensive coordinator – Offensive line coach for Leach from 2000 to 2004 when Leach was head coach at Texas Tech
Bill Bedenbaugh – Oklahoma offensive line coach – Played offensive line for Leach in 1991 when Leach was offensive line coach at Iowa Wesleyan, then coached offensive line for Valdosta State in 1996 when Leach was also an assistant, then served as a graduate assistant, running backs coach and offensive line coach for Leach from 2000 through 2006 when Leach was head coach at Texas Tech
Alex Grinch – USC defensive coordinator – Defensive coordinator for Leach from 2015 through 2017 when Leach was head coach at Washington State
Brandon Jones – Houston running game coordinator/offensive line coach – Played on the offensive line for Leach from 2003 through 2006 when Leach was the head coach at Texas Tech, then served as an offensive assistant with the Red Raiders under Leach from 2007 to 2008
Eric Morris – Washington State offensive coordinator – Played receiver under Leach from 2004 through 2008 when Leach was head coach at Texas Tech and also served as a receivers coach for Leach in 2012 when Leach was head coach at Washington State
Wes Welker – Miami Dolphins (NFL) wide receivers coach – Played receiver under Leach from 2000 through 2003 at Texas Tech when Leach was head coach

Almost everywhere you look across the football landscape, you'll find a Leach pupil. Even for a man who has racked up 155 career head coaching wins of his own – the second-most among active Southeastern Conference head coaches and fifth-most among all active Power Five coaches – Leach doesn't shy away from admitting his coaching tree is one of his proudest achievements.

"It's always impressive to see those guys go on and do great things," Leach said. "We've had quite a bunch [go on to be successful coaches] and I think we've all kind of grown together. That's the thing is you try to hire guys that know something that you don't. Like Bear Bryant said, if they don't know something that you don't, you don't need them.

"I think all of those guys have made impacts and added some things, almost without exception positively. So, they learn from you, but you learn from them as well. I am very proud of them moving on and being able to elevate their careers."

What's the biggest drawback for Leach having so many who learned under his watch? Well, it appears to be the fact he can't keep up with everything. He's got things going on himself, you know.

"It's tough while you're coaching because you're busy tending to your own team and you just kind of hear about [what the others are doing] secondhand or quickly see a score or something," Leach said. "I'm happy for them…I don't really get to enjoy recollecting or exchange ideas or stuff like that. Heck, you kind of have to be out of [coaching] to do that [because while you're coaching] you're too busy with what you're doing yourself."

Leach might not be able to stay in tune with what all those connected with him are doing but make no mistake about it. The Leach tree's branches will be covering the sport for years to come, further solidifying Leach as one of the greatest minds the game has ever known.

Mississippi State University Athletics

Appreciating The Leach Coaching Tree

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