Leach Brings Insurgent Warfare And Football Strategy Class To MSU
April 06, 2022 | Football, Athletics, Joel Coleman
MSU head football coach previously hosted a similar event while at Washington State.
STARKVILLE – The stakes are drastically different. The fields of battle aren't the same.
Ask Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach how war and football are similar though and you don't have to wait long for an answer.
"You're getting a group to work together when there's chaos going on everywhere," Leach said. "Of course, there are goals and objectives and things you have to protect as far as vulnerabilities. Then there are things you have that are strengths you want to utilize. And then the more strengths you can discover and utilize, the more vulnerabilities you can find on the opponent and the better off you'll be."
For those wanting to hear more from Leach on such a topic, you now have your chance.
Leach, along with his friend, former Washington state senator and current Spokane County treasurer Michael Baumgartner, will host an insurgent warfare and football strategy class on Friday, April 8, on the MSU campus. The event will be held at the Old Main Wingo Auditorium at 5:30 p.m. with doors opening at 5 p.m. One free ticket to the class can be claimed by students or members of the public starting at 9:00 a.m. Friday at the Center for Student Activities on the third floor of the Colvard Student Union. At 4:00 p.m., any remaining tickets will be moved to a table outside of the Old Main Academic Center. All tickets are on a first come, first served basis. Â
The class is similar to one Leach and Baumgartner oversaw at Washington State back in the spring of 2019 when Leach was head coach of the Cougars. For Friday's edition, Leach and Baumgartner will reunite to discuss how successful football and warfare somewhat go hand in hand.
"We'll talk all about what we're trying to achieve and draw the parallels in between," Leach said.
Leach obviously knows his football. He's been coaching the game for about the last 35 years and has 20 years of head coaching experience with stops at Texas Tech, Washington State and now MSU. He's been to a bowl game in all but two seasons of his head coaching career and stands among the winningest active coaches in all of Power 5 football.
While Leach will share his football expertise, Baumgartner will use his own background to enlighten the audience. He previously served as a State Department Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad during the Iraq surge, helping coordinate economic and counterinsurgency operations.
Friday presents a unique opportunity for attendees to gain new perspectives according to MSU Student Association President Garrett Smith, who helped set up the class.
"The Student Association is incredibly excited to host this event with Coach Leach and Mr. Michael Baumgartner," Smith said. "Students have been asking about the possibility of doing something like this ever since Coach Leach arrived on campus two years ago. We are happy to help make it finally happen. We are incredibly excited about this event, which we believe is going to be truly entertaining and informative for our students. This lecture concept is incredibly unique, but we cannot wait to see how Coach Leach and Mr. Baumgartner explore the legitimate tactical connections between Saturdays at Davis Wade and real-world battlefields."
When the evening concludes, Leach is hopeful the audience leaves with a new appreciation for tactics they see play out on the gridiron in the fall.
"I just hope those who come have the opportunity to kind of enjoy football and see there are similarities with other things going on," Leach said.