In a touching tribute to the late Mike Leach, former Texas Tech head coach, current head coach Joey McGuire donned an extraordinary jacket during the Big 12 Media Days.
Leach, who unexpectedly passed away in December 2022, left a lasting impact on the football community.
Having coached Texas Tech for a decade from 2000 to 2009, as well as Washington State and Mississippi State in subsequent years, Leach’s influence reached far and wide.
McGuire’s jacket, while featuring the vibrant red synonymous with Texas Tech, went above and beyond to honor Leach’s memory. The interior of the jacket was adorned with intricate designs of skulls, bones, and swords – a direct homage to Leach’s fascination with pirates.
#SwingYourSword 🏴☠️ pic.twitter.com/rUtPH6psx6
— Texas Tech Football (@TexasTechFB) July 13, 2023
Leach was known for displaying pirate-themed items in his office and encouraging his players to “swing their swords” before games. Even his book, titled “Swing Your Sword: Leading the Charge in Football and Life.”
The official Texas Tech Football Twitter page proudly shared a photo of McGuire sporting the jacket, his beaming smile testament to the significance of the tribute.
As McGuire embarks on his second season as head coach for the Red Raiders, his gesture of honoring Leach is certain to garner him even more popularity points among fans.
McGuire has already made a promising start, leading the team to an impressive 8-5 record- a notable achievement and the program’s first winning season since 2009.
Moreover, the Texas Tech community will continue to commemorate the legacy of Mike Leach later this year. On September 29, 2023, Leach will be posthumously inducted into the Texas Tech Hall of Fame and Hall of Honor.
As the winningest coach in Red Raiders history, Leach will share this prestigious honor with his former quarterback and fellow former Texas Tech coach, Kliff Kingsbury.
The memory of Mike Leach will forever hold a special place in the hearts of the Texas Tech faithful, and through heartfelt gestures like Joey McGuire’s jacket tribute, his legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.
He was not only a great coach, but he was arguably the greatest “character” in all of college football.
In a profession where most coaches are tight and stiff, will we ever see another personality like Leach?