Miami (Ohio) to Pay Tribute to Mike Leach With Helmet Sticker at Bowl Friday

Bowl Season begins on Friday with the Bahamas Bowl, and one of the teams is honoring the late Mike Leach during the game.

Miami (Ohio) will wear a decal on its helmets during the Bahamas Bowl with a MAC pirate flag, and which includes the words “Coach Leach” and “#FlyTheFlag” as a way to pay tribute. Leach, who was nicknamed “The Pirate,” died on Tuesday after suffering heart-related complications.

While Leach doesn’t have a specific connection to the MAC, the decision by Miami (OH) and the conference shows the impact that Mike Leach had on college football beyond just the teams that he coached.

As bowl season unfolds, more teams are likely to pay tribute to Leach, who spent 21 years as a head coach in college football across three different conferences. Besides Mississippi State, who will play in its bowl game, Leach’s former teams Texas Tech and Washington State also play in games this bowl season.