Mike Leach's Son Delivers Loving Tribute For Washington State Hall of Fame Induction

Joe Londergan | Sep 7, 2024

Jul 24, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Washington State Cougars coach Mike Leach during Pac-12 football media day at Hollywood & Highland. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The late Mike Leach was inducted into the Washington State Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday night in Pullman. Leach won the Pac-12 Coach of the Year Award twice with the Cougars, and was the 2018 AFCA Coach of the Year while on the Palouse.

Leach's son, Cody, is currently a Special Teams Fellow on Jeff Lebby's staff at Mississippi State, where Leach was head coach when he passed away in 2022. Cody Leach delivered a heartfelt 'thank you' to WSU for honoring his father in a video played during the ceremony.

See Leach's full address below.

Washington State and Texas Tech face off Saturday evening, with plans to honor Leach and the rest of WSU's Hall of Fame class during the game.

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"On behalf of my dad, my family and I humbly accept his induction into the Washington State Hall of Fame. I know he would have been extremely honored."

"My dad loved his time here in Pullman. As a guy who grew up in Cody, Wyoming the small town of Pullman, with its down-to-earth people, made Washington State the perfect fit for him. He loved the Palouse, and getting to walk to work when he wanted, and of course the many friends he and our family made. One of his favorite things he got to do here was teach a class with our good friend and travel companion Mike Baumgartner, where they lectured on insurgent warfare and football strategies. The name of that class is the perfect way to describe my dad."

"Most importantly he loved the fans. Whether you ran into him at a hotel, a sporting event, or even abroad in another country, he'd gladly take a picture with you and then talk your ear off about anything but football. While my dad was y'all's head coach, he took great pride in turning Washington State football into a top contender in the Pac-12 and the nation. He loved his teams here, his coaching staff, and his players who together brought Washington State to six bowl games in eight seasons, as well as College GameDay. My dad is incredibly proud to be a Coug. A huge thank you to Bill Moos and Elson Floyd who brought my dad and our family to Washington State back in 2011, as well as his relationship with current Washington State president Kirk Schultz. My family and I are forever grateful to all of Cougar Nation for loving my dad the way y'all did, and still do. My dad once said 'Why Washington State? Well, that's a stupid question.' And it still is. Go Cougs."

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