Sunday in Starkville, Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach suffered a catastrophic heart attack, according to sources cited by the Clarion Ledger.
Longtime football coach moved to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
According to the Clarion Ledger, Leach, 61, did not obtain medical assistance for between 10 and 15 minutes until EMTs arrived and used a defibrillator to restore normal heart rhythm. Once he was stabilized at the Oktibbeha County Hospital, he was airlifted to Jackson. According to the article, Leach may have experienced seizures that may have caused brain damage.
Mississippi State announced late Monday morning that Leach’s condition “remains critical.”
The college football community has prayed for the health of the head coach.
“Folks, Mike Leach needs a miracle. Continue to pray,” 247 Sports’ Robbie Faulk, who covers the Bulldogs, tweeted on Sunday.
With Leach hospitalized, school president Mark E. Keenum and interim athletic director Bracky Brett stated that defensive coordinator Zach Arnett is “in charge” of the MSU football team.
Sid Salter, chief communications officer at Mississippi State, stated to WLBT in Jackson, “Coach Leach is a fighter, and he is fighting.”
Leach said to ESPN after the regular season that he had battled pneumonia throughout the season but was now feeling better.
Leach’s humorous press conferences have made him one of the most renowned voices and faces in college football.
The offensive innovator, currently in his third season with Mississippi State, coached Texas Tech from 2000 to 2009 and Washington State from 2012 to 2019. In 2008, Leach led Texas Tech to its third 11-win season and in 2018, he led Washington State to its first 11-win season.
This year, Leach got his first victory against archrival Ole Miss, a 24-22 shock of the then-No. 20 Rebels on the road. Leach has a three-year record of 19-17 as the head coach of the Bulldogs.
On January 2 in Tampa, Florida, the Bulldogs are slated to face Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
»Mike Leach is in critical condition following a catastrophic heart attack«