Swing Your Sword
On December 12, 2022 the world lost an incredible man. A man who was a husband, a father, a lawyer, and one of the best coaches in college football. He was unusual in the way he spoke, his background, and his approach to the game. His many oddities led to him once being labeled as the “mad scientist of football” by CBS’ 60 Minutes. While it’s a pretty awesome nickname, it’s not one that stuck, as Mike Leach will forever be remembered by one name: The Pirate.
Like many football coaches, Leach began playing football at a young age in his hometown of Cody, Wyoming. His prowess on the field led to him receiving an offer to play football at BYU in Provo, Utah. Unfortunately, Leach sustained an ankle injury before his high school playing days were over. This injury led to the end of his playing career, but to the beginning of a revolutionary coaching career.
During his time at BYU, Leach assisted the football program in any way he could, trying to learn as much as he could. At the time, BYU had quarterbacks such as Jim McMahon and Steve Young, both of which would go on to win super bowls and be legends in their own different ways. BYU head coach LaVell Edwards and offensive coordinator Norm Chow were obsessed with passing, and led an offense that primarily threw the ball. While this is not uncommon now, it was unusual back in the 1980’s.
Leach would take a break from football after graduating from BYU in 1983. He decided that he would instead pursue law and became a graduate of Pepperdine Law School in 1986.
Law didn’t grab Leach the way the gridiron did and instead of pursuing a job as a lawyer, Leach pursued a job as a football coach. His journey as a football coach started at the lowest ranks of college, where he spent several years coaching below the division one level. During one of his early stints, Leach met Hal Mumme at Iowa Wesleyan University. The two of them would stick together for ten seasons and change the way college football was played permanently with the introduction of the air raid offense. Their last season together was spent in Kentucky, where they helped develop quarterback Tim Couch into an NFL first overall pick in 1999.
Mike became the head coach of Texas Tech in 2000, where he stayed until 2009. He led the Red Raiders to nine bowl appearances, five of which they won. After Texas Tech, Leach would coach the Washington State Cougars from 2012 to 2019, leading them to six bowl appearances, two of which they won. Quarterback Gardner Minshew is a product of Leach during his time at Washington State. Leach is the winningest coach in Texas Tech history, and has the third most wins in Washington State history.
Leach’s final stint came in 2020, when he was named head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, a team I will forever hold near and dear to my heart. He led the Bulldogs to three bowl appearances, two of which they won, and though Leach would pass away shortly before the third bowl game, he was there in spirit. It feels right to credit him.
Though Leach will be remembered as a man who had an excellent football mind and was a great coach, he should also be remembered as the man behind a very powerful quote: “Swing your sword.”
Leach would always tell his players to swing their sword as words of encouragement to improve their play. While these words were used to improve the performance of players on a football field, they can be even more useful to everyday individuals.
Mike Leach described what exactly he meant when he said “swing your sword.” He broke it down into three things. One, use every resource around you. Two, don’t limit yourself to what society or other people are going to think. And three, swing your sword with hunger, act as if failure is not an option.
Leach applied each of these methods into his life. He used every resource around him. Though he didn’t get the chance to play football in college, he knew that he could still learn the game by volunteering to be an assistant and help in any way possible. Leach didn’t care what other people thought. People thought that it was impossible to be a successful coach without first playing the game. He proved them wrong. He stepped away from being a lawyer to follow his passion for football, a move that everyone thought he was crazy for. Finally, Leach swung his sword with anger. He never backed down. Though he had to start his career as an assistant at a community college, he believed that he could make it to the top. His belief carried him his whole career and made him one of the greatest college football coaches of all time.
Mike Leach was and still is a role model to those who believe that their dream is too crazy. That their idea is too far. That their goal will never be reached. He taught us that anything is possible, as long as we believe in ourselves, use our resources, and never back down. He got the nickname “pirate” because of his famous quote. Swing your sword. It’s a quote that we should all reflect on in tough times. Rest easy, pirate.