Lessons I Learned Playing Football For The Wise And Witty Coach Mike Leach

Coach Mike Leach caused greatness in the people who surrounded him. Note that I used the word “caused” and not “inspired.” Giving inspirational and motivational speeches was never his strong suit. In my experience, his speeches mostly elicited eye rolls and glances at wristwatches. “Is he ever going to wrap this thing up?” we asked ourselves. “We’ve heard this same B.S. 10,000 times before!”

And still, Coach Leach engendered greatness in his players and assistant coaches both on and off the field. Mike Leach, head coach at Mississippi State University — and prior to that, the winningest coach in the history of my own school, Texas Tech University — died on Monday. He was 61.

I was in Coach Leach’s first recruiting class as a head coach, and I played for him from 2000 to 2004. His practices were tough, physical, and even brutal at times, and there wasn’t much in the way of positive reinforcement or congratulation for successful outcomes. We were expected to do our job, do it right, and then do it again, and again, and again, and again. If an individual missed a single cue — even if it was one time out of 50 — the entire team would face consequences, whether it was a verbal lashing or a generous serving of “up-downs.” 

As a player at Texas Tech — especially as a younger player — I couldn’t see past the difficulty of Leach’s daily grind. But as I grew older, I began to see that the dogma he monotonously and tirelessly preached to us had become integral to how I approach almost everything I do in my life, not just football. The reasons Coach Leach was consistently able to “cause” greatness became apparent, and I became deeply grateful for the person he trained me to be.

Preparation for Life

When the ball snaps in a major college football game, it is difficult to describe how fast, intense, and violent things instantly become. Leach knew that the emotional buzz of a motivational speech would last for only a few plays. When a player has been hit hard in the mouth, and when his chest burns at the end of a drive, the key is to maintain a clear, quiet, and focused mental state. Leach’s players were faster and more reflexive than others because he trained us to consistently be able to quiet our minds and just do our jobs in the face of adversity and intensity. 

“Play the Next Play” was one of Leach’s primary mantras. Good or bad, whatever happened in the last play doesn’t matter. It only matters what you do next. Clear your mind and re-focus on doing your job. 

“Don’t Confuse Activity with Results” was another one. Just because you showed up and got dressed for practice that day doesn’t mean you actually got anything accomplished. “Get Better Every Day” was another one. 

Football (and life, for that matter) is a game of inches. It is won at the margins, by