Mississippi State University’s football team said it will still play in its bowl game in January despite the death of the team’s head coach, Mike Leach, Monday evening.
Bracky Brett, the interim athletic director for the university, confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday that the team still intends to play in the ReliaQuest Bowl next month.
MIKE LEACH DEAD: MISSISSIPPI STATE COACH DIES AT 61 AS CAUSE OF DEATH REVEALED
“The players are 100% behind playing this bowl game and doing what Coach Leach would expect them to do,” Brett said. “We all know that’s what Coach Leach would want, and it’s what we should do.”
The team is slated to play against the University of Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Jan. 2, 2023, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. In a tweet Tuesday, the ReliaQuest Bowl posted a tribute to Leach, calling him “a special coach and a special person.”
A special coach and a special person.
RIP Coach Leach.#HailStateForever pic.twitter.com/WpMGfFzD3T— ReliaQuest Bowl (@ReliaQuestBowl) December 13, 2022
Leach’s family confirmed his death on Tuesday, saying in a statement that he “passed away last night from complications related to a heart condition.”
Leach had served as the coach of Mississippi State since 2020, leading the team to a 19-17 record during his tenure.
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In a statement, Mississippi State President Mark Keenum said Leach “cast a tremendous shadow not just over Mississippi State University, but over the entire college football landscape,” adding that “his passing brings great sadness to our university.”
The bowl game will be played at Raymond James Stadium, which features a full-size pirate ship for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who play their home games at the stadium. Leech was a big fan of pirates and even had a full-size talking pirate statue in his office. Brett told ESPN, “It’s only fitting that we play this game and honor Coach Leach in a stadium that has a pirate ship.”
