Matt Eberflus Gave Heartfelt Words On Passing Of Mike Leach

The college football world lost a legend on December 12th when Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach passed away at the age of 61. It came from heart complications. Leach is considered by many a pioneer in the football world, being one of the first to fully embrace the rise of spread offenses. His creativity and maverick style made him an instant fan favorite. Nobody could argue the success either. Across 22 years as a head coach, he went 158-107 with eight bowl victories. Matt Eberflus knew the man well, having coached against him numerous times in college.

The Chicago Bears head coach was the defensive coordinator at Missouri from 2001 to 2008. During that span, he went against Leach, who was the head coach at Texas Tech, four times. Eberflus got an early education as his defense surrendered 83 combined points in the first two meetings. He took those lessons to heart. In the next two, Missouri allowed only 31 total points. Eberflus expressed heartfelt sadness over Leach's passing at his Wednesday press conference, stating those encounters in college made him a much better coach.

If only Matt Eberflus embrace Leach's personality.

Aside from his obvious ability as a coach, what made the man so beloved was his attitude. Nobody had more memorable soundbytes or stories surrounding him in the sport than Leach. He once signed a fan from the stands during the game to be his new kicker. Another time he hatched an elaborate plot to leak a fake gameplan to Texas when he was the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma. Leach was different. He was authentic. That made him easy to root for. What is so crushing is he had Mississippi State pointed in the right direction. Their 8-4 mark was the best of his tenure. It truly felt like they were building something.

Good on Matt Eberflus for paying tribute to somebody that left the game better than he found it. The Bears head coach may not have the same flare, but he undoubtedly hopes to have the same level of success. More than anything, a great lesson Leach taught is never to try to be somebody else. Be yourself. That resonates most with the players. Eberflus seems to have embraced that lesson too.