Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach suffered a massive heart attack on Sunday in Starkville and sources told the Clarion Ledger that the situation is dire.
The longtime football coach was transferred to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.
Leach, 61, didn’t receive medical attention for between 10 and 15 minutes before EMTs arrived and delivered shocks to his heart with a defibrillator to restore normal heart rhythm, according to the Clarion Ledger. Once he was stabilized at Oktibbeha County Hospital he was transferred to Jackson by helicopter. Leach may have suffered seizures with possible brain damage, the paper reported.
Mississippi State said in a statement late Monday morning that Leach “remains in critical condition.”
The college football community has been praying for the coach’s health.
“Mike Leach needs a miracle, folks. Continue to pray,” Robbie Faulk, who covers the Bulldogs for 247 Sports, tweeted Sunday.
Mike Leach talks with Lane Kiffin before the Mississippi State-Ole Miss game on Nov. 24, 2022. Getty ImagesSchool president Mark E. Keenum and interim athletic director Bracky Brett said defensive coordinator Zach Arnett is “in charge of the MSU football team” with Leach hospitalized.
“Coach Leach is a fighter, and he is battling,” Sid Salter, chief communications officer at Mississippi State, told WLBT in Jackson.
After the regular season, Leach told ESPN he had battled pneumonia throughout the season, but was feeling better.
Leach is well known for his comedic press conferences and is one of the most recognizable faces and voices in college football.
The offensive innovator, who is in his third season with Mississippi State, has previously coached Texas Tech from 2000-09 and Washington State from 2012-19. Leach led Texas Tech to its third ever 11-win season in 2008 and Washington State to its first ever 11-win season in 2018.
Mike Leach on the Mississippi State sidelines. USA TODAY SportsLeach is 19-17 in his three seasons with the Bulldogs and this year secured his first win against arch rival Ole Miss, a 24-22 upset of the then-No. 20 Rebels on the road.
The Bulldogs are scheduled to face Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Jan. 2 in Tampa, Fla.
