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Mike Leach legacy: National billboard campaign honors coach with incredible gesture
By Keith Farner
Published:
Mike Leach left a lasting legacy in college football. But the late Mississippi State coach will be honored around the country with a national billboard campaign initiated by Lamar Advertising.
The move was highlighted on social media by Rhett Hobart, Mississippi State’s executive senior associate athletic director for external affairs, who noted that Lamar, “took it upon themselves to run a national billboard campaign. He left a legacy.”
The Clarion-Ledger noted that one of them is displayed in the Starkville, Mississippi area on Highway 12, and it referenced Leach’s passion for pirates.
“Sword Swung,” it read.
Incredible gesture by our friends at @LamarOOH today to honor Coach Leach – they took it upon themselves to run a ?????????? billboard campaign.
He left a legacy. #HailState?☠️ pic.twitter.com/bnxl4Q7kwU
— Rhett Hobart (@RhettHobart) December 14, 2022
It’s also a reference to one of Leach’s books, “Swing Your Sword,” which he wrote with sportswriter Bruce Feldman. A description of the book on Amazon reads: “Legendary head coach Mike Leach tells his captivating story––from rural Wyoming to law school to the upper echelons of the SEC. A maverick who took an unlikely path to coaching through law school, Mike Leach talks about his unorthodox approach to coaching and the choices that have brought him success throughout his career.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
