Mike Leach is sticking with what he knows to build up his first Mississippi State coaching staff.

On Thursday, Mississippi State officially announced the hiring of strength coach Tyson Brown as well as senior associate athletics director for football Dave Emerick.

Brown served as Washington State’s head strength coach for six seasons while Emerick worked under Leach at both Wazzu and Texas Tech.

“I am excited to welcome Dave Emerick and Tyson Brown to the Bulldog family,” Leach said. “Dave has been my chief of staff at both Washington State and Texas Tech for close to 15 years, and he is a vital member of our staff. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that is invaluable to our program.

“Tyson is a tireless worker, an energetic leader and the best strength and conditioning coach I have ever been around. Our players will love working with Tyson and his staff, and we can’t wait for our offseason to get rolling.”

These are the first of many former Washington State coaches Leach is expected to bring with him to Starkville this offseason while we continue to wait and see who the Mississippi State coach hires to run his Hail State defense.