Mike Leach had a strong bond with Josh Heupel long before the 2 men coached together in the SEC.

It was Leach, then the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, who took a chance on Heupel, then at a junior college in Utah a year removed from an ACL injury that caused him to transfer there in the first place. Under Leach’s tutelage, Heupel had an explosive season in Norman in 1999, throwing for 3,460 yards and 30 touchdowns. He’d go on to finish 2nd in the Heisman Trophy voting after throwing for 3,606 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2000 as the Sooners won the naitonal championship.

Fast forward to 2022, with Leach preparing for a Mississippi State bowl game in his 3rd season in Starkville until his death on Monday evening and Heupel having breathed new life into a long-struggling Tennessee program. As the memories of Leach continued to pour in on social media, a video resurfaced that showed an emotional Leach with his quarterback in 1999 during his final practice at the program. He’d just been hired at Texas Tech, his 1st head coaching job in college football:

Leach, of course, saw success in Lubbock prior to his departure, then at Washington State before his arrival at Mississippi State, who appeared to be on an upswing after 4 wins in his 1st season in 2020, followed by a 7-win campaign in 2021 and an 8-win year in 2022 ahead of the Bulldogs’ bowl game.

While his death was (and is) a shock to the sports world, his memory will live on.