Mike Leach is leaving Washington State to take over as head coach for Mississippi State, USA TODAY Sports confirmed Thursday. This is huge news for the 58-year-old coach who’s famous for his air raid offense and is approaching two decades as a head coach.
Leach had been with the Cougars since the 2012 season after getting his first head coaching job in college at Texas Tech and spending 10 years with the Red Raiders.
After a 6-7 2019 season, the Bulldogs fired Joe Moorhead Friday at the end of his second season with the program. Mississippi State lost in the Music City Bowl to Louisville in December.
Leach taking over means the SEC has yet another big-personality coach in the conference, particularly the SEC West. But while the always blunt and often entertaining coach joins Alabama’s Nick Saban and LSU’s Ed Orgeron in that category, perhaps the most entertaining aspect of this news involves the program’s rivalry with Ole Miss, which recently hired Lane Kiffin.
The Egg Bowl rivalry game between the two teams is often wildly entertaining, sometimes regardless of the score. And even the most recent on in November ended in absurd fashion with a last-second touchdown, a penalty for a player mimicking a dog urinating on the field and a devastating missed extra point. A dog urinating moment also occurred in the 2017 matchup too.
So how could a game with a history of ridiculousness get even better? Pitting Leach against Kiffin is a great start. So mark your calendar because the first Egg Bowl with these two coaches is November 26, 2020.
College football Twitter is rightfully pumped about this new element of the rivalry with Leach’s arrival at Mississippi State, and that even includes the former Alabama assistant and FAU coach.
Welcome to the state old pirate and friend!! @Coach_Leach @SEC #swingursword #eggbowl https://t.co/4r4hUsOoC9
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) January 9, 2020
“Man this year’s dog-pee-celebration Egg Bowl was crazy!”
Mike Leach & Lane Kiffin: pic.twitter.com/rtIXlu7wQh
— Saturday Down South (@SDS) January 9, 2020
Lane Kiffin vs. Mike Leach in the Egg Bowl
CANT WAIT https://t.co/oaVIr1DW6e
— Madeline Adams (@MadelineAdamsTV) January 9, 2020
With Mike Leach joining Lake Kiffin, Mississippi just became the most can't-stop-watching state in all of college football. #MississippiState #OleMiss #SEC
— Cory McCartney (@coryjmccartney) January 9, 2020
The 2020 Egg Bowl is on Thanksgiving night (Nov. 26).
Lane Kiffin vs. Mike Leach is something we can all be thankful for. https://t.co/QmQQRVMWmk
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 9, 2020
The Egg Bowl should become a New Years' 6 bowl.
— Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) January 9, 2020
Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach now coach at rival colleges in the SEC. Seems about right
— Jessica Smetana (@jessica_smetana) January 9, 2020
Mike Leach in the SEC. Love it.
And if you thought the Egg Bowl got weird last year, wait until Leach vs. Kiffin. https://t.co/K5DqfcbxSg
— Jake Wallace (@WTOCJake) January 9, 2020
Kiffin vs. Leach in the Egg Bowl every year could sell for $59.99 on PPV and make millions https://t.co/W9rt8ALVip
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) January 9, 2020
Make the Egg Bowl Great Again pic.twitter.com/Ij0A4kSsnO
— Ben Murphy (@BenMurphyTV) January 9, 2020
I’ve gotta to the 2020 Egg Bowl.
Mike Leach vs. Lane Kiffin in a rivalry game? Whew buddy. pic.twitter.com/6BAE3234mC
— Pablo Escobarner [blue check] (@PabloEscobarner) January 9, 2020
KIFFIN VS. LEACH FOR THE EGG BOWL. AS THE CHAOS GODS INTENDED.
— Tennessee Uniform Boy (@CfieldsVFL) January 9, 2020
Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach in Mississippi together is going to be epic. Egg Bowl about to be lit.
— John Caleb Calhoun (@CalebCalhoun) January 9, 2020
what if i told you this moment led us to a lane kiffin vs. mike leach egg bowl in 2020? buckle up, urine for a weird show. https://t.co/jMZdbBhzfQ
— mike taddow (@taddmike) January 9, 2020
Could you imagine Leach and Kiffin meeting at the 50 yard line in next years Egg Bowl? pic.twitter.com/LGf3NkwPJy
— thatSECpodcast (@thatSECpodcast) January 9, 2020
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