Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz wears T-shirt honoring late Mike Leach during Gasparilla Bowl
He was 61.
“I think multiple people said there’s only going to be one Mike Leach,” Drinkwitz said after Wake Forest’s 27-17 victory. “Just wanted to say thanks.”
“The Pirate,” as Leach was affectionately known, spent 21 years as a head coach at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State. He spent the last three seasons with the Bulldogs, with whom he defeated Drinkwitz’s Tigers, 51-32, in 2020.
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Drinkwitz said he was “heartbroken” by Leach’s passing and called the late coach “a true giant in our game.”
The Missouri coach, who appeared to be sporting a hoodie under the T-shirt, eventually put a jacket on for the second half.
Per Drinkwitz, Missouri equipment manager Mike Kurowski got the shirt made at the last minute.
“Asked Mike to see if he could pull a miracle off and get that shirt made,” Drinkwitz said. “He did and it was just a tribute to (Leach), how much he’s meant to the game of college football and how much respect I have for him as a football coach and as a person.”
Contributing: Matt Stahl, Columbia Daily Tribune