Georgia football unveils Mike Leach tribute for Peach Bowl

Mike Leach will be on the minds of the Georgia football team during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

As Georgia looks to repeat as College Football Playoff National Champions, they will be honoring the life of former Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach throughout the process, beginning with the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

Coach Leach passed away tragically at the age of 61 earlier this month. Earlier in the season, Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs went into Starkville and beat Leach’s Bulldogs to stay perfect. Who could have guessed that was the last time these two Valdosta State coaching alums would shake hands on the field? Leach was not only an innovator, but one of one when it came to his unique personality.

Georgia will be honoring The Pirate with the Mike Cowbell decal on the back of its red helmets.

Georgia Bulldogs will honor Mike Leach during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

The respect Coach Leach had from his peers is hard to describe. He may have been one of the creators of the Air Raid offense, but it was the way he treated people and how he was unapologetically himself all time. This is why he is remembered so fondly. Leach and Smart share Valdosta coaching roots, as well as having been SEC coaches at the same time, but it means more.

Georgia is the only SEC program still in contention for a national championship. Leach may have also coached at Texas Tech and Washington State, but he was having great success in only his third season in Starkville. Not to say Mississippi State would have ever achieved what Smart is experiencing leading his alma mater, but not all jobs are created equally. His teams were different.

With potentially two games left to play this season, it will be up to Georgia to swing its sword as best as it can vs. Ohio State and then possibly against Michigan or TCU on its quest of repeating. Though we may not be hearing the SEC chants like we did years ago, Georgia is playing for a championship, hoping to prove once again its conference is the best. Leach was every bit part of it.

We must forever keep The Spirit of The Pirate alive inside of us so that Leach’s legacy will carry on.

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