Bill Text: TX HR35 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: In memory of legendary college football coach Mike Leach.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 4-1)
Status: (Passed) 2023-03-09 - Reported enrolled [HR35 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HR35-Enrolled.html
H.R. No. 35 |
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WHEREAS, Words cannot adequately express the sorrow felt by | ||
the family, friends, colleagues, and former players of pioneering | ||
football coach Mike Leach, who passed away on December 12, 2022, at | ||
the age of 61; and | ||
WHEREAS, Over the course of 21 seasons as a head coach at | ||
Texas Tech, Washington State, and Mississippi State Universities, | ||
Mr. Leach became a beloved figure in the sport of college football, | ||
known not only for his influential, high-powered offenses but also | ||
for his wit, curiosity, and wide-ranging interests; and | ||
WHEREAS, Born on March 9, 1961, in Susanville, California, | ||
Michael Charles Leach was the son of Frank Leach and the former | ||
Sandra Rich; he was raised in Cody, Wyoming, where he became an | ||
Eagle Scout before going on to earn a bachelor's degree from Brigham | ||
Young University, a master's degree from the United States Sports | ||
Academy, and a juris doctor degree from the Pepperdine University | ||
Caruso School of Law; after completing his legal studies in 1986, he | ||
decided not to become a lawyer and instead embarked on a career as a | ||
football coach; and | ||
WHEREAS, Mr. Leach got his start at California Polytechnic | ||
State University in 1987, and he later held posts at the College of | ||
the Desert and in a European football league; in 1989, he was hired | ||
as offensive coordinator at Iowa Wesleyan University under head | ||
coach Hal Mumme; the innovative, record-setting "Air Raid" offense | ||
they developed led the two to subsequent stops at Valdosta State | ||
University and the University of Kentucky; Mr. Leach then joined | ||
the coaching staff at the University of Oklahoma, taking over a | ||
middling Sooner offense that became one of the nation's top units in | ||
just one season under his direction; and | ||
WHEREAS, In 1999, Mr. Leach became head coach at Texas Tech, | ||
and during his 10 seasons at the helm, he guided the Red Raiders to a | ||
bowl game each year and his 84 victories made him the winningest | ||
football coach in the university's history; the highlight of his | ||
tenure came in 2008, when the team won 11 games, and he received | ||
three national Coach of the Year awards; he went on to spend eight | ||
seasons as head coach at Washington State, where he compiled a 55-47 | ||
record and was selected the 2018 American Football Coaches | ||
Association National Coach of the Year in addition to garnering two | ||
Pac-12 Coach of the Year accolades; in 2020, he took the reins at | ||
Mississippi State and led the Bulldogs to three bowl appearances, | ||
recording an 8-4 mark in 2022; and | ||
WHEREAS, Mr. Leach was passionate about education, and his | ||
teams routinely set records for GPA and graduation rate; he taught a | ||
collegiate course on insurgent warfare and football strategies and | ||
authored two books, the bestseller Swing Your Sword: Leading the | ||
Charge in Football and Life and Geronimo: Leadership Strategies of | ||
an American Warrior; moreover, he was a gifted mentor, and many of | ||
his assistant coaches went on to successful head-coaching careers; | ||
and | ||
WHEREAS, In all his endeavors, Mr. Leach enjoyed the love and | ||
support of his wife, the former Sharon Smith; they became the | ||
parents of four children, Janeen, Kimberly, Cody, and Kiersten, and | ||
they later welcomed six grandchildren into the family; and | ||
WHEREAS, A singular presence in the sport of college | ||
football, Mike Leach was admired for his honesty, intellect, and | ||
irreverent personality, and his myriad achievements will continue | ||
to be admired for many years to come; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas | ||
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Michael Charles Leach | ||
and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his | ||
wife, Sharon Leach; to his daughters, Janeen Clark, Kimberly Betty, | ||
and Kiersten Leach; to his son, Cody Leach; to his father, Frank | ||
Leach; to his sisters, Lindsey Andrus, Mary Quackenbush, and Cara | ||
Williams; to his brother, Tim Leach; to his six grandchildren; and | ||
to his other relatives and many friends; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of | ||
Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Mike Leach. | ||
Holland | ||
Burrows | ||
Moody | ||
Schaefer | ||
Tepper | ||
______________________________ | ||
Speaker of the House | ||
I certify that H.R. No. 35 was unanimously adopted by a rising | ||
vote of the House on March 8, 2023. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||