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Saw this story on Reddit about Coach Leach, didn’t see it on here anywhere

Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:20 am
Posted by Goombaw
Kentucky
Member since Jan 2013
6313 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:20 am
Apparently, this happened around 2004 and was posted on an old Longhorn fan site.
quote:

So the wife and I are cruising around Pearl Harbor taking in the sights and sounds of such a solemn place. For those of you who have been there, you know that there's more to it than just the Arizona. There's a museum, and other assorted sights. Well, one thing was an old submarine named the Bowfin. For more info on the Bowfin, go to this relatively annoying website.

In any case, the whole thing was cool, getting to walk through a submarine used in WWII. We're above decks, and I happen to catch a flash or red flying off a kid's head. I look over, and sure enough, his hat had just blown into the harbor. Bummer, I think.

Well, his father just stares down into the water, and scratches the back of his head as the family stands wordlessly around him. Nice looking family, I think - Dad, Mom, two daughters and a son (if I remember correctly). Well, a light bulb goes off over Dad's head. He looks to the wife, and says, "I think I can reach it." Heh. There's no way in hell he's going to reach it. "No, seriously, uh...here. If...Okay. I think if I hang off...the...uh, railing...I can reach it. Just hold on to my foot" At this point, he looks as though he's going to actually climb over.

Chuckling to myself, I elbow the wife. "Look at this. This dude who looks like Mike Leach is fixing to be swimming. Should be entertaining."

Wife looks over, looks at me with a cocked eyebrow. "Uh, John, that IS Mike Leach," she says. No way, I think. I look over. Light bulb goes off over MY head. Sure enough, that is Mike Leach.

Now this is going to be immensely more entertaining than I originally thought. "Honey...I don't think you're going to reach it," pretty wife says. "Dad, don't worry about it," well-behaved son says.

Dad scratches the back of his neck, and stares down at the forlorn hat, bobbing in Pearl Harbor. Again, a light bulb goes off. "No," he says, turning with a purpose. "They have something," and walks down the deck, right past me and my googly-eyed, easily star-struck wife, right past the Filipino blue-checkered shirt wearing museum attendant and right into a yellow-taped off area with what appeared to be a big pile of service [censored]. He proceeds to move some buckets, and other assorted janitorial gear, and comes upon his goal. He starts pulling out this long arse pole. This pole is about twenty feet long, I swear to God, with a pool net on the end. He turns really quickly with this monstrosity and nearly bowls over a Japanese tourist who is gawking at him.

His wife says something along the lines of "Oh, boy...Go, coach go," in a tone I can only translate as moderate, unsurprised bewilderment. She turns to the daughter, "Your Dad...he just doesn't care, does he?"

Meanwhile, back at the Filipino blue-checkered shirt wearing museum attendant a look of abject horror has conquered her face. She watches as he walks back past her, holding this ridiculous pole over his head. Suddenly, it dawns on her that it is her job to stop this man. "Sir, sir...you can't do that. What are you doing? Stop, sir, please." Mike Leach does not hear her.

He reaches the point where the hat overboard has occurred and dips that pole into the harbor, fishes out the hat. He stands there triumphantly for a moment, holding this pole over his head as tourists stare at him in wonderment, his daughter is beside herself with laughter, and the Filipino blue checkered shirt wearing museum attendant stares at him angrily. "Sir, you MUST put that down," Filipino blue checkered shirt wearing museum attendant snaps. He looks over at her as though he had not yet noticed her. "Oh...uh...Yeah, I know."

Watching him extricate the hat from the net was as amusing as watching him deal with the angry Filipino blue checkered shirt wearing museum attendant. He gets the hat, shakes it out, and puts it right on his son's head. Sheepishly, his son reaches up and wipes a few drips from his forehead. "Thanks, Dad." Hilarious.

In any case, I met him in the museum - real nice guy. I waited for him to gain some separation from his family, because I don't want to be annoying guy who interrupts family time. In any case, I turn around in the museum and he's right there, looking at some medals. Family is nowhere in sight, so I say "Coach, you mind if I get a picture?" He looks up at me, smiles, says, "Absolutely. You from Texas?" Austin, I say, I'm a Longhorn. "They got a lot of you down there. Somebody fills up all those seats in that stadium every time we're down there."

We exchange a few more pleasantries, and I'm ready to let him get back to his family. Don't want to be annoying or anything. "Real nice meeting you, Coach," I say. "Yeah, we got you up in Lubbock this year, though. Should be a good game," he says. Well, we don't seem to play well in Lubbock, I reply. "It's always a good game when we play Texas," he says. Yeah, kind of a rivalry, I say. "Well, A&M seems to be more of our rival right now," he says. They don't seem to like you all very much right now I say. He chuckles. I tell him there's nothing we enjoy more than watching his Red Raiders beat the Aggies. He looks at me. I told him good luck, except against us, and he looked at me again and said "We'll need it." I think he wanted to laugh or talk more about college football. He really seemed flattered that he was recognized so far from home.

Real nice guy, smelled no alcohol on his breath, etc, etc. Just seemed exactly like the Mike Leach you see on TV following a football game. Just kind of in his own little world. Anyway, that's it.

Posted by paperwasp
2x HRV 2025 Poster of the Year
Member since Sep 2014
29791 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:22 am to
Great story!

Didn't expect the picture.

Posted by NashvilleTider
Your Mom
Member since Jan 2007
15626 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:25 am to
Thanks for sharing!!
Posted by EastTXHorn
Houston
Member since Jan 2019
2053 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:26 am to
He sure did enjoy disappointing the always optimistic college station folk.
Posted by Knocksville
The Holler
Member since Jul 2014
1212 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:27 am to
Of all of the Mike Leach stories I’ve read and watched this morning, this one might be the most Mike Leach of them all. And I absolutely love it… and the pic (HA!)!

RIP, Coach.
Posted by IAmNERD
Member since May 2017
24114 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:27 am to

What an awesome picture.
Posted by Henry Jones Jr
Member since Jun 2011
76859 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:28 am to
That’s amazing they got a picture of it. Might be my favorite Leach story now

That’s such a dad thing to do too.
This post was edited on 12/13/22 at 9:30 am
Posted by silverstreak
Member since Sep 2009
1719 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:31 am to
Holy hell, that picture is hilarious
Posted by TiptonInSC
Aiken, SC
Member since Dec 2012
21178 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:31 am to
That picture tops it off.
Posted by Henry Jones Jr
Member since Jun 2011
76859 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:32 am to
The fact that you can see the Arizona museum chilling in the background is great too.
Posted by deltaland
Member since Mar 2011
102006 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:37 am to
quote:

He sure did enjoy disappointing the always optimistic college station folk.


I was glad he continued that tradition while at MSU
Posted by Robot Santa
Member since Oct 2009
46290 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:38 am to
That's a hilarious story and seems completely on brand for Leach, but that dude missed a golden opportunity to have a conversation about WW2 naval history with him instead of talking about football.
Posted by AnAmericanGirl
Member since Feb 2019
592 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:38 am to
Damn, that one got me. What a wonderful man.
Posted by LSU Tigerhead
Metairie
Member since Nov 2007
5165 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:40 am to
Terrific! Thanks for posting it.
Posted by Lowes knowsLSU
Texas
Member since May 2021
1548 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:41 am to
He was a good dude, will miss him alot seeing how he was in interviews.
Posted by Rex Feral
Member since Jan 2014
16465 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:42 am to
That's great. I thought it was all made up until the picture at the end. What a fantastic story.
Posted by LSU Grad Alabama Fan
369 Cardboard Box Lane
Member since Nov 2019
14162 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:49 am to
I had a friend that met him in Key West. They ended up going to grab pizza and a beer.
Posted by Sun God
Member since Jul 2009
51767 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:55 am to
Amazing. Gonna miss Coach Leach.
Posted by MOS0311
Member since Sep 2022
1042 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:56 am to
quote:

He sure did enjoy disappointing the always optimistic college station folk.



Incorporating your rival into an in memoriam thread that has absolutely nothing to do with said rival is peak little man's syndrome.
Posted by MasonTiger
Mason, Ohio
Member since Jan 2005
18754 posts
Posted on 12/13/22 at 9:59 am to


Love it. The blue checkered shirt Filipino attendant and all. Thanks for posting.
This post was edited on 12/13/22 at 10:03 am
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