Former Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer has heavy heart against Jackson State
The women’s basketball game between Jackson State and the University of Texas was scheduled at Lee E. Williams Athletic Assembly Center for 11 a.m. Wednesday. The game was moved to the Mississippi Coliseum and delayed for three hours due to the slippery gym floor conditions at JSU after heavy rains the previous night.
The Lady Tigers seemed bothered by the distractions and played like it. JSU could never get it going offensively or stop Texas from scoring inside, losing 75-58.
But the victory was not what was on Texas coach Vic Schaefer’s mind after the game. He coached the game in sorrow after the death of his former colleague, Mike Leach. Schaefer coached at Mississippi State before leaving for the Longhorns following the 2019-20 season.
Leach died at age 61 on Monday from complications stemming from a heart condition. When Leach was hired at Mississippi State on Jan. 9, 2020, Schaefer was in the midst of closing his nine-year tenure.
The two corresponded by text. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Schaefer said Leach hit the ground running and was out recruiting after getting hired. One of his favorite memories of Leach was seeing him at the Ole Miss game and seeing Leach sitting in the big leather chairs.
Schaefer said Leach was someone with whom he could identify. As a coach, Shaefer is attuned to other coaches in other sports and how they handle the media. Leach was one of the coaches he watched.
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“Our time together was brief,” Schaefer said. “As a kid, and I say that we’re both the same age, I watched him (Leach) to see how he handled things. I watched his teams and looked at how hard they played and the way they played.”
Schaefer said the world changed not only for Leach but for his football team, Mississippi State and its fanbase − but more importantly for Leach’s wife, children and grandchildren.
“I know the family man that he always was,” Schaefer said. “I can tell you, it really hits home when you have someone your age (die) – it makes you step back. It really affected me. He was 61 years old. He went to bed Saturday night after spending time at a Christmas party with family and friends and Sunday the world changed.”
Schaefer said Leach’s death really grounded him: it makes him step back and ask why he is getting so uptight about things.
“We have an opportunity in life,” Schaefer said, “that we can either make an impact or impress people. What’s the answer? You want to make an impact. Impressions come and go, but you want to make an impact. He (Leach) made an impact.”
As a coach, Schaefer has lost time with his family. Since Leach's death, he has pondered why he does it.
“I know now,” Schaefer said, “that in a blink of an eye, it could all be gone.”
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Vic Schaefer coaches with heavy heart after Mike Leach passing
