Mike Leach, the quirky head coach at three universities who audaciously commanded a high-powered, pass-happy Air Raid offense, which influenced other colleges and N.F.L. teams, died on Monday in Jackson, Miss. He was 61.
The cause was complications of a heart condition, Mississippi State University, where he coached the last three seasons, announced. After suffering what the university called a “personal health issue” at his home in Starkville on Sunday, he was airlifted to a hospital in Jackson.
Leach deployed his hyperactive “Air Raid” offense at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State. With each team his quarterback threw an unusually high number of passes from the shotgun formation with four or five receivers spread widely along the line of scrimmage.