{"product_id":"mike-leach-commemorative-helmet-signed-watercolor-print-by-mickie-west","title":"“Mike Leach Commemorative Helmet” signed watercolor print by Mickie West","description":"\u003cp\u003eSigned print of original watercolor entitled “Mike Leach Commemorative Helmet” by Mickie West\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMike Leach was an American college football coach who primarily coached at the NCAA Division I FBS level. Nicknamed \"the Pirate\", he was a two-time national coach of the year, three-time conference coach of the year and the mastermind behind the NCAA record-setting air raid offense. He was the head coach at \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Texas_Tech_Red_Raiders_football\" title=\"Texas Tech Red Raiders football\"\u003eTexas Tech University\u003c\/a\u003e \u003cspan\u003efrom 2000 to 2009, where he became the winningest coach in school history.\u003csup id=\"cite_ref-:0_1-0\" class=\"reference\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e After Texas Tech, he coached at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Washington_State_Cougars_football\" title=\"Washington State Cougars football\"\u003eWashington State University\u003c\/a\u003e from 2012 to 2019, where he recorded the third-most wins of any coach in school history. He then coached at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mississippi_State_Bulldogs_football\" title=\"Mississippi State Bulldogs football\"\u003eMississippi State University\u003c\/a\u003e from 2020 until his death in 2022. (from Wikipedia) \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLeach died just before Mississippi State was to play Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl game which ended in a 19–10 victory for the Bulldogs. These helmets were designed in honor of \"The Pirate\" - the beloved coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs from 2020 to 2022. During the game, I felt drawn to the helmet and got up mid-game and started sketching it out. I was not sure why I wanted to paint this helmet, but the next day I painted it and began praying, asking God what was its purpose. A few days later, God led me to send the original to the team's quarterback, Will Rogers, who started as a freshman under Leach and I sensed the deep hurt he must have felt continuing on without his coach. After I sent it to him, other MSU players began reaching out asking for one as well. I decided to make prints of the helmet and send them for free to any player who asked as a ministry to the team. I sent out approximately 28 prints that year to players. \u003csup id=\"cite_ref-107\" class=\"reference\"\u003e\u003c\/sup\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMonths later, I decided to make the print public and sell prints, notecards, and playing cards to the public. They have always been a fan favorite. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComes in three size options:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5x7 ($15), 8x10 ($25), and 11x14 ($40) \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rock Road Reads \u0026 Art","offers":[{"title":"8” x 10”","offer_id":44159689294015,"sku":"PP\/MLH8x10","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"11” x 14”","offer_id":44159692832959,"sku":"PP\/MLH11x14","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"5” x 7”","offer_id":44159700467903,"sku":"PP\/MLH5x7","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0643\/9125\/0111\/files\/C0ED746C-0047-4012-B40F-8EC4D599127D.jpg?v=1763758247","url":"https:\/\/rockroadreadsandart.com\/products\/mike-leach-commemorative-helmet-signed-watercolor-print-by-mickie-west","provider":"Rock Road Reads \u0026 Art","version":"1.0","type":"link"}