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Legendary former Kansas State coach Bill Snyder has come under fire on social media for mistakenly tweeting about the death of Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach, who remains in critical condition after suffering a heart attack on Sunday.
‘Truly saddened by the death of a good friend and a special man. Mike Leach will always be special in my heart and in the hearts of many,” the College Hall of Famer tweeted Monday night. ‘Not just a unique and talented coach, but one who taught life lessons to so many young people whose lives he changed for the better. May he rest in peace.’
Just over a quarter of an hour after sharing his condolences online, the 83-year-old was quick to share: ‘Now I’m told Mike didn’t pass away. Bring warmth to my heart. And I deeply apologize for my premature tweet. Please forgive me and keep praying for Mike and his family.
UNCOMFORTABLE: The former Kansas State football coach tweeted his condolences online after the spread of false information about Mike Leach’s condition. Mississippi State is in critical condition but still alive after suffering a heart attack Sunday.
Bill Snyder won two Big 12 championships with Kansas State, whom he coached from 1989-2005 and from 2009-2018.
Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach suffered a heart attack Sunday at his home in Starkville before being airlifted to the hospital. He remains in critical condition, as of Monday night.
His tweets have now been deleted. Leach was hospitalized again while in critical condition Monday, a day after what the university called “a personal health issue” at his Starkville home forced him to be airlifted to a medical center in Jackson.
Leach was admitted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) from the Mississippi State campus, after suffering a seizure with the possibility of brain damage.
UMMC spokesman Marc Rolph said the 61-year-old Leach had initially been treated at Oktibbeha County Hospital in Starkville, the university said.
“Mike’s family stands with him and appreciates the overwhelming expressions of love and support for Coach, but also requests that his family’s privacy be respected at this time,” the school said Monday.
The MSU football team confirmed in a general statement that their head coach is in critical condition.
Leach is 158-107 in 21 seasons as college football head coach and 19-17 with Mississippi State
Leach is in his third season at Mississippi State, with an overall record of 19-17. He acknowledged having a bout of pneumonia late in the season that was causing a persistent cough, but it was unclear if his recent illness was related to his hospitalization.
Messages of concern and support for Leach flooded social media from former players, colleagues and rivals in college football.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Mike Leach, his wife Sharon, his family and the doctors treating him,” Alabama coach Nick Saban said in a statement. “Mike’s infectious personality and his passion for the game have impacted the game in many positive ways during his career.”
Alabama head coach Nick Saban was one of the members of the college football community who shared “thoughts and prayers” for Leach.
On Monday, several college football fans and reporters took to Twitter to denounce Snyder’s inaccurate tweet. The former Kansas State coach served the Wildcats football program from 1989 to 2005 and again from 2009 to 2018, winning two Big 12 championships.
“Jesus… Bill Snyder should have waited before firing that tweet,” radio host Jordan Glasgow tweeted.
To be clear, Mike Leach is still alive at this point. The rumors circulating on Twitter about his death are 100% false at this time. He’s alive, and the RIP Coach Leach and RIP Mike Leach trends are based on inaccurate information,’ shared Outkick’s David Hookstead.
College football fans on social media were quick to stop the spread of rumors announcing Leach’s death on social media and defended Snyder for his mistake.
“I don’t think we should be mad at Bill Snyder for tweeting that he’s sad that his friend is essentially dead. Maybe you don’t care about a wow moment for an 83-year-old. Maybe unplug and brush your teeth,” wrote one college football fan.
Another agreed with him, adding: “If you think Bill Snyder intended to do anything more than pay respects to his real-life friend, you need to desperately log out of this stupid app.”
Leach, known for his prolific passing attacks, is 158-107 in 21 seasons as head coach at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State.
Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett was put in charge of the football team by Mississippi State President Mark Keenum and interim athletic director Bracky Brett as he prepares for a ReliaQuest Bowl appearance against Illinois on January 2 in Tampa, Florida.