College football legend Mike Leach is now eligible to take his rightful place among the game’s greatest names.
On Thursday, the National Football Foundation announced that an adjustment is being made to the eligibility criteria for coaches to be considered for induction into the NFF College Football Hall of Fame. The group, in consultation with multiple other partner governing bodies, lowered the minimum career winning percentage required for coaches’ eligibility from .600 to .595.
Other requirements are unchanged, including a minimum of 10 seasons and 100 games as a head coach, as well as being considered three full seasons post-retirement.
Leach, who finished his gleaming football career at Mississippi State, not only easily passes the basic requirements, but his mountain-high stack of accomplishments makes him a clear-cut selection for the Hall.
The two-time national coach of the year, affectionately known as “The Pirate”, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 61 in December of 2022. He compiled a winning record of 156-107 – a win percentage of 59.7% – capped off by a 24-22 Egg Bowl victory for the Bulldogs in what would be Leach’s final game.
Calls from across the college football world to make an exception for Leach’s induction into the College Football Hall of Fame were answered Thursday. At the 2024 SEC Media Days, Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz echoed the sentiment of several present and former ball coaches: Mike Leach deserves to be in the hall of fame.
“Next summer, we will be moving media days to Atlanta,” Drinkwitz said to media members, pointing out that Atlanta is the home of the College Football Hall of Fame. “And so, it reminded to me to call on CEO Steve Hatchell to do the right thing and to nominate Mike Leach for the College Football Hall of Fame. We need to put him on the ballot.”
Leach also notched superlatives like winning the 2008 Big 12 Coach of the Year in his time at Texas Tech, Pac-12 Coach of the Year twice at Washington State, and was named the AFCA Coach of the Year in 2018.
The Pirate was also a well-known architect of the air raid offense that transformed football at the college level, spinning off disciples like Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Baylor head coach Dave Aranda, and TCU head coach Sonny Dykes.
The change will go into effect beginning with the 2027 NFF College Football Hall of Fame ballot, where Leach will certainly be a favorite to posthumously enter the football shrine.
