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Mike Leach, the larger-than-life coach credited with popularizing the Air Raid offense and transforming modern college football, has been nominated for the College Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2027, just under four years after his death.
Leach’s final coaching stop was at Mississippi State before his death in December 2022.
The National Football Foundation has released the ballot for next year’s class, with the class expected to be officially revealed in January. The list includes 80 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 99 players and 39 coaches from lower levels.
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Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach watches the game against the LSU Tigers during the first half at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on September 17, 2022. (Stephen Lew/USA TODAY Sports)
Under previous rules, Leach did not meet the eligibility requirements. However, according to the revised criteria, it now qualifies. The NFF announced last year that the minimum career winning percentage required for coaches would increase from .600 to .595, beginning with the 2027 class.
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Leach posted a .596 winning percentage during his head coaching tenures at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State. He finished his career with a record of 158-107.
Leach coached his teams to victories in 18 games against Top 25 opponents while his team was unranked.
Head coach Mike Leach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs arrives at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium before a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville, Arkansas on November 6, 2021. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
A player is eligible 10 full seasons after his senior year of college and must have received first-team All-America honors by a major selector. The candidate’s accomplishments in college football are a primary consideration, but their post-football background as a citizen is also taken into account.
Other FBS coaches on the ballot include Larry Coker, whose Miami team won the national championship in the 2001 season; Dennis Franchione, who made stops at TCU, Alabama and Texas A&M; Ralph Friedgen, who led Maryland in bowling in seven of his 10 seasons; Darryl Rogers, 1977 Big Ten Coach of the Year at Michigan State; Mississippi State all-time leading rusher Jackie Sherrill; and Tommy Tuberville, who led powerful Auburn teams in the 2000s.
Texas Tech head football coach Mike Leach talks about the quarterback position during the Big 12 media day in Irving, Texas, July 29, 2009. (Kelley Chinn/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service)
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Heisman Trophy winners Cam Newton of Auburn (2010) and Robert Griffin III of Baylor (2011) are on the ballot alongside first-time nominees Tavon Austin of West Virginia, Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin, AJ Hawk of Ohio State and Barrett Jones of Alabama.
