Mike Leach nominated for 2027 College Football Hall of Fame class
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Mike Leach, the remarkable coach who popularized the Air Raid offense and transformed modern college football, has been nominated for the 2027 College Football Hall of Fame, four years after his death.
Leach’s last 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, and the class will be officially announced in January. The list includes 80 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 99 players and 39 coaches from the 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 the previous rules, Leach failed to meet the eligibility requirements. However, according to the revised criteria, it is now eligible to be evaluated. The NFF announced last year that the minimum required career winning percentage for coaches would drop from .600 to .595, starting with the 2027 class.
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Leach had a .596 winning percentage in his head coaching stints at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State. He finished his career with a record of 158-107.
Leach coached his teams to wins in 18 games against top 25 opponents the team was not ranked in.
Mississippi State Bulldogs Head Coach Mike Leach arrives at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium prior to their game against the Arkansas Razorbacks on November 6, 2021 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
A player must be eligible for 10 seasons, beginning with his senior year in college, and must have received first-team All-America honors from a major selector. The candidate’s college football accomplishments are given primary consideration, but his post-football record as a citizen is also taken into consideration.
Other FBS coaches on the ballot include Larry Coker, whose Miami team won the 2001 national championship; Dennis Franchione, who made stops at TCU, Alabama and Texas A&M; Ralph Friedgen, who led Maryland to bowl appearances in seven of his 10 seasons; Darryl Rogers, Big Ten coach of the year at Michigan State in 1977; Jackie Sherrill, Mississippi State’s all-time wins leader; and Tommy Tuberville, who led the powerful Auburn teams of the 2000s.
Texas Tech head football coach Mike Leach talks about the quarterback position at Big 12 media day on July 29, 2009 in Irving, Texas. (Kelley Chinn/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service)
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Heisman Trophy winners Auburn’s Cam Newton (2010) and Baylor’s Robert Griffin III (2011) are on the ballot, along with first-time nominees West Virginia’s Tavon Austin, Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon, Ohio State’s AJ Hawk and Alabama’s Barrett Jones.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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