College Football Legend Will Become Hall of Fame Eligible Due to Rule Change

Mike Leach will posthumously enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
College football legend Mike Leach is now eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame.
College football legend Mike Leach is now eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame. / Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

The path has finally been cleared for late college football coaching legend Mike Leach to enter the sport's Hall of Fame.

The College Football Hall of Fame announced that beginning in 2027, the win percentage necessary for induction will be lowered from 60.0% to 59.5%. This change will allow Leach to posthumously enter the Hall.

Leach died in December of 2022 at the age of 61 of heart-related complications. At the time of his death, he was finishing up his third season as the head coach at Mississippi State, where the program went 8-4.

Leach concluded his career with a 158-107 record across 21 seasons with Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State, good for a 59.6% winning percentage. The mark had previously left him just short of Hall of Fame eligibility, despite his immense impact on the sport with his prolific air raid offense that proved extremely difficult to defend.

Now he will soon be eligible to enter the Hall of Fame where he belongs.


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Mike McDaniel
MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.