Mike Leach nominated for College Football Hall of Fame following eligibility rule change

Mike Leach, the larger-than-life manager credited with popularizing the Air Raid discourtesy and transforming modern assemblage football, has been nominated for the 2027 College Football Hall of Fame people conscionable nether 4 years aft his death.

Leach's last coaching halt was astatine Mississippi State earlier his decease successful December 2022.

The National Football Foundation has released the ballot for adjacent year's class, with the people acceptable to beryllium officially unveiled successful January. The database features 80 players and 9 coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 99 players and 39 coaches from little levels.

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Mississippi State caput manager Mike Leach watches the crippled against the LSU Tigers during the archetypal fractional astatine Tiger Stadium successful Baton Rouge, Louisiana, connected Sept. 17, 2022. (Stephen Lew/USA TODAY Sports)

Under the erstwhile rules, Leach fell abbreviated of the eligibility requirements. However, nether the revised criteria, helium present qualifies for consideration. The NFF announced past twelvemonth that the minimum vocation winning percent required for coaches would alteration from .600 to .595, opening with the 2027 class.

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Leach posted a .596 winning percent during his caput coaching tenures astatine Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State. He finished his vocation with a 158-107 record.

Leach coached his teams to wins successful 18 games against Top 25 opponents erstwhile his squad was unranked.

Head Coach Mike Leach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs arrives astatine Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium earlier a crippled against the Arkansas Razorbacks successful Fayetteville, Arkansas, connected Nov. 6, 2021. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

A subordinate is eligible 10 afloat seasons aft his past twelvemonth successful assemblage and indispensable person received first-team All-America honors by a large selector. The nominee’s assemblage shot achievements are a premier consideration, but his post-football grounds arsenic a national is besides taken into account.

Among different FBS coaches connected the ballot are Larry Coker, whose Miami squad won the 2001 season's nationalist championship; Dennis Franchione, who made stops astatine TCU, Alabama and Texas A&M; Ralph Friedgen, who led Maryland to bowls successful 7 of his 10 seasons; Darryl Rogers, 1977 Big Ten manager of the twelvemonth astatine Michigan State; Jackie Sherrill, all-time wins person astatine Mississippi State; and Tommy Tuberville, who led almighty Auburn teams of the 2000s.

Texas Tech caput shot manager Mike Leach talks astir the backmost presumption during the Big 12 media time successful Irving, Texas, connected 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 connected the ballot on with first-time nominees Tavon Austin of West Virginia, Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin, A.J. Hawk of Ohio State and Barrett Jones of Alabama.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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