When the NFF unveiled its College Football Hall of Fame ballot on June 1, one name stood out among the 80 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision: Mike Leach. The man who devoted 21 years of his life to college football is getting recognized for the legacy he left behind. NFF had strict selection criteria until last year, but they bent them so Leach could be a part of it as well.

Under the previous College Football Hall of Fame criteria, coaches needed a .600 career winning percentage to qualify. Leach finished his career with a .596 Mark, narrowly missing eligibility. The magic number of 60% was all it took to get on the ship, but after the impact he left on the sport, the NFF lowered the threshold from .600 to .595.

After this major change, his name was added to the Ballot, showing him the respect he deserves for his legacy. Even though these coaches and players may be opponents on the gridiron, the unity to make this change happen reflects the true nature of what football is all about.

“I believe that was done for my friend, Mike,” West Virginia’s Rich Rodriguez said. “I know a lot of us older coaches now take some pride in helping change the game, helping it evolve in certain aspects, and that’s one reason why we pushed to get Mike in.”

The Godfather of the Air Raid offense died at the age of 68 after suffering a massive heart attack. His death surprised the football world, as he was in excellent shape, while leading the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Leach has had a tremendous tenure with many wins and titles to his name.

He started his journey with the Texas Tech Raiders and spent 9 years with the team, completely changing its trajectory. He compiled a 84–43 record during his tenure and led the Raiders to 10 consecutive bowl appearances. The one season every Raider will always remember is 2008, when they compiled an 11-1 record and reached No. 2 in the national rankings. TCU coach Sonny Dykes, who was an assistant coach during his time at the Raiders, was also pleased after Leach’s name was on the ballot.

“It’s awesome,” Dykes told ESPN from the Big 12’s spring meeting in Orlando, Florida. “I don’t know that anybody has had as big an impact on the game of football, whether it’s college football, pro football, or high school football, than Mike has. He’s certainly deserving of the Hall of Fame. I don’t think that the Hall of Fame needs to be exclusive to coaches who have coached historically very successful programs.”

“Mike did a great job of taking programs over and getting those programs to the highest level that they’ve ever performed at. So I’m excited for him. He certainly deserves it. It’s a real credit to him and to what he’s meant to college football that they reconsidered their model,” Dykes said.

Mike Leach’s football journey

Leach ended up at Washington State Cougars as his second home after the Raiders in 2012. In his 8 years with the Cougars, he developed them into consistent Pac-12 contenders. He posted a record of 55–47 before he left for his next team. He gave them their old spark back, and after his departure, teams started viewing them as a strong contender in the conference. Leach was one of the greatest coaches in Cougar history.

The next, and sadly the last, pit stop of his career was at Mississippi State. After competing in the Big 12 conference, it was time to bring his skills to the SEC in 2020. It took him just one game with the SEC powerhouse to show he was serious.

In the very first game of his career at Mississippi, they devoured the LSU Tigers with a 44–34 victory on their home turf. It was a magical win, with the biggest contribution of Quarterback K.J. Costello, who threw for an SEC-record 623 passing yards and five touchdowns. While the pandemic-shortened regular season was rocky with a 4-7 record, the Bulldogs capped it off with an Armed Forces Bowl victory over Tulsa.

In 2021, the offense started to come together under quarterback Will Rogers. They finished the season with a record of 7-6 and three top-25 victories over Texas A&M, Kentucky, and Auburn. Leach’s final season saw him coach the team to an 8-4 regular season record before his passing in December. After his death, the team rallied together under interim coach Zach Arnett and won the ReliaQuest Bowl to finish the year 9–4.

The Bulldogs defeated seven AP Top 25 opponents during Leach’s brief stay, tying for the third-most ranked wins by any head coach in school history. Under Leach’s tutelage, Will Rogers shattered multiple school and SEC passing records, including finishing second in the conference with 4,739 yards in 2021. The community fully embraced Leach’s eccentric personality, affectionately dubbing him the most popular “pirate” to ever coach the Bulldogs. The Hall of Fame will only increase its prestige with the addition of such an incredible coach.