Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Michael McDaniel

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

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.


More College Football on Sports Illustrated


This article was originally published on www.si.com as College Football Legend Will Become Hall of Fame Eligible Due to Rule Change.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.