Late Mike Leach makes first appearance on College Football HOF ballot

The late Mike Leach, who passed away in December 2022 at 61 while coaching at Mississippi State, is on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year.

Leach's appearance on the ballot comes after the National Football Foundation, which oversees the Hall of Fame, adjusted its criteria for coaches. Previously, coaches had to have a career winning percentage of .600 or better to be considered. In May 2025, the foundation lowered the threshold to .595.

Leach had a winning percentage of .596 (158-107) in 21 seasons at Texas Tech (2000-09), Washington State (2012-19) and Mississippi State (2020-22).

"This adjustment reflects thoughtful dialogue with leaders across the sport," NFF president and CEO Steve Hatchell said in 2025, "and allows us to better recognize coaches whose contributions to the game extend beyond a narrow statistical threshold."

The other coaching requirements for induction -- 10 or more years as a head coach and at least 100 games coached -- remain intact.

Leach won division titles with Texas Tech (2008) and Washington State (2018) and led his teams to 17 bowl appearances. His 2018 Cougars finished the year ranked 10th, and five of Leach's teams finished the year ranked in the top 20, including the 2022 Bulldogs.

Leach earned Coach of the Year honors in the Big 12 (2008) and Pac-12 Conference (2015, 2018), and was named the AFCA Coach of the Year in 2018.

The class will be announced during the 2027 College Football Playoff next January. The ballot features 80 players and nine coaches from the FBS and 99 players and 39 coaches from other NCAA divisions as well as the NAIA.

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk and Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon are some of the top players up for induction.

--Field Level Media