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NFF rule change makes Mike Leach eligible for College Football Hall of Fame
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- NFF rule change makes Mike Leach eligible for College Football Hall of Fame
Former Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach soon will be eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame , a point of contention for Leach fans after his death 2½ years ago.
The National Football Foundation has lowered the bar for eligibility for coaches to a career winning percentage of .595, down from .600. Leach's career winning percentage was .596.
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The announcement on Thursday, May 29, didn't mention Leach, but college football writers noted after Leach's death on Dec. 11, 2022, that he wasn't eligible for College Football Hall of Fame consideration because his winning percentage was slightly below the requirement.
"The NFF is committed to preserving the integrity and prestige of the NFF College Football Hall of Fame," NFF president and CEO Steve Hatchell said in Thursday's announcement. "This adjustment reflects thoughtful dialogue with leaders across the sport and allows us to better recognize coaches whose contributions to the game extend beyond a narrow statistical threshold."
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Signage honoring the late Mike Leach adorns a wall inside Texas Tech's new Womble Football Center is seen on Thursday, March 6, 2025.
The NFF's announcement said the change was made after consultation with the American Football Coaches Association, the NFF Honors Court and the NFF Awards Committee. The change will take effect beginning with the 2027 ballot.
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Other eligibility requirements for coaches remain unchanged. Coaches must have been a head coach for at least 10 seasons and 100 games. Coaches become eligible for consideration three full seasons after retirement or immediately following retirement if they are at least 70 years old. Active coaches become eligible at age 75.
Mississippi State coach Mike Leach talks to the media during a press conference before the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Monday, Dec. 27, 2021, in Memphis, Tenn.
Leach went 158-107 in 21 seasons. He was 84-43 from 2000-09 at Texas Tech, breaking Spike Dykes' school record for coaching victories. He was 55-47 from 2012-19 at Washington State. He was 19-17 from 2020-22 at Mississippi State.
Leach's teams played in 19 bowl games, though Leach coached in only 17. His firing from Tech came three days before the Red Raiders ' Alamo Bowl appearance in 2009, and his death came three weeks before Mississippi State's ReliaQuest Bowl appearance in 2022.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: How Mike Leach became eligible for College Football Hall of Fame
