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STARKVILLE — Former Mississippi State coach Mike Leach is closer to getting elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Leach, MSU's coach for three seasons before his death in 2022, will be on the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame ballot for the 2027 class when it's revealed on June 1, according to a report on May 29 from On3.
The 2027 inductees are expected to be announced in January.
Leach's eligibility for the Hall of Fame has been a debate since his death because he was a sliver short of meeting the NFF's winning percentage requirement for coaches. The NFF rules required a winning percentage of at least 60%, but Leach, with a career record of 158-107, had a 59.6 winning percentage.
The NFF changed the rule last May, lowering the requirement to 59.5%.
The Bulldogs went 19-16 with Leach as the coach, making three bowl games. Leach died on Dec. 12, 2022, 11 days before the Bulldogs defeated Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Leach, known for his Air Raid offense, was the coach at Texas Tech from 2000-09 and Washington State from 2012-19.
MORE: Mississippi State football schedule times, TV for first 3 games in 2026 revealed
Mississippi State has seven former players or coaches in the Hall of Fame:
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mike Leach on College Football Hall of Fame ballot, per report
Continue reading...
Leach, MSU's coach for three seasons before his death in 2022, will be on the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame ballot for the 2027 class when it's revealed on June 1, according to a report on May 29 from On3.
The 2027 inductees are expected to be announced in January.
Leach's eligibility for the Hall of Fame has been a debate since his death because he was a sliver short of meeting the NFF's winning percentage requirement for coaches. The NFF rules required a winning percentage of at least 60%, but Leach, with a career record of 158-107, had a 59.6 winning percentage.
The NFF changed the rule last May, lowering the requirement to 59.5%.
The Bulldogs went 19-16 with Leach as the coach, making three bowl games. Leach died on Dec. 12, 2022, 11 days before the Bulldogs defeated Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Leach, known for his Air Raid offense, was the coach at Texas Tech from 2000-09 and Washington State from 2012-19.
MORE: Mississippi State football schedule times, TV for first 3 games in 2026 revealed
Mississippi State inductees in College Football Hall of Fame
Mississippi State has seven former players or coaches in the Hall of Fame:
- Bernie Bierman
- Morley Jennings
- Jackie Parker
- Darrell Royal
- Allyn McKeen
- DD Lewis
- Terrell Buckley
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mike Leach on College Football Hall of Fame ballot, per report
Continue reading...
