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The sports world was shocked this week by the news of the hospitalization and death of Mississippi State Coach Mike Leach.
The longtime college head coach was known as one of the game’s most beloved figures.
His famously funny press conference responses and sayings gained him fans from across the country.
We spent way too much time on the radio discussing Mike Leach’s comments on a Pac-12 mascot battle. It was worth all the time pic.twitter.com/jhChE6SEXR
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) December 13, 2022
And, on the football side, he’s one of the biggest innovators the game has ever seen. Leach was an early pioneer of the air raid offense. The BYU alum learned many of the concepts from the passing offenses at BYU in the 1980s under the late LaVelle Edwards. But, Leach may have perfected it.
After serving as the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, the coach took his talent to Texas Tech as head coach. There, he led the Red Raiders to some of their best seasons in school history. He had them on the brink of playing for a national championship in 2008 and his teams were always fun to watch. Leach was let go from TTU in a controversial fashion, and he resurfaced at Washington State. He revived that program to be one of the PAC 12’s best, before heading to Mississippi State.
His contributions to the sport clearly should get him into the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana. But, as of now, he cannot get in on a technicality. People are trying to change that.
Many want the College Football Hall of Fame to make an exception for Mike Leach
The College Football Hall of Fame has a rule for eligibility for coaches that requires them to have a 60% winning percentage to be eligible. But, Mike Leach has a record of 158-107, which is a 59.6% winning percentage. That rounds up to 60%, but there’s no rounding-up provision in the rule. Some think they should make an exception.
1. Mike Leach isn't eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame because he didn't win 60 percent of his games as a head coach.
2. He won 59.6 percent of all games he coached.
3. Change this rule, @NFFNetwork. Leach is a hall of fame coach.
— RJ Young (@RJ_Young) December 13, 2022
Round up from 59.6 to 60 and let Mike Leach in the college football hall of fame where he belongs, y'all. https://t.co/rgINI1D6kY
— 🏴☠️Still A Mason Cox Stan🏴☠️ (@ZofranAggie) December 13, 2022
If Mike Leach isn’t inducted to the hall of fame because he has a 59.6% record and not a 60% record, I will riot. And by riot I mean blackout on his behalf
— Jimmy Biscuits (@fishboyjim) December 14, 2022
And, they have a good argument. He’s that close, and his contributions schematically changed football forever. Factor in the cultural icon he was in the sport, and he has a compelling case.
At least one person doesn’t think so, though. Quite the courage to be a contrarian here.
For those saying round up rounding up has 0 real world application because data has to be raw to be authentic and accurate. It's sad what our academic institutions teach us in America. I understand Leach just died but leave standards for CFB Hall Of Fame alone
— Gabe (@G_The12thMan) December 13, 2022
Naturally, the guy with a terrible take is a Texas A&M Aggie fan. That checks out.