Key facts
- Mike Leach has been nominated for the 2027 College Football Hall of Fame class.
- A rule change lowered the minimum career winning percentage for coaches from .600 to .595.
- Leach's career winning percentage was .596.
- Leach finished his head coaching career with a 158-107 record.
- Other notable nominees include Heisman winners Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III.
Mike Leach, the influential college football coach known for popularizing the Air Raid offense, has been nominated for the 2027 College Football Hall of Fame class. His nomination comes after a recent rule change by the National Football Foundation (NFF) that lowered the minimum career winning percentage for coaching consideration from .600 to .595, effective for the 2027 class. Leach's career winning percentage stood at .596, with a final record of 158-107 across his tenures at Texas Tech, Washington State, and Mississippi State. He also achieved 18 wins against Top 25 opponents when his team was unranked. Leach passed away in December 2022, making his nomination posthumous. The ballot also includes other notable coaches such as Larry Coker, Dennis Franchione, Ralph Friedgen, Darryl Rogers, Jackie Sherrill, and Tommy Tuberville. Among the player nominees are Heisman Trophy winners Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III, as well as first-time nominees Tavon Austin, Melvin Gordon, A.J. Hawk, and Barrett Jones. The official class will be unveiled in January.