Mike Leach Eligible for 2027 CFB Hall of Fame After Win Percentage Rule Change

A rule change will open the door for the late Mike Leach to be eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame in just a couple of years.

The College Football Hall of Fame announced on Thursday that it will lower the win percentage requirement for coaches from 60 to 59.5 percent, making Leach eligible to be inducted as part of the 2027 class.

At the time of his passing, Leach had a career coaching record of 158-107, for a winning percentage of 59.6 percent. His impact on college football included innovations on the field and an extensive coaching tree, so many will be excited that he will have the chance to earn his rightful spot in the Hall of Fame.

Leach served as head coach of Texas Tech from 2000 to 2009 and became the winningest head coach in program history. He then coached at Washington State from 2012 to 2019 and at Mississippi State from 2020 until his death in 2022.

Leach's eligibility for the Hall of Fame was previously discussed last year, but National Football Foundation president Steve Hatchell said at the time that the rules wouldn't be adjusted.

"If you don't qualify under one of the criteria, it's tough," Hatchell told Jon Wilner of The Mercury News last June (h/t James Parks of Sports Illustrated). "We've heard every reason why we should look beyond why someone is not in the Hall of Fame. But at some point you have to say, 'These are the rules.'"

It took less than a year for that stance to change, so fans and supporters of Leach will be glad to get the chance to celebrate him the way he deserves.