A foolish rule could not stop Mike Leach from being enshrined within the Faculty Soccer Corridor of Fame.
On Thursday, the Motion Community’s Brett McMurphy tweeted that the Nationwide Soccer Basis, the CFB Corridor of Fame governing physique, will decrease the required win share for coaches from 60 p.c to 59.5 p.c in 2027, making Leach eligible.
At the time of his death in December 2022, the previous Texas Tech/Washington State/Mississippi State head coach had a file of 158-107 (59.6 p.c).
Leach’s legacy, nonetheless, goes past wins and losses. He was one of many sport’s largest innovators.
After Leach grew to become an offensive coordinator at NAIA faculty Iowa Wesleyan in 1989, he and then-HC Hal Mumme developed a pass-heavy offense nicknamed the “Air Raid.” In October 2020, Leach stated it got here from the varsity’s use of an air siren after touchdowns, via former ESPN writer Sam Khan Jr.
After stints with Valdosta State, Oklahoma and Kentucky, Leach was Texas Tech HC from 2000-09, the place he continued to excellent his offense.
Through the 2003 season, former Crimson Raiders quarterback B.J. Symons completed with the second-most passing yards (5,833 in 13 video games) in a season in FBS historical past. 4 seasons later, QB Graham Harrell threw for the third-most yards in a season (5,705 in 13 video games) in FBS historical past.
Leach additionally developed prolific passers at Washington State and Mississippi State. Former Cougars QB Luke Falk averaged an FBS-leading 380.5 passing yards per sport in 12 video games within the 2015 season. Former Bulldogs QB Will Rogers had the nation’s highest completion share (73.9 p.c in 13 video games) in 2021.
Leach’s teaching tree has unfold all through school soccer and the NFL. It consists of Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Southern California HC Lincoln Riley, TCU HC Sonny Dykes and Tennessee HC Josh Heupel.
“The [National Football Foundation] is dedicated to preserving the integrity and the status of the NFF Faculty Soccer Corridor of Fame,” NFF resident and CEO Steve Hatchell stated in an announcement, via CBS Sports’ Will Backus. “This adjustment displays considerate dialogue with leaders throughout the game and permits us to raised acknowledge coaches whose contributions to the sport lengthen past a slender statistical threshold.”
It appears the NFF has come to its senses and realized {that a} coach of Leach’s stature seemingly belongs within the CFB Corridor of Fame.
