Former Mississippi State football coaches Mike Leach and Jackie Sherrill are now eligible to the College Football Hall of Fame after a change in the career winning percentage minimum requirement. The National Football Foundation revised the minimum this week, changing it from .600 to .595 beginning with the 2027 Hall of Fame class.
Leach, with a career record of 158-107 and a win percentage of .598, and Sherrill, 179-121-4 (.595), were previously just below the .600 cutoff.
“The NFF is committed to preserving the integrity and prestige of the NFF College Football Hall of Fame,” NFF president & CEO Steve Hatchell said in a statement. “This adjustment reflects thoughtful dialogue with leaders across the sport and allows us to better recognize coaches whose contributions to the game extend beyond a narrow statistical threshold.”
While there was no mention of Leach, the reaction around the college football world has centered on the Air Raid pioneer’s contributions to the sport. The evolution of passing in the modern game can be traced back to Leach and his coaching tree, which includes seven active head coaches. Influential coaches such as Art Briles, Lincoln Riley, Josh Heupel and Kliff Kingsbury all worked under Leach during his career.
Leach picked up the Air Raid under his mentor, former coach Hal Mumme, who expressed his support for his former pupil’s enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.
“Mike Leach was instrumental in changing the way football is played and has made it more enjoyable for fans and players,” Mumme said to ESPN. “He had a huge role in that, and he should be in the Hall of Fame.”
Sherrill boasts an impressive resume as well. He led a historic team at Pittsburgh with Dan Marino at quarterback and future head coaches Jimmy Johnson and Dave Wannstedt on staff. He had a 50-9-1 record with the Panthers, including three-straight 11-1 seasons and two claimed national championships in 1980 and 1981. Sherrill would go on to a 52-28-1 record as Texas A&M head coach before joining Mississippi State in 1991. He led the Bulldogs for 13 seasons with a 75-75-2 record, two bowl wins and a 10-2 1999 season that ended in a Peach Bowl win over Clemson.
Sherrill’s record and win percentage were greatly affected by his final three seasons in Starkville, in which the Bulldogs went 8-27.
Leach and Sherrill’s eligibility will begin in 2027.
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