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Mike Leach’s legacy in spotlight as Washington State and Texas Tech meet

Vaseline September 8, 2024

PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — On the mirrored glass shelf in the office of the Washington State football head coach is a small reminder of what the late Mike Leach meant to the school.

Current head coach Jake Dickert’s workstation features a striking red Washington State helmet with the famous Cougar logo in metallic gray and a pair of cool pirate swords underneath.

“I truly believe that Coach Leach taught everyone here that they can believe again and he did it in his own unique way, which is Washington State’s own way,” Dickert said.

Leach’s name and legacy will be part of the storyline when Washington State and Texas Tech — the two schools most associated with the late coach — meet Saturday night. While it’s not a weekend on the Palouse dedicated to Leach and the 10 seasons he coached at Texas Tech, followed by the eight seasons he spent with the Cougars, his history is an overarching part of the matchup.

Leach is part of the group being inducted into the Washington State Athletics Hall of Fame this weekend, joining the honor he already holds from Texas Tech. His family is back in Pullman for the celebration and was honored at the induction Friday night and again at the game Saturday.

The weekend is also an opportunity to revive Leach’s overall standing in the history of the game after he died almost two years ago while he was coaching at Mississippi State, and whether he will eventually find a place in the College Football Hall of Fame.

“Coach Leach is in my eyes, and I think in most people’s eyes in this room, an undeniable Hall of Famer,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said during SEC media days. “He’s had more impact on our game over the last 50 years than most people, not only with his legacy but with his football acumen.”

According to Steve Hatchell, the organization’s president and CEO, Leach is not technically eligible for induction yet. National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame. Leach would have to be nominated by one of the schools where he coached — which seems like a formality — and be three years removed from his last coaching role to be eligible.

But there is one area where Leach’s eventual candidacy will force the NFF to make a decision.

Leach finished his career with a record of 158-107, a winning percentage of .596. According to the guidelines for Hall of Fame consideration, coaches must have a winning percentage of .600 to be eligible to participate in the ballot.

And it’s not as simple as rounding amounts.

“It goes beyond one person,” Hatchell said.

For Hatchell, the situation was personal, as he considered Leach a friend, someone the NFF could turn to for advice on college football and with whom he could exchange book recommendations.

And he’s someone who would have a strong opinion about the state of college football in 2024.

“He was a great friend and you could ask him a lot of questions. He didn’t just go with the flow. He told us quickly, which helped us a lot, whether it worked or not,” Hatchell said. “He could be a bit of a drag, but if you want to push back and be sharp to talk about the good sides of the game, you often need people who can really introspect you and Mike was like that.”

Hatchell expects the Leach debate to continue, especially since he was so close to the 60 percent winning percentage. It’s possible that all coaches with a .595 winning percentage or higher will eventually be considered for possible inclusion on the ballot if they meet other requirements.

Saturday’s game between his two former teams is just one more moment where his name and impact are once again in the spotlight. And even if he’s not inducted into the Hall of Fame in the future, his legacy is secure.

“I wouldn’t be here with all of this stuff and this building without Mike Leach,” Dickert said. “And I never got to meet him personally, but the impact he’s had on the game of football, most coaches can only dream of.”