Leach’s legacy is in spotlight as Washington St. takes on Texas Tech
PULLMAN, Wash. — Sitting on the mirrored glass shelf inside the office of the head football coach at Washington State is a small reminder of what the late Mike Leach meant to the school.
Prominently displayed in the workplace of current head coach Jake Dickert is a crimson Washington State helmet, emblazoned with the famous Cougar head logo in metallic gray and a pair of swashbuckling pirate swords underneath.
“I truly believe coach Leach taught everyone around here that they can believe again and he did it in his own unique way that is Washington State,” Dickert said.
Leach’s name and his legacy will be part of the storyline when Washington State and Texas Tech — the two schools most associated with the late coach — meet on 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 piece to the matchup.
Leach is part of the class being inducted into the Washington State Athletics Hall of Fame this weekend, joining the honor he already had from Texas Tech. His family is back in Pullman for the celebration and was honored during the induction Friday night and again at Saturday’s game.
The weekend is also an opportunity to rekindle Leach’s overall place in the history of the game after he passed away nearly two years ago while coaching at Mississippi State, and if he’ll eventually find a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame.
“Coach Leach, in my mind, and I believe in most of the people in this room, is a no-doubt Hall of Famer,” Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz said during SEC media days. “He impacted our game more in the last 50 years than a lot of other people, not only with his legacy, but also with his football acumen.”
Technically, Leach isn’t eligible for induction yet, according to Steve Hatchell, the President and CEO of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. Leach would need to be nominated by one of the schools where he coached — which seems a formality — and be three years removed from when he last coached to be considered.
But there is an area where Leach’s eventual candidacy will force a decision to be made by the NFF.
Leach finished his career with a 158-107 record, a winning percentage of .596. According to guidelines for Hall of Fame consideration, coaches must have a .600 winning percentage to be considered for inclusion on the voting ballot.
And it’s not as simple as just rounding up.
Hatchell expects the Leach debate to continue, especially because he was so close to the 60% win mark.