Mike Leach selected for Texas Sports Hall of Fame
Born in California, raised in Wyoming, Mike Leach carved a coaching career in eight states and even a foreign country.
He won more games in the Lone Star State than any other, making an indelible mark on the Texas Tech football program, where he set the school record for career victories.
The Texas Sports Hall of Fame announced Wednesday that Leach will be inducted into its nine-member class of 2024. Leach, who died in December at age 61, is among four who will be posthumously honored.
Leach was offensive coordinator at Oklahoma when Texas Tech hired him at the end of the 1999 season. From 2000 through 2009, he led the Red Raiders to an 84-43 record, finishing above .500 each season. Watching LaVell Edwards' teams while a student at Brigham Young gave Leach an appreciation for prolific passing.
Later, with Hal Mumme as head coach and Leach as offensive coordinator, the two developed the Air Raid offense at Iowa Wesleyan, Valdosta State and Kentucky. Leach brought the Air Raid to Texas Tech, and his teams led the FBS in passing offense in six of his 10 seasons as head coach.
Texas Tech fired Leach in December 2009 after an allegation he mistreated a player with a concussion, supported by sworn statements from four medical professionals. That led to years of animosity by Leach toward the Tech leadership that fired him.
Tech inducted Leach into its Athletics Hall of Fame in September with his wife, children and brother attending the ceremonies in Lubbock.
The Texas Sports Hall of Fame selection committee of about 25 media members chose the class, which also included a fan-voting component. The induction ceremony is scheduled for April 13 in the BASE at Extraco Events Center in Waco.
Former Texas A&M football coach Jackie Sherrill and former TCU and Texas track and field coach Bubba Thornton are part of the class, as are three former UT athletes: quarterback Colt McCoy, running back Jamaal Charles and softball pitcher Christa Williams.
The other posthumous inductees are Andy Cooper, Judge Roy Hofheinz and Barbara Jacket. Cooper, a Negro Leagues star, is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Hofheinz was a key figure in bringing Major League Baseball to Houston and designing the Astrodome. Jacket was a Prairie View track and field coach who led U.S. teams in the Pan American Games, the World University Games and the World Championships.
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This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Mike Leach selected for Texas Sports Hall of Fame
