Two Mississippi State football coaching legends now have their chance to be enshrined as college football greats.
Mike Leach and Jackie Sherrill were announced Monday as members of the 2027 College Football Hall of Fame ballot. The pair were two of the nine coaches included on the ballot as Football Bowl Subdivision coaching candidates.
Leach coached at MSU from 2020-22, his third stop as an FBS head coach. Leach’s first year in Starkville, the COVID-19-affected 2020 season, ended 4-7 and a bowl win against Tulsa. Leach had the program heading in the right direction, going 7-6 in 2021 and 9-4 in 2022, before unexpectedly dying in December of 2022.
Leach had head coaching stops at Texas Tech (2000-2009) and Washington State (2012-2019). He was a two-time national coach of the year and three-time Power 5 Coach of the Year. Leach is known as one of the godfathers of the Air Raid offense, a scheme he developed with former University of Kentucky Head Coach Hal Mumme.
“I think he helped change the game. He meant a lot, he was my best friend in coaching,” Mumme told The Dispatch. “He was a treat to be around all the time, and really one of the smartest people I’ve ever known. Like I said, he changed the game, so he should be in the hall of fame.”
Sherrill’s last and longest stop was at Mississippi State from 1991-2003. He holds the record for most wins (75) and most bowl appearances (six) by a head coach in Bulldog history, according to the National Football Foundation. Sherrill’s other stops include Washington State (1976), Pittsburgh (1977-1981) and Texas A&M (1982-1988).
Both Leach and Sherrill finished their careers with winning percentage marks less than the .600 that was previously required by the NFF: Leach (.596), Sherrill (.595). In May 2025, the NFF reduced the required winning percentage to .595, making both Leach and Sherrill eligible for the 2027 ballot.
The 2027 Hall of Fame class is set to be announced in early 2027.
Jake is the Mississippi State athletics reporter for The Dispatch.
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