Lincoln Riley tweets support for Mike Leach being inducted into College Football Hall of Fame

Few coaches in college football history have impacted the game quite like Mike Leach did. And in the past few weeks, plenty of people across social media have been pounding the table in support of Leach to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. One of the coaches he impacted the most, current USC head coach Lincoln Riley, took some time to let everyone know he thinks his old mentor should definitely be in the CFB HOF.

Mike Leach impacted the game in a way few ever will…he absolutely deserves to be in…honestly tough to imagine the College Football HOF without him- https://t.co/wuFi4v3kLr

— Lincoln Riley (@LincolnRiley) June 15, 2024

“Mike Leach impacted the game in a way few ever will….he absolutely deserves to be in…honestly tough to imagine the College Football HOF without him,” Riley tweeted on Saturday evening.

If you’re curious why Riley is tweeting support for Leach for the Hall of Fame, it’s because of a technicality. Usually only coaches that win 60% of their games as head coach are inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Leach, who won 59.6% of his games, isn’t currently eligible.

Riley was initially a reserve quarterback under Mike Leach at Texas Tech, but due to a shoulder injury he suffered in high school, his playing career was cut short. So, Leach decided to ask Riley to join his coaching staff with the Red Raiders. Riley soaked up Leach’s famed Air Raid offensive attack, fast tracking him to be one of the next, young, bright stars in college football. The USC head coach spent from 2003-2009 with Texas Tech, learning under Leach in a variety of roles during his time there, including student assistant, graduate assistant, and as the wide receiver coach.

Prior to becoming the head coach at Mississippi State, Leach was the head coach at Washington State and Texas Tech. He was famous for the Air Raid offense and the long list of current head coaches who were assistants for him throughout the years. On top of that, his dry, funny, and curious personality made him one of the sport’s most unique figures.

Mike Leach ended his career with a career record of 158-107. He also had seven seasons where his teams finished in the top 25. At every stop, Leach coached teams that traditionally struggled to compete at the top of their respective conferences, but found a way to do so under him anyway.

Immediately following his death, tributes to ‘The Pirate’ sprung up all around college football. However, none were more notable than those of his own team, the Mississippi State Bulldogs. That included wearing a pirate flag logo, waiving a Mike Leach flag at their bowl, and setting up a sideline tribute for this past season.

Mike Leach died at the age of 61 due to a heart attack.

On3’s Dan Morrison also contributed to this article.