Eli Drinkwitz calls for induction of Mike Leach into the College Football Hall of Fame

Most coaches spend their time at their media days talking about their team’s upcoming seasons. However, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz used some of his time at the podium to take more than a few stances. That included a powerful one involving the late Mike Leach.

Drinkwitz campaigned for Leach to be included in the College Football Hall of Fame during his press conference at SEC Media Days on Tuesday. With the event heading to Atlanta next year and other nominees under consideration, he called on decision makers to do the right thing in inducting him.

“It reminded me to call on CEO Steve Hatchell to do the right thing and to nominate Mike Leach for the College Football Hall of Fame,” said Drinkwitz. “We need to put his name on the ballot.”

Leach coached for over 35 years, including a quarter century at the Power Five level at Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Washington State, and Mississippi State. He spent the duration of the 2000s as a head coach with the Red Raiders, Cougars, and Bulldogs. In that span, he put up an overall record of 158-107.

In that span, Leach created the air raid offense, which, to this day, is used throughout the sport of football. That, along with his resumé, is Drinkwitz’ basis for his clear admission into the hall.

“Coach Leach, in my mind, and I believe in most of the people in this room’s mind, is a no-doubt Hall of Famer. 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,” Drinkwitz explained. “His air raid offense is the dominant offense when you look at high school football, its elements in college football, and all the way translating into the NFL. We all know Y-cross, we all know that six is four verticals. We all understand that rocket laser where tailback screens rocket to the right, laser to the left.”

Sadly, though, Leach’s career and life came to a sudden a year and a half ago. He passed in December of 2022 following a hospitalization due to a heart condition. While tragic in every sense, it also left him one victory shy of being a Hall of Fame candidate.

That’s why Drinkwitz is pleading for common sense in regards to Leach’s name and achievements.

“I understand that his career winning percentage is .596 – one win short of the 60% threshold,” Drinkwitz said. “I understand that standards are there for people to make decisions. But I also understand that Coach Leach would be a great value to the Hall of Fame because of the legacy that he has, because of the impact that he made, because of the innovator that he was, because of the legacy of coaches that he left. In my opinion, not only a winner but a Hall of Famer.”

Several have already spoken out on Leach’s behalf with him just the single win short of this accomplishment. Now, Drinkwitz has left it up to those who can make this specific, yet, in their minds, necessary, exception.

“I hope that Mr. Hatchell will recognize this,” Drinkwitz closed. “As the CEO, he has the ability to utilize his discretion to make the obvious into reality. That obvious is that the Hall of Fame is incomplete without Coach Mike Leach in it.”