Overview
- The National Football Foundation released the 2027 ballot Monday, June 1, 2026, and Leach appears on the Hall of Fame list for the first time.
- The NFF lowered the coaches’ minimum career winning percentage from .600 to .595 in May 2025, a change that directly enabled Leach’s eligibility.
- Leach finished a 21-year head-coaching career with a 158-107 record and a .596 winning percentage and is widely credited with developing the Air Raid offense.
- The ballot includes 80 FBS players and nine FBS coaches and voting will be conducted by more than 12,000 NFF members and the Football Writers Association of America before final review by the NFF Honors Court.
- Most outlets report Leach died in December 2022 at age 61 while coaching at Mississippi State, but at least one source published conflicting details about his age and cause of death that should be treated as disputed.