Unique Mike Leach NFL stat feat. Patrick Mahomes, Caleb Williams sparks induction demand from fans: "Put him in the f*cking Hall of Fame"

Former Mississippi State Bulldogs coach Mike Leach died in December 2022, but his legend has stood the test of time, and he is still fondly remembered in football circles by fans, players and coaches. He became famous for his innovative air raid offensive system, which propelled his teams to the top of offensive charts in the country.

One of the popular coach's most enduring qualities was his extensive coaching tree, which produced several brilliant coaches currently in top positions in the game.

A fan on Reddit pointed out that eight of the 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL next season will have hailed from the coaching tree that can be directly attributed to Mike Leach.

The quarterbacks include Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, Caleb Williams, Geno Smith, Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield and Gardener Minshew, who was directly coached by Leach.

Reddit post with Leach's QB statistic

Despite his accomplishments and the stunning statistic, the former Bulldogs coach is not eligible to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. A National Football Foundation rule dictates that any candidate must have a .600 winning percentage, while Mike Leach had a 158-107 record, resulting in a .596 winning percentage.

Fans on Reddit called for the former Mississippi State Bulldogs coach to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Reddit comments

Reddit fan comments

Reddit fan comments

Mike Leach gets praise for extensive coaching tree

Over the years, Mike Leach gathered an impressive cast of coaches hailing from his coaching tree. They include Sonny Dykes (TCU), Lincoln Riley (USC), Dave Aranda (Baylor), Dana Holgorsen (former Houston coach) and Kliff Kingsbury (Washington Commanders).

Last year, during an appearance on "Move the Sticks with Daniel Jeremiah & Bucky Brooks," Trojans coach Lincoln Riley, who played for Leach at Texas Tech before coaching under him for seven seasons, praised his impact on college football, highlighting his extensive coaching tree.

“Yeah, it’s a huge loss for obviously his family, for a lot of us as colleagues, friends personally, just kind of a shock. One of those kind of figures in your life that you feel like is always gonna be there,” Riley said. “It brings back a lot of great memories, obviously he opened doors for myself and so many of us other coaches.

“His coaching tree is pretty well documented and really pretty unbelievable for the amount of time he was a head coach of what all these different people have been able to go out do.”

Coach Mike Leach is almost always fondly remembered during the SEC media days, showing his overall impact on his colleagues and college football all these years after his death.