On Wednesday USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley took the podium at Big Ten media days to discuss the upcoming season.
He addressed several topics including the astounding number of missed tackles, hiring D’Anton Lynn to help the defense, Zachariah Branch, and even his brisket skills. Without anyone asking him about the topic, Riley weighed in on his former mentor and his Hall of Fame credentials.
Currently, for a head coach to qualify for the College Football Hall of Fame they would need a career-winning percentage of 60%. The former Texas Tech, Washington State, and Mississippi State head coach falls just short of that criteria. Perhaps we should make an exception for someone with the impact that the Pirate had on the game.
“Before I get into our team, I also want to mention I know a couple of my counterparts have said some of the same things regarding this notion,” Riley stated. “But obviously Mike Leach meant a lot to my career, instrumental in my upbringing.
“I know there’s been a lot of debate and talk about him belonging in the College Football Hall of Fame, and certainly want to voice my support for that happening here on this stage. That’s something that’s very important to me. He changed the game and changed a lot of people’s lives, mine included, in the process of it.
“I know there’s technicalities and rules that have to happen, but I totally agree that the Hall of Fame is simply not complete without Mike Leach being in that, and just certainly wanted to be able to represent that here on this stage.”
Lincoln Riley kicks off his opening statement at Big Ten Media Day by advocating for late mentor Mike Leach to be admitted to the College Football Hall of Fame.
“The Hall of Fame is simply not complete without Mike Leach.” pic.twitter.com/5E3umk0KRD
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) July 24, 2024
Riley started his collegiate football career as a walk-on out of Muleshoe, Texas, with the Red Raiders in 2002. He would backup Kliff Kingsbury, who he later hired as an assistant at USC. Riley interned under Mike Leach as a student assistant and then graduate assistant before landing a job as an assistant under his mentor.
When Leach was fired in 2009 ahead of the bowl game against the Michigan State Spartans, Riley would call the plays for the offense. He would follow Ruffin McNeil to East Carolina for his first offensive coordinator job. After working his way to associate head coach with East Carolina after five seasons, he left for the Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator job. He certainly has incorporated the Air Raid principles into his offense.
Riley isn’t the only head coach who has voiced his support for Mike Leach to be in the Hall of Fame. Current Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz and former Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops have stated that he should be in the Hall of Fame.
Perhaps as more coaches discuss his HOF candidacy, we get closer to bringing the Pirate to the College Football Hall of Fame.