Political Quotes

“I rise today to honor Mike Leach, a dear friend, a brilliant coach, and one of the most original minds college football has ever known. His long overdue path to the College Football Hall of Fame was finally cleared with last week's decision to revise the hall's eligibility criteria. As such, Mike Leach will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2027. Mike Leach wasn't just a coach. He was the most influential mind in college football in the last 30 years. No one is more deserving of being in the Hall of Fame. Mike was a pioneer. He was the architect of the Air Raid offense, a system that changed the game and launched the careers of countless players and coaches. It revolutionized football from the high school level to the heights of the NFL. More than that, Mike Leach was a thinker and a storyteller. In life, for me, he was a cherished friend. Most Hall of Fame coaches inherit programs steeped in tradition. Mike didn't. In fact, he didn't even play football at the college level. He was a rugby player who earned a law degree. He took on the challenge of rebuilding, starting at the lowest levels of college football. He worked his way up in the true American Dream fashion. He coached at Texas Tech, Mississippi State, and, most importantly for me, at Washington State University. He didn't just win games; he changed cultures. He made football fun, fearless, and innovative.”