Latest news with #MikeLeach
New York Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Knicks extend the playoffs' best series, plus the best MLB games of the 2000s
The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic's daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! I know it's surviving in a different form, but we still need to commemorate the coming end of 'Inside the NBA.' When you get this deep into the playoffs, LinkedIn phrases start appearing in your head. Perseverance. Mental fortitude. So on and so forth. It's hard to even describe the mental state of a team facing elimination, with months and months of hard work on the line, with one game to maintain dreams or have it all erased. We had the same scenario last night, in both the NHL and NBA — with wildly different results: That series continues tomorrow. We have to wait until next week for any other playoff fun. Let's keep going: Mahomes says no to flag football Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes brushed off the idea of playing on the 2028 Olympic flag football team, saying yesterday he'll 'probably leave that to the younger guys.' Mahomes will be just 32 then, a fact that is absurd considering how long he's been an elite quarterback. We're awaiting word from Pulse draftee Lamar Jackson. Read Pat's comments here. Advertisement Leach, Miles now eligible for Hall The College Football Hall of Fame announced yesterday it will lower a coach's entry barrier from a .600 winning percentage to .595, starting in 2027, which would make the late Mike Leach — as well as Les Miles — available for selection. Leach's impact on the game was outsized, but his winning percentage of .596 before his death prevented him from entry. Miles was eligible before the NCAA vacated 37 of his wins. Read more on the layers of this here. More news 📫 Love The Pulse? Check out our other newsletters. I appreciate balance in all things, which is why I love that, amid all these important playoff games where seasons are on the line in other sports, our baseball staff is Remembering Some Elite Games. All of our Quarter-Century content has been amazing, but Tim Britton ranked the best games of the 2000s — an impossible task, really. It evoked great memories … and takes. Four I want to highlight, for different reasons: 25. 2010 NLDS Game 1: Phillies 4, Reds 0 Our 'lowest' game on this list is a banger. The late Roy Halladay, in his first postseason start, threw a perfect game. As Tim points out, there are only eight perfect games this century, but none have been more impressive than this. It's a crime Halladay, a two-time Cy Young winner and Hall of Famer, never won a World Series. 17. 2005 NLDS Game 4: Astros 7, Braves 6 The first 18-inning playoff game this century gets a special place because of how incredible the details are. Adam LaRoche grand slam. Lance Berkman grand slam. Brad Ausmus home run. Roger Clemens threw three scoreless to end. What a lovely time capsule. 6. 2014 AL Wild Card Game: Royals 9, Athletics 8 I love the alternate-reality feel of this one, where Kansas City outlasted Oakland (yes, Oakland) in 12 innings in a postseason-altering game. The Royals went to the World Series that year. Advertisement 1. 2001 World Series Game 7: Diamondbacks 3, Yankees 2 While picking this list seemed incredibly hard, the choice was easy. Hard to get more iconic than Luis Gonzalez squibbing a game-winning single to defeat what, at that time, felt like the evil empire in New York. I was 11 years old and remember it so clearly. Read the full list here, which includes this game: 📺 French Open: Dzumhur vs. Alcaraz 2:15 p.m. ET on TNT/Max Wake up, it's time to watch tennis now. For schedule's sake, watching the defending champ and his beautiful drop shots in the third round are your best bet today. If you're a real tennis sicko, catch Elena Rybakina-Jelena Ostapenko around 8 a.m. ET. Clay courts are heating up across the ocean. 📺 WNBA: Liberty at Mystics 7:30 p.m. ET on ION Watch the defending champs take on a surprising Washington team. Nice change of pace after the NBA and NHL barrage. 📺 MLB: Yankees at Dodgers 10:10 p.m. ET on Apple TV+ A rematch of last year's World Series, with both teams still elite. This is as must-watch as we get today. Get tickets to games like these here. I am a regular listener to Pablo Torre's podcast, 'Pablo Torre Finds Out,' so I get to be a hipster fan about the show in light of his recent reporting on Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson. But as Zak Keefer writes today, Torre's story of leaving ESPN and ending up here is fascinating. What exactly is Pablo finding out? I really appreciated Harman Dayal's story on how, in the NHL, high stakes on the ice lead to an inescapable mental health challenge off of it. Read that here. What happened to Sandy Alcantara, the 2022 Cy Young winner who's completely lost his way on the mound? His slide has come at the worst time for just about everyone. Want to read a thriller? Spare some time for Austin Meek's story about Mickey Bruce, a former college football star who made an enemy of the man who inspired the movie 'Casino.' It's worth your time. Advertisement F1 drivers are again criticizing Monaco's two pit stop rule. Will things change this time? Chris Vannini played an early edition of EA's College Football 26. He has thoughts on the five biggest changes. Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our story about that Stefon Diggs video and the reaction to it. Most-read on the website yesterday: Keith Law's top 50 MLB prospects after two months of the season. Always a must-read. Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Mike Leach eligible for College Football Hall of Fame after qualification rule adjusted
Legendary coach Mike Leach will soon be eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame after a recent set of rules adjustments by the National Football Foundation. "In consultation with the American Football Coaches Association, the NFF Honors Court and the NFF Awards Committee, the Foundation has revised the minimum career winning percentage required for coaching eligibility from .600 to .595," the NFF stated in a news release. "This change will go into effect beginning with the 2027 NFF College Football Hall of Fame Ballot." Advertisement Leach, a former Mississippi State coach, accrued a 158-107 record in more than two decades as a head coach, which included stops at Texas Tech and Washington State. He won 59.6% of games, leaving him just below the previous threshold of win percentage threshold of 60% following his unexpected death in 2022. Leach was expected to have cleared that threshold before his untimely death, with COVID having previously interrupted his progress toward hall of fame eligibility. More: Mississippi State football schedule times, TV announced for first three games in 2025 season More: Making the case for Mike Leach getting a College Football Hall of Fame eligibility exception Advertisement Now beginning in 2027, the two-time national coach of the year will meet the criteria to be selected into the College Football Hall of Fame. Also known as "The Pirate," Leach engineered an Air Raid offense that led him to 84 wins in nine years at Texas Tech. In 2012, he moved on to Washington State where he won 55 games in eight seasons, the third-most in program history. The final stint of his coaching career saw the Bulldogs steadily improve over the course of three seasons, winning eight games under Leach in 2022 before securing a win in the ReliaQuest Bowl shortly after his death. Harrison Campbell covers sports for The Daily Herald and The Tennessean. Email him at hcampbell@ and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @hccamp. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mike Leach to become eligible for College Football Hall of Fame in 2027
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mike Leach, Les Miles eligible for College Football Hall of Fame after rule change
Mike Leach and Les Miles are among the coaches that will benefit from the National Football Foundation changing the eligibility criteria for the College Football Hall of Fame. The NFF announced on Thursday that coaches with a winning percentage of .595 are considered eligible for induction. Previously, the requirement was for coaches to have a winning percentage of .600, which affected coaches worthy of consideration such as Leach (.596), Miles (.597) and Jackie Sherrill (.595). Advertisement In 21 seasons as a college football head coach at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State, Leach compiled a record of 158-107. He died in 2022 at the age of 61. In addition to his win-loss record, Mike Leach had significant influence on college football with his "Air Raid" offense. (Photo by) (Wesley Hitt via Getty Images) However, besides his winning percentage, Leach is lauded among his peers for his influence on the sport with his wide-open "Air Raid" offensive system that influenced many offenses throughout the nation. "Mike Leach was instrumental in changing the way football is played, and has made it more enjoyable for fans and players," Leach's mentor, Hal Mumme, told ESPN's Dave Wilson. "He had a huge role in that and he should be in the Hall of Fame." Leach was Mumme's offensive coordinator and developed the "Air Raid" at Iowa Wesleyan, Valdosta State and Kentucky from 1989-98. Miles is also affected by the Hall of Fame eligibility rules changing. Last year, he sued LSU for vacating 37 of his wins. (The NFF and NCAA were also named as defendants in the lawsuit.) The school imposed the penalty due to recruiting violations involving alleged payments totaling nearly $200,000 to the father of offensive lineman Vadal Alexander by a former booster. Every win in which Alexander played from 2012–15 was vacated. Advertisement Losing those 37 wins dropped Miles' winning percentage from .665 (145–73) to .597 (108-73), putting him below the threshold for Hall of Fame eligibility. Miles coached at Oklahoma State, LSU and Kansas in his 18 years as a head coach. A Louisiana judge dismissed the lawsuit earlier this year. Another coach who could benefit is Jackie Sherrill, who registered a .595 winning percentage (179-121-4) at Pittsburgh, Texas A&M and Mississippi State in a 26-year head coaching career. Active head coaches who are now eligible if they maintain their current winning percentages are Iowa's Kirk Ferentz (216-145, .598) and West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez (190-129-2, .596).
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Rule change makes Mike Leach eligible for Hall of Fame
A rule change announced on Thursday makes the late Mike Leach eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame. The National Football Foundation dropped the minimum required winning percentage for coaches from .600 to .595, a change that goes into effect with the 2027 ballot. Leach, who died on Dec. 12, 2022 at 61, compiled a .596 winning percentage (158-107 record) over 21 seasons at Texas Tech (2000-09), Washington State (2012-19) and Mississippi State (2020-22). All other eligibility requirements for coaches remain unchanged, including minimums of 10 seasons and 100 games. Coaches become eligible for consideration three full seasons after retirement or immediately following retirement if they are at least 70 years of age. Active coaches become eligible upon reaching the age of 75. 'The NFF is committed to preserving the integrity and prestige of the NFF College Football Hall of Fame,' NFF president and CEO Steve Hatchell said in a news release. 'This adjustment reflects thoughtful dialogue with leaders across the sport and allows us to better recognize coaches whose contributions to the game extend beyond a narrow statistical threshold.' Leach was named the Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2008 and the Pac-12 Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2018. He led his teams to 17 bowl games. Leach passed away following complications related to a heart condition. Three weeks later, interim coach Zach Arnett guided Mississippi State to a 19-10 win against Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mike Leach, Les Miles to become eligible for College Football Hall of Fame with eligibility rules changes
Mike Leach and Les Miles are among the coaches that will benefit from the National Football Foundation changing the eligibility criteria for the College Football Hall of Fame. The NFF announced on Thursday that coaches with a winning percentage of .595 are considered eligible for induction. Previously, the requirement was for coaches to have a winning percentage of .600, which affected coaches worthy of consideration such as Leach (.596), Miles (.597) and Jackie Sherrill (.595). Advertisement In 21 seasons as a college football head coach at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State, Leach compiled a record of 158-107. He died in 2022 at the age of 61. In addition to his win-loss record, Mike Leach had significant influence on college football with his "Air Raid" offense. (Photo by) (Wesley Hitt via Getty Images) However, besides his winning percentage, Leach is lauded among his peers for his influence on the sport with his wide-open "Air Raid" offensive system that influenced many offenses throughout the nation. "Mike Leach was instrumental in changing the way football is played, and has made it more enjoyable for fans and players," Leach's mentor, Hal Mumme, told ESPN's Dave Wilson. "He had a huge role in that and he should be in the Hall of Fame." Leach was Mumme's offensive coordinator and developed the "Air Raid" at Iowa Wesleyan, Valdosta State and Kentucky from 1989-98. Miles is also affected by the Hall of Fame eligibility rules changing. Last year, he sued LSU for vacating 37 of his wins. (The NFF and NCAA were also named as defendants in the lawsuit.) The school imposed the penalty due to recruiting violations involving alleged payments totaling nearly $200,000 to the father of offensive lineman Vadal Alexander by a former booster. Every win in which Alexander played from 2012–15 was vacated. Advertisement Losing those 37 wins dropped Miles' winning percentage from .665 (145–73) to .597 (108-73), putting him below the threshold for Hall of Fame eligibility. Miles coached at Oklahoma State, LSU and Kansas in his 18 years as a head coach. A Louisiana judge dismissed the lawsuit earlier this year. Another coach who could benefit is Jackie Sherrill, who registered a .595 winning percentage (179-121-4) at Pittsburgh, Texas A&M and Mississippi State in a 26-year head coaching career. Active head coaches who are now eligible if they maintain their current winning percentages are Iowa's Kirk Ferentz (216-145, 5.98) and West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez (190-129-2, .596).
