Late Mike Leach, Kliff Kingsbury Lead 2023 Texas Tech Hall Of Honor, Fame Inductees

Mike Leach's impact on Texas Tech athletics will be officially confirmed this fall.

The late football coach will be inducted into the Texas Tech Hall of Fame this year. Quarterback Kliff Kingsbury, who played under Leach, led a seven-man inductee class to the Tech Hall of Fame, the athletic department announced Wednesday.

The Hall of Fame and Hall of Fame are for former coaches, players, trainers and managers. Former athletes are inducted into the Hall of Fame when coaches and managers are elected to the Hall of Fame.

Leach coached the Red Ride football team from 2000 to 2009, the most successful in program history. Under Leach, Tech went 84-43 in 10 seasons and won a bowl in each campaign.

Rodney Ellison, executive director of the university's Double T Club, who observed the voting process, said there was little discussion about Leach's induction. Regardless of how Leach's tenure at Texas Tech ended, he received a unanimous yes vote.

"You need 90 percent proof to get into the Hall of Fame, and he was there," Ellison said. I think 96.9 or 97.2 (percent). That's a significant number and a very positive vote for Coke Leach.

The Red Raiders were synonymous with the Air Force in Leach's era. Leach has the most wins in program history as a coach. Leech died suddenly on December 13 at the age of 61.

Past winners include Gonzalo Escobar (Men's Tennis, 2008-12). Katie Carlson (Women's Tennis, 1984-88); Kim Kaufman (Women's Golf, 2009-13); Greg Larey (Men's Basketball, 1970-72); Matt Wingo (football, 1988-91); and Jason Young (Track and Field, 1999-04) will be inducted into the Kingsbury Hall of Fame.

About 60 athletes were originally nominated for the 2023 Hall of Fame class, Ellison said. The electorate was reduced to 10 men and 5 women, one of whom voted.

Kingsbury helped lead the Tech football team's aerial attack while playing for the Red Raiders from 1999-2002. He set 39 school records as a quarterback, racked up more than 12,000 yards and total offense and won the Sammy Baugh Award, given annually to the nation's top college quarterback.

"I think what happened with Cliff is a unique story because he's a great, great player, and then he comes here, the coaches here, and for whatever reason it doesn't work out," Allison said. What about us? Bring it back and Texas Loves Tech still follows and wants to be a part of Texas Tech…”

Escobar is a two-time Tech All-American and one of three Red Raiders to compete for both the NCAA singles and doubles championships during his career. In the final season, he became the national runner-up in doubles with partner Raoni Carvalho.

Mike Leach and Wes Keightley are up for election to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.

Carlson is the all-time winningest in women's tennis program history with 224 career wins, 111 in singles and 113 in doubles.

During his Texas Tech career, Kaufman had 15 top-10 finishes, including one top-5 finish in 2012-13. In the year He was a first-team Academic All-American in program history in 2013 and the first player in program history to be ranked No. 1 in the nation.

Lowery scored 1,476 career points and averaged 19.7 points in three years as a Red Raider. He averaged 24.5 points as a senior. He and Gene Noll were the first two black basketball players in Texas Tech history.

Playing for former coach Spike Dykes, Wingo is one of the best quarterbacks in program history. In his four-year career, he ranks third all-time with 385 career rushing yards and earned All-Midwest Conference honors his junior and senior seasons.

A junior Olympic champion before transferring to Tech, Young was a two-time NCAA All-American, finishing second in the discus at the 2004 NCAA Open Championships. She finished eighth on the 2012 US Olympic team.

The Hall of Fame and Honors will be officially inducted at a ceremony at the Overton Hotel and Convention Center on September 29 at 6:00 p.m. The room will be known at Jones AT&T Stadium when the Red Raiders host Houston.

While some logistics are being worked out, Ellison said all Hall of Famers, including Kingsbury, will be in Lubbock for the ceremony. Leach is still in discussions with the coach's family about who will replace him.

Ticket and schedule information will be announced this fall.

This article originally appeared in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. The late Mike Leach nominated Kliff Kingsbury for the 2023 Texas Tech Hall of Fame induction.