Texas Tech coach Matt Wells announces football staff additions

Courtesy Texas Tech athletics

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Texas Tech football introduced six new assistant coaches and support staff members to head coach Matt Wells’ staff. All six will come to Lubbock from his former job at Utah State.

Former Wyoming standout Jovon Bouknight will coach outside receivers, and former Boise State star Julius Brown will mold the defensive backs. Experienced assistant Steve Farmer will coach the offensive line. Running backs coach DeAndre Swift is the only assistant without multiple years under Wells’ direction, but he spent the 2018 season at Utah State.

The head coach’s brother, Luke Wells, will handle tight ends and inside receivers. He served in a similar position at Iowa State from 2009 to 2012, and also coached at Denton High School.

These five assistant coaches join offensive coordinator David Yost and defensive coordinator Keith Patterson on Texas Tech’s staff. Wells has filled seven of his 10 allotted assistant coaching spots with former Utah State assistants, including five offensive coaches.

Wells now has assistants slotted to coach quarterbacks, outside receivers, inside receivers, tight ends, offensive line, running backs and defensive backs. The Red Raiders have three spots left to fill on the coaching staff.

If his previous staff at Utah State is any indication, Wells will likely fill the spots with a defensive line coach, inside linebackers coach and outside linebackers coach. His defensive line coach and former co-defensive coordinator from Utah State, Frank Maile, is currently serving as interim coach for the Aggies’ New Mexico Bowl game against North Texas.

However, FootballScoop is also reporting that Wells has targeted Purdue special teams coordinator Mark Tommerdahl for his staff. Tommerdahl coached under Wells at Utah State in 2017. He could settle for a traditional linebackers coach if he lands Tommerdahl.

With the offensive staff likely filled, the likelihood of holding onto any previous staffers seems to be dwindling. Outside receivers coach Emmett Jones, a former head coach at South Oak Cliff, was thought to be a possibility. However, there isn’t a spot for him on staff.

Former linebackers coach Zac Spavital is the only Kliff Kingsbury assistant with a job at this point.

Wells would be wise to consider filling at least one or two of the defensive openings with former Texas high school football coaches, who can help lay the groundwork in recruiting. Texas Tech has 14 commits in the class of 2019 after losing five commitments following Kingsbury's dismissal. 

A year ago, Texas Tech fielded the worst recruiting class in the Power Five. Only five of the 22 recruits came on the defensive side of the ball. 

Wells is also bringing head strength and conditioning coach Dave Scholz from Utah State. Scholz is a longtime Utah State assistant who learned under current Minnesota Vikings strength coach Mark Uyeyama.

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