Texas Tech Head Coaching Search: Where do the Red Raiders go from here?

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With the firing of Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells now official, athletic director Kirby Hocutt comes into a pivotal time of his tenue. His two football hires, one initially seen as a homerun in bringing program legend Kliff Kingsbury back and the other a complete 180 in terms of long-term program building, have both failed.

Conference rival Baylor has lapped the program with back-to-back hires that have the Bears positioned just outside of the upper echelon in the Big 12. Now with a new-look conference on the horizon, Tech is in position to make a move toward the top if they make the right hire or get left wallowing in the unsexy middle.

But what’s that hire look like? Lubbock isn’t the easiest place to recruit to hence why its best success came under a figure like Mike Leach who ushered in the air raid for college football and gave the program a unique identity. Does Hocutt want to tap back into that history or continue in another direction? Here are some names we think should be in the mix.

 

Dream: SMU head coach Sonny Dykes

This one works on almost too many levels.

Of course, Sonny Dykes’ father, the late Spike Dykes, was Tech head coach for over 10 years. Sonny is a Tech alum, grew up in the Lubbock area and coached under Leach l from 2000 to 2006. He knows the program better than anyone and knows his strengths and weaknesses. Dykes is a proven successful head coach and has SMU experiencing its best run since the Pony Express days. He’d also bring a brand of football that’s exciting and sort of reminiscent of golden age Tech. But the best thing we can say about Dykes is that he’s adaptable.

The “Bear Raid” attack didn’t work out so well at Cal and the team cratered defensively during his tenure, but at SMU he’s managed to implement a rushing attack that creeped up from around 50th his first few seasons to a Top 25 team this year all while maintaining a consistent defense and making great hires around him including the likes of Ra’Shaad Samples, Jim Leavitt, Garrett Riley and formerly Rhett Lashlee and Kevin Kane.

Recruiting is the biggest indicator that Tech’s falling behind other teams in the Big 12. The Red Raiders are currently second-to-last in 247’s 2022 Big 12 rankings and need an influx of talent. Dykes has experience with that too with how he turned SMU into a destination for high-level transfers and leveraged that into HS recruiting momentum following initial success.

It’s not the easiest call to make, though. Dykes can likely retire at SMU if he so chooses but Tech could also double or even triple his salary and does the idea of turning around his alma mater and father’s old program something he relishes?

 

Realistic: UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor

Recruiting problems, you say? Can we interest you in a peak-value Jeff Traylor?

The credentials speak for themselves at this point. The current UTSA head man has the Roadrunners ranked, undefeated and has recruiting ties all over the state as a widely respected figure in the high school coaching community. If Jeff Traylor walks into a recruit’s living room and asks them to go to Death Valley in California, it’s honestly a 50-50 shot. Lubbock would be child’s play. Plus, he’s a true builder and sports politician, meaning he’s someone that administrators, boosters, coaches and players can equally grow to love and right now, Tech needs someone who can rally everyone.

He’s made insanely good staff hires that took a roster with plenty of holes and turned it into a team that’s winning every possible way this year: through the air, on the ground, defensively, in shootouts, blowouts. You can’t say enough about how quick of a turnaround UTSA has done under Traylor. His next job will likely be in the state anyway, it’s hard to imagine him taking his Texas ties outside of the Lone Star State, so why not make the call?

 

Out of the Box:

USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell

Does Kirby Hocutt need a bit of a “win” with boosters and fans?

Grabbing another former record-setting quarterback could be in play as a fallback option. Although it’s clear Graham Harrell’s stint at USC didn’t go as planned, that program was a sinking ship when he joined and Harrell’s offense likely even bought Clay Helton more time when USC finished 2020 11th in Offensive SP+ and looked to have developed a future NFL QB in Kedon Slovis. Even now during a lost season, USC is 17th in Off. SP+. Not to mention North Texas’ trajectory since Harrell was hired away has been a nosedive.

But it’s easy to see that if the Kingsbury hired didn’t work out, why would Harrell? We don’t know his strengths as a builder since he hasn’t been a head coach and the program isn’t in a position to take much of a risk following Wells’ hire.

Ole Miss offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby

Okay so let’s just get this out there, yes Art Briles’ name was attached Tech job last time around. But, according to Yahoo’s Pete Thamel, that’s not likely to be the case this time, understandably. So naturally rumors might turn to Arkansas offensive coordinator Kendall Briles. Similarly, that’s still a hard sell.

But, Ole Miss offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, who’s coached under both, could emerge as a candidate. Ole Miss is one of the most exciting programs in the country and Hocutt could try to hedge his bets by pleasing the pro-Briles crowd with an adjacent move. But Lebby, also Art’s son-in-law, was on Baylor’s staff during the Baylor sexual assault scandal as well. Is his affiliation with the staff and potential fallout worth it?

 

Ishmael's Pick: UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor

This one’s easy. Media from across the country are penciling this one in as we speak.

Tech needs someone who can muster support, understands the program’s unique situation, knows the recruiting landscape and has a vision and that’s Jeff Traylor. Some could argue that Tech isn’t a great job to lure a hot shot candidate like Traylor as opposed to jobs closer to metro areas, but Power Five jobs don’t come up every day and especially in this state.

Don’t forget, Traylor was likely a week or two away from being the Lamar head coach before UTSA called. He of all people should know the value of opportunity and timing.

He should be Texas Tech’s first call.

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