Texas Tech is looking for a new offensive coordinator following the dismissal of David Yost. Where will Matt Wells and the Red Raiders turn? Here's a look at several candidates that should be in the mix.
SONNY CUMBIE, TCU OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Why: Cumbie is a former Red Raider quarterback that coached under Mike Leach, Neal Brown and Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech. He has been the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at TCU since 2014.
Why not Following a breakout year for the Horned Frogs' offense in 2014, TCU's offense has finished higher than fifth in the Big 12 just twice. The Horned Frogs scored just 15 more total points than the Red Raiders did over the last two seasons.
GRAHAM HARRELL, USC OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Why: Harrell is a former Red Raider quarterback who coached under Mike Gundy and Mike Leach and coordinated offenses at North Texas and USC. He took a moribund Mean Green offense and turned it into a top-25 unit in 2017 and 2018. Harrell has the Trojans in the top three of Pac-12 scoring offenses for the first time since 2007-08.
Why not: At face value, Harrell's current job is better than the vacant offensive coordinator position in Lubbock.
ZACH KITTLEY, WESTERN KENTUCKY OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Why: Kittley is a Texas Tech alumnus, and son of the university's track and field coach, who worked closely with Kliff Kingsbury before joining Houston Baptist's staff as offensive coordinator in 2018. He led a Huskies offense that torched the Red Raiders in the 2020 season-opener.
Why not: Kittley has only been an offensive playcaller for 16 total games and Big 12 defenses will be a significant step-up from what he faced for the bulk of his time at HBU. He also recently joined the Western Kentucky staff and may not be inclined to back out so soon after accepting the position.
GARRETT RILEY, SMU OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Why: Riley is a former walk-on quarterback at Texas Tech and has worked his way up through the coaching ranks over the last decade. He coached under his brother at East Carolina, spent three seasons as an assistant at Kansas and was a running backs coach at Appalachian State before Sonny Dykes hired him to coordinate SMU's offense in 2020. This season, the Mustangs ranked third in the AAC in points and second in yards per game.
Why not: Riley only has one season of playcalling experience. SMU did not face a Power Five opponent this season due to the pandemic, but its offense struggled in the team's two games against AP Top 25 opponents.