The key thing about a carousel that isn’t slowing down any time soon is knowing when the best time is to jump off.
Consider Texas Tech’s search committee for a new football coach a trendsetter in that department in this latest merry-go-round of movement in the coaching ranks.
(By the way, kudos to a few off-the-radar schools for knowing the right time to jump on when things seem to be slowing down and reportedly getting their man just like the Red Raiders did.)
Sometime soon, the national networks/web sites will start churning out their analyses of who “won” the recent coaching carousel – always thought that was a silly exercise, because this time of year is sort of like recruiting because every program considers its coaching search as successful. Is anybody ever going to come out and seem tepidly lukewarm about the man they just tabbed to take over their program?
Anyway, there will be plenty of “Team X hit a home run,” or “Team Y really beat the pack,” etc. May take a while because arguably the two biggest fish in this current pond are still on the hunt, although I wouldn’t suspect either job stays vacant long. (The Sooners may already have their man in the guy who led them to glory for 17 years). There isn’t a lot of bluer blood in college football than Notre Dame and Oklahoma.
What is likely to happen with Texas Tech’s hiring of Joey McGuire is that it won’t move the needle much with national folks because, fairly or not, the Red Raiders aren’t the sexy name for those national cats. McGuire and the Red Raiders will be an afterthought because 1) They will be too busy gushing about Lincoln Riley to USC, Brian Kelly to LSU, Billy Napier to Florida and fill-in-the-blanks to Notre Dame and OU; and 2) There aren’t a lot of places where it makes perfect sense to hire a man whose most extensive experience is at the high school level.
You know what, though? That may be exactly what McGuire and Texas Tech could use right now as the new coach and his staff work behind the scenes to build a head of steam at the same time they re-establish the attitude the best Red Raiders teams have been known for. Pump-jack mentality, anyone?
It’s already begun with the way McGuire has redirected recruiting, especially at the local grassroots level. Names like Isaiah Crawford, Major Everhart, Kobie McKinzie, Kyler Jordan and John Curry might get not cause much of a stir on recruiting radars for some of the bigger programs, but those are/will/could be massive additions for Texas Tech as McGuire and Co. look to refortify a fence around West Texas that was showing some wear-and-tear.
Playing with an edge – that perpetual chip-on-the-shoulder approach – has always seemed to be what works best for Texas Tech, so the thought of being brushed aside or glossed over quickly as national pundits ooze with excitement about the happenings in L.A., Baton Rouge, Gainesville, South Bend and Norman should be welcome fodder.
More importantly, what all the dismissive attention verifies to me is that Kirby Hocutt and the committee found the exact right man to take over a program that flashes potential but has floundered for a while. Let McGuire and his crew lay in the weeds for a while until they jump up and bite the bigger names a few times.
I totally understand Riley bolting OU for USC and Kelly leaving Notre Dame for LSU. First off, the money involved is completely impossible to ignore. More than that, most coaches crave the next big challenge and there aren’t any bigger reclamation projects in the country right now than USC and LSU, with Florida a close third. (No comment on Texas, because if you know – you know).
Both guys had gotten their programs about as far as they could go, and I have encountered a lot of coaches who didn’t strike while the iron was hot – they stayed in a job because they had been successful, then lost it a few laters later when things went south.
What Tech landed in McGuire is the opposite: The Red Raiders snared a passionate dude hungry to prove that he belongs at the big table and has the right personality to breathe new life into a program with untapped potential, at least of late.
To me, the fit is much better with McGuire and Texas Tech than it is with Muleshoe-born Riley and the bright lights of L.A. or the sometimes prickly Kelly and the laissez le bon temps rouler crowd in my former home of Baton Rouge. Fans and media there will embrace a new coach unlike any place I have ever been, but it he or she isn’t warm-and-fuzzy at some level, the relationship gets contenious very quickly.
Not to say Riley and Kelly won’t have success. Their track records are impeccable, so it won’t surprise at all. But it just seems like McGuire, with his enthusiasm, ties to Texas high schools and perfect-for-West Texas personality has an immediate leg up on those guys as they make their transitions.
Which won’t get looked at it quite the same way at the national level. But here, where it matters to Texas Tech fans most, the hire represents a perfect spin on the carousel whether it gets much national pub or not.
-------------------------------------------------------
Randy Rosetta is the Managing Editor of RedRaiderSports.com
Follow on Twitter | @RandyRosetta or @RedRaiderSports
-------------------------------------------------------
A portion of proceeds from every case sold is donated to The Little Warrior Foundation. The Little Warrior Foundation's mission is to fund & find a lasting cure for childhood cancer, with a specific focus on Ewing's Sarcoma. https://shop.summerlandwinebrands.com/Shop/Fields-of-Gold
