Texas Tech's interim offensive and defensive coordinators for the Liberty Bowl are wide receivers coach Justin "Juice" Johnson and outside linebackers coach CJ Ah You.
The Liberty Bowl against Arkansas will be the Red Raiders position coaches' first time calling plays on a full time basis in their coaching careers, as Johnson is the only one with play calling experience being thrust into action while at Baylor due to Covid-19.
While Tech's full time coordinators have already been replaced since the changing of the guard, the Red Raiders will still be operating under that same system against Arkansas with just two weeks to prepare for the matchup.
"Yea, we ain't inventing a new wheel in two and a half weeks," Ah You said. "There's things that our guys do really well throughout the year. So it's pinpointing those things and then just really being detailed about it and make them feel real confident about what they're doing, so they can line up real quick, do their checks, and then play really fast and violent."
The interim coordinators will have the opportunity to take on a coveted role, even if just for one game, the role of calling plays for a power-conference football team, something that is not lost on either.
"Very excited for the opportunity. Super gracious and humbled by the opportunity that I have available," Johnson said. "I'm just really trying to step outside of myself, because there's a lot of opportunity for a lot of guys, you know, from young coaches getting to take on more of a role, young players getting to take on more of a role. So very humble and very blessed."
"Grateful he (McGuire) gave me the opportunity, and he trusted me to go moving forward, to finish off this this year," Ah You said. "So that's a great opportunity, and I just ran with it. You know, we got a good group of guys that been all in all year, so we're very excited to for the challenge."
The game-day role for both will look different, as Ah You will remain on the sideline to call plays while Juice will head up to the press box to join tight ends coach Josh Cochran for the bowl game.
"I'm gonna go to the box. I've been up in the box before," Johnson said. "I'm gonna let some of our younger coaches come down and have opportunity to be really engaged and be involved in some of the position stuff. So I'm gonna go up to the box and call it from the box."
"I'm a sideline person, so I like to be in the action," Ah You said. "And my guys feed off of me on the sideline, you know. So I like to be up front and center. I'm gonna be on that sideline for sure."
