Dave Aranda Wants Joey McGuire to Win at Texas Tech
Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire is set to begin his first season with the Red Raiders, and his former boss, Baylor’s Dave Aranda, hopes he “wins them all.”
Well, not ALL of them.
“With the exception of one game, man, I want them to get them all,” Aranda said with a smile.
The Red Raiders underwent a lot of transition last season. Texas Tech fired Matt Wells less than three years into his tenure. Former Red Raiders quarterback Sonny Cumbie took over as interim head coach, but athletic director Kirby Hocutt ultimately turned to McGuire for the permanent job. Cumbie is now the head coach at Louisiana Tech.
McGuire is considered one of the Big 12’s leading recruiters due to his time as a high school coach at Cedar Hill near Dallas, Texas. Former Baylor head coach Matt Rhule initially hired McGuire, and he stayed at Baylor when Aranda took over. Both coaches, who were coming in from out-of-state schools, relied on McGuire for introductions to Texas high school football coaches. It’s already paid off, as the Red Raiders have a commitment from 2023 quarterback Jake Strong, who is from Northwest (Justin, Texas) High School.
The Red Raiders are counting on McGuire to help the program own the state, in both high school players and potential transfers at out-of-state schools hoping to return home.
“I have a lot of respect and admiration for Joey,” Aranda said. “I think, as an assistant coach, he was very hardworking, he was a great teammate to all the rest of the coaches, he was a hard worker and is very well respected, especially in the state of Texas. He was someone that I would lean on for advice and for guidance at times.”
Texas Tech is coming off a 2021 in which it went 7-6 overall and 3-6 in Big 12 action. The Red Raiders reached the Liberty Bowl, where they defeated Mississippi State, 34-7, marking the first time the Red Raiders faced former head coach Mike Leach.
The Red Raiders have 11 starters returning, most of them on defense. Texas Tech was No. 119 in passing defense last season and has a new defensive coordinator in Tim DeRuyter.
But, it’s Texas Tech, so all eyes will be on the quarterback battle between holdovers Tyler Shough and Donovan Smith. Both started last season and both showed flashes of being able to lead the offense full-time. It’s up to McGuire and his offensive coordinator, Zach Kittley, to sort through that in the fall.
The Red Raiders open the season on Sept. 3 at home against Murray State, followed by a home game with Houston on Sept. 10 and a road trip to NC State on Sept. 17. Texas Tech opens the Big 12 slate on Sept. 24 at home against Texas.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
