Kliff Kingsbury's hot seat has cooled according to Bruce Feldman

Kliff Kingsbury’s seat was scalding hot coming into the 2017 season, but there are a few factors that look to be cooling the situation down.

Kliff Kingsbury might be seeing cooler forecasts following a 4-2 start to Texas Tech’s 2017 season, according to national sportswriter Bruce Feldman.

In Feldman’s “Midseason Awards,” Kingsbury is listed as No. 2 of three coaches on the “Best Coaching Job: Hot Seat Division,” flanked by NC State coach Dave Doeren, and Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly. Feldman says, “The Red Raiders are much improved on defense, and their offense still gives opponents nightmares even after losing star quarterback Pat Mahomes to the NFL. Kingsbury briefly got Tech back in the Top 25 for the first time since 2013.”

It’s taken Texas Tech three full seasons to undo and restructure its defense–a unit that was plagued for years with coaching turnover, adapting new schematics, then readjusting every time a new coordinator was brought in. In his third season, Tech defensive coordinator David Gibbs has produced an outstanding unit led by Jordan Brooks, Jah’Shawn Johnson, Dakota Allen, Mychaelon Thomas, Kolin Hill, Demarcus Fields, Vaughntay Dorsey and more. The Texas Tech defense struggled for years in numerous categories, but through six games in 2017, its forced more turnovers (15) than it did the entire 2016 season (13).

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Perhaps the defensive adjustments were a combination of Kliff Kingsbury having more involvement with the defense, and urgency to win, but Texas Tech has 44 brand new players on its roster this season, so the team as a whole are forcing each other to compete every day for playing time.

While offensive production has slid ever so slightly (as in, still Top 10) in national comparison, despite the second half against West Virginia, quarterback Nic Shimonek looked to be improving through every game. From No. 45 in Kansas State, to No. 125 in Baylor, the Big 12 is all over the map in terms of total defensive production, so Texas Tech still has plenty to prove, but it also has the opportunity to run video game numbers against a few opponents this season, especially if approached with Leach-era ruthlessness. .

It took Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy four seasons to establish a legitimate conference win column. And even TCU head coach Gary Patterson has had his struggles, which includes a 4-8 record in 2014, and a 6-7 record in 2016. Both seasons, the Horned Frogs bounced back recording a 12-1 season in 2015, and in Playoff contention this season as an undefeated underdog.

Next: Brandon Carter offers insight into this season

With Iowa State, Oklahoma, Kansas State, Baylor, TCU, and Texas still on the schedule this season, there’s plenty of time for Kliff Kingsbury & Co. to cement some marquee wins and continue to sail the ship into the right direction. With a strength and conditioning staff committed to excellence, a stable of players expected to return in 2018, and recruiting momentum in Tech’s favor, there’s a possibility this is the season Tech could finally be turning the program around.

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Kliff Kingsbury’s hot seat has cooled according to Bruce Feldman

By VF Castro | Oct 20, 2017

Kliff Kingsbury’s seat was scalding hot coming into the 2017 season, but there are a few factors that look to be cooling the situation down.