Wreck'Em Red
Fansided

Looking Back At Kliff Kingsbury’s Biggest Mistakes

By Matthew Conner

AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 24: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Texas Tech Red Raiders surveys the field as the team arrives before the game against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 24, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 24: Head coach Kliff Kingsbury of the Texas Tech Red Raiders surveys the field as the team arrives before the game against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 24, 2017 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
Kliff Kingsbury
(Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

Ignoring All QB Recruits But Stidham In 2015

Early in the 2014-15 recruiting cycle, Kingsbury seemed to land the biggest recruiting prize of his young career.  Five-star Stephenville, Texas QB Jarrett Stidham verbally committed to the Red Raiders in the spring of 2014 setting the Red Raiders up for continued success at QB after Davis Webb and Pat Mahomes.

But when Stidham decomitted in mid-December (the recruiting calendar equivalent of the last minute) Kingsbury had no back-up plan because he had ceased communications with all of the other QBs in the class that he had originally been in touch with.  As a result, Tech did not sign a QB in the 2015 class.

That became a huge problem in 2017 when Pat Mahomes skipped his senior season for the NFL leaving Tech to start fifth-year senior Nic Shimonek.  Though Shimonek was serviceable, he was not up the the standards Tech Tech fans have come to expect from their QBs.

More from Wreck'Em Red

But there were no other viable option at QB, especially since the suspension of 2016 QB signee Jett Duffey left Shimonek with virtually no competition for the starting job in the offseason.  What’s more, Had Kingsbury been able to bring in a 2015 QB, he would be set to start this year instead of either of the three candidates currently on the roster who have a combined one start between them.

It is ironic that Kingsbury is coaching for his job in a season when his biggest question mark is at the quarterback position.  And that can be traced back to the 2015 recruiting class when Kingsbury thought he had a star recruit in the bag.

Nut after Stidham committed, Kingsbury and his staff stopped fostering relationships with other QBs.  It is common practice for coaches to keep some courtesy communication open with AB recruits even if they have a preferred QB already in the fold just in case something goes wrong.  That is a lesson Kingsbury learned the hard way in 2015.

The first player Kingsbury turned to after Stidham jumped ship was Ben Hicks of Waco, Texas. But because Kingsbury had virtually ignored Hicks throughout the recruiting process, Kingsbury couldn’t flip him at the last minute.

Next. Rewatching 2017-Arizona State. dark

Hicks has started the past two seasons at SMU where the has thrown for 6,499 yards and 52 TDs.  Had Kingsbury continued to foster a relationship with Hicks, or another 2015 recruit, even though Stidham was verbally committed, Texas Tech could be in a much better place at the game’s most important position heading into a pivotal season.

Home/Texas Tech Football