Texas Tech football: Gifts we wish we could give Matt Wells

The benefit of the doubt from the fan base

Matt Wells finds himself in a rather difficult position.  He has been tasked with following in the footsteps of one of the most popular figures in Texas Tech football history.

Despite the fact that Kliff Kignsbury had a losing overall record in six seasons, he will forever remain a beloved figure in the eyes of most Red Raiders.  Therefore, Wells will constantly be compared to his predecessor even more so than most coaches would be in their first year on the job.

Consider the difference in the situation Kingsbury was in when he inherited the job in 2012.  He was brought in to replace one of the most disliked men in Texas Tech history, Tommy Tuberville, and was greeted with overwhelming support and enthusiasm.

But Wells has to not only win over his new team and the recruits he has been courting, he must also find a way to earn the support of a divided fan base that was not especially excited about his hiring in the fist place.

However, the new Red Raider head coach deserves the benefit of the doubt as much as Kingsbury did six years ago.  In fact, there is reason to extend Wells more leeway than we did Kliff.

Unlike Kingsbury, Wells has already proven to be a successful head coach going 44-34 in six years at Utah State.  He has been a college coach for over 20 years which quadruples the experience Kingsbury had on his resume when he was given the keys to the castle.

Certainly there will be a portion of the fan base that will remain skeptical about Matt Wells until he wins games.  However, he deserves the benefit of the doubt and should be granted our sport until he proves unworthy of our loyalty.  If there was one thing we could give Wells that would most help him build a successful program, it would be a united fandom that supports him from the get-go as eagerly as it did Kliff Kingsbury.