As we break in a new year, let’s take a look at five things that must happen in 2019 if the Texas Tech football program is to take a step forward.
2019 will be a fascinating year for the Texas Tech football program. With a new head coach in Matt Wells replacing a Red Raider legend, the first full year of the new regime will be scrutinized at every turn.
Unfortunately, Texas Tech football has fallen to the bottom tier of the Big 12. While schools that Tech once looked down upon like Oklahoma State, Iowa State, TCU and even Baylor have been on an upward trajectory, the Red Raiders’ arrow has been pointing south for the past decade.
In the 2010’s, Tech is just 56-57 and has finished no higher than 5th in the conference. That is an unfortunate followup to the 2000’s, which was the most successful decade in program history.
The problem has been instability at head coach. Wells is the program’s fourth head coach since 2009 and thus far, no coach has been able to come close to recapturing the magic of the Mike Leach era.
Consider that in the thirty seasons prior to the 2010 season, Tech had only four different head coaches and it is easy to see how chaos at the top has led to the decline of Red Raider football.
But Matt Wells is now in place with a six-year contract. However, he must begin to show progress almost immediately. This is a fan base that is losing patience and growing more apathetic with each passing season of irrelevance.
In the days after his hiring, Wells repeatedly said he believes that this is not a rebuild but a reload. That must ring true because unlike his predecessor, he will not be granted the benefit of the doubt from the majority of fans. So let’s take a look at five things that must happen this year for the Texas Tech football program to get back on track in Matt Wells’ first full calendar year.