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Texas Tech football: Why Matt Wells’ first staff is far better than Kliff Kingsbury’s

By Matthew Conner

STILLWATER, OK - SEPTEMBER 22: Running back Demarcus Felton #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrates a touchdown on a 17-yard gain up the middle with his team against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the fourth quarter on September 22, 2018 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
STILLWATER, OK - SEPTEMBER 22: Running back Demarcus Felton #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrates a touchdown on a 17-yard gain up the middle with his team against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the fourth quarter on September 22, 2018 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
(Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images) /

Offensive Coordinator: David Yost vs. Sonny Cumbie/Eric Morris

When Wells was hired, the first question most Red Raider football fans asked was whether or not he would be keeping the “Air Raid” offense.  Though that might not technically be the case, Wells is set to do what Red Raider fans really wanted, keep the program’s offensive identity.

In David Yost, the Red Raiders have an offensive coordinator with one of the most decorated resumes in the game.  During his 24-year career as a college football assistant, the 49-year-old has coached three quarterbacks that spent time in the NFL (Brad Smith, Chase Daniel, and Blaine Gabbert all from Missouri) as well as another in Oregon’s Justin Herbert who will likely be a first-round pick in the 2020 draft.   Additionally, his 2018 QB protegee at Utah State, Jordan Love is also likely to get a look in the NFL next season.

Last year, Yost was named one of 15 finalists for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation’s top assistant.  He has been fully immersed in the world of big-time college football having coached at Missouri, Washington State, and Oregon for 16 seasons thus earning him the reputation as one of the game’s brightest offensive minds.

Compare that resume to Kingsbury’s first set of co-offensive coordinators, Sonny Cumbie and Eric Morris.  Cumbie was just 32-years-old at the time he was named the Tech OC and had been a college football assistant for just two years with two other years as a graduate assistant, all with the Red Raiders.

Meanwhile, Morris had even less experience as a college assistant.  In 2012, he was on Mike Leach’s staff at Washington State and prior to that he had been a graduate assistant and offensive quality control analyst for two seasons at Texas A&M.

The truth is that the Cumbie/Morris hybrid was not a true offensive coordinator in the way that Yost is.  Whereas Wells is counting on Yost to design the Red Raider offense and call plays, Cumbie/Morris did not have either of those privileges because that was Kingsbury’s passion.  That is why he left Tech following the 2013 season to assume the same role at TCU (where he was co-OC with Doug Meacham).

Even when comparing Wells’ first OC to Kingsbury’s, it takes no time to understand which brings more to the table.  And even if you compare Yost to Kingsbury’s true OC (himself) you will find that the man running this year’s Red Raider offense has a decided advantage in regards to career accomplishments and experience.

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