Texas Tech football: Reasons to fire Matt Wells now are plentiful
Appease influential boosters
This next point might seem a bit odd given that on Friday, Texas Tech announced a $20 million donation from high-profile booster Dustin Womble. The gift, the largest in Texas Tech athletics history, is earmarked for a new football training facility to be completed by the 2023 season.
But while Womble’s generosity is a huge step in the right direction for this program, it isn’t going to be enough to put Tech in the upper-class neighborhood. In fact, it might not be enough to get Tech out of the trailer park.
What does that have to do with Wells though? Well, it is no secret that some highly influential donors to the program are completely out on him. In fact, a group of them lobbied hard for his outsing last offseason and they were nearly rewarded for their efforts.
These are the same boosters that Hocutt alienated by not interviewing current Houston head coach Dana Holgorsen prior to hiring Wells. In fact, these boosters had set up an interview with Holgorsen only to have Hocutt refuse to take the meeting.
We can confirm that Dana Holgorsen was interested in the Texas Tech opening but Kirby Hocutt declines to interview him morning. @RedRaiderNation @KAMCNews
— David Collier (@CollieronTV) November 29, 2018
That move has been one of Hocutt’s worst as AD. On the one hand, he should never let the opinion of boosters dictate to him what he will do in the way of hiring a coach. However, he should have at least taken the interview to, if nothing else, allow these boosters to save face with Holgorsen and in the court of public opinion.
But by not doing so, Hocutt alienated some of the most passionate and wealthy donors this program has. So how could he fully get back on their good side? By firing Wells and doing so now, not at the end of the year.
Sometimes leaders have to admit when they are wrong or have made a mistake. And firing Wells would be a strong mea culpa from a man who has taken plenty of missteps over years when it comes to this football program.
If Kirby would get rid of Wells now, the excitement among the big-money boosters would be palpable. And it might just open up a flow of cash for the next head coach while also going miles towards helping repair some fences that need mending.