Texas Tech football: 5 things to know about UTSA’s Jeff Traylor

Traylor isn’t a slam dunk

In the world of college football, almost every hire is a crapshoot.  Thus, for those wanting Texas Tech to make a slam dunk hire, you might be disappointed.

The simple fact is that there are so many factors that go into having a successful football program that even good coaches can struggle at a university.  For example, look at former Texas Tech head coach Jerry more who went 16-37-2 with the Red Raiders from 1981-85 but who rebounded to go 215-87 at Appalachian State while winning three Division 1-AA National Titles on his way to the College Football Hall of Fame.

The point is that we just never know which coach is going to be a success and which is going to be a failure.  And only time will tell with Traylor, regardless of where he is coaching next year.

The reality is that Texas Tech needs to fix more than just the head coaching position.  This is a program that must decide if it wants to spend the money necessary to hire top assistants and build the caliber of facilities that will allow it to compete at the top of the Big 12.

According to this article (behind a paywall), by Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, that’s the type of commitment Tech appears willing to make in its football program. And make no mistake, that financial investment is a huge reason why Texas Tech Board of Regents members Cody Campbell and Dusty Womble are on the search committee for the new football coach.  They are two of the biggest donors to the football program and their financial backing will be as important to the program’s success as their input in this process will be.

Few people like to admit it and even fewer want to hear it but the simple fact is that the last two coaches in Texas Tech football history, Kliff Kingsbury and Wells, were not set up to win by the program.  Sure, both had massive flaws as a head coach and both could have won more than they did on the South Plains but neither had the type of financial backing needed to get the Red Raiders over the hump.

Until this program puts the systems and financial backing in place to compete with its peers, every coach Tech hires could be facing an uphill battle.  That’s no different for Traylor who is by all accounts a winner and a strong coach but who is no sure thing because…outside of Nick Saban, there are no sure things in college football.