We know we are living in somewhat strange times when Notre Dame is pursuing something that the Texas Tech football program has going for it. It is being reported that the Fighting Irish are working hard to lure away Texas Tech football General Manager, James Blanchard to fill the same role in South Bend.
One would have to imagine that Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire and the rest of the powers that be in Lubbock will do whatever they can to keep Blanchard in West Texas. That's because it would be less than ideal for this program to have to replace both coordinators and its general manager in the same off-season.
Hopefully, Blanchard's ties to McGuire and what we assume will be a significant salary boost will be enough to fend off Notre Dame's overtures.
Blanchard was the first person McGuire hired to his staff after he got the job as Texas Tech head coach in 2021. The two had worked together at Baylor where McGuire was an assistant coach under Dave Aranda and Matt Rhule and Blanchard was the Assistant Athletics Director for scouting.
In Lubbock, Blanchard has been at the forefront of the new movement to have a general manager lead a college team's recruiting efforts. Tech was one of the first universities to have a GM work in a role similar to that of an NFL GM (except for hiring and firing coaches) and since then, that model has become popular across the nation.
According to Blanchard's bio from the Texas Tech Football website, "Blanchard joined McGuire in Lubbock immediately upon his hire, reshaping the Red Raiders’ entire recruiting process from scouting to on-campus visits as part of Texas Tech’s unique model that resembles an NFL front office. Blanchard and his staff are responsible for identifying every prospect Texas Tech ultimately offers a scholarship opportunity, allowing McGuire and his coaching staff to prioritize player development and scouting, especially during the season.
"That setup has transformed the Red Raiders’ roster in just two seasons as Texas Tech is coming off consecutive top-25 classes. Texas Tech’s 2023 class ranked as high as No. 23 nationally by Rivals, marking its highest-rated class in more than a decade. Its 2024 class, meanwhile, also ranked as high as No. 23 nationally and was the highest-rated class in the Big 12. The Red Raiders previously signed a top-40 ranked class in 2022 in the month after McGuire’s hire, a considerable jump from where Texas Tech ranked prior to his arrival."
The fact that a program coming off of a National Championship Game appearance wants to poach away Texas Tech's key personnel operative is an indication of how highly Blanchard is regarded and how well the system that he and McGuire built has functioned. Now, we wait to see if the Red Raiders can hold on to this critical member of the football staff.