Joey McGuire describes himself as a highschool trainer who will get to train university soccer. He’s, in the end, a Texas local who received 3 state championships below the Friday night time lighting fixtures.
McGuire is now head coach at Texas Tech after his transition to school training the previous 5 years as an assistant at Baylor, probably the most state’s different Giant 12 colleges and the reigning convention champion. He has introduced an infectious enthusiasm to an already passionate fan base determined for a name of its personal.
“Folks have stated, ‘How lengthy is that going to take?’ Neatly, it’s my process to boost up the method,” McGuire stated. “You already know, I need it to occur this yr, unquestionably, and I do know the workforce does too.”
That may be fairly a turnaround, making an allowance for the Crimson Raiders haven’t had a successful file in Giant 12 play since Mike Leach’s ultimate season at the Lubbock campus in 2009. When Tech used to be 7-6 remaining yr after a convincing Liberty Bowl victory over Leach-coached Mississippi State, it used to be the primary time in six seasons it completed above .500 general.
Without reference to their file this yr, McGuire is already construction a forged basis in his first university head training process.
His kinship to Texas highschool coaches is having a large affect in recruiting. The school has announced plans for a $200 million project with a brand new locker room and places of work in a brand new four-story construction within the stadium’s south finish zone, at the side of a brand new, two-story coaching facility. And the present gamers have embraced their new trainer.
“I thought that (gamers) would purchase in to what we had been going to do, however I didn’t assume it used to be going to be as speedy as it’s been,” McGuire stated. “It’s simply been improbable, the accept as true with that the gamers have put into us and the way onerous they’ve been running.”
THE QBS
Former Oregon switch Tyler Shough threw for 872 yards and 6 touchdowns in his 4 video games remaining season prior to a damaged collarbone. Donovan Smith began the general 4 video games, together with the bowl victory, and redshirt freshman Behren Morton may be within the quarterback combine.
McGuire described “a three-horse race” to be the starter, however anticipates the use of a couple of quarterbacks.
“If Donovan Smith doesn’t win the process, I’d be loopy to not have a 6-5, 240-pound quarterback no longer working quarterback energy at the function line,” the trainer stated.
MORE ON McGUIRE
Cedar Hill Top, within the Dallas house, had by no means received a playoff recreation prior to McGuire’s 3 championships in 14 seasons. He joined Matt Rhule’s workforce at Baylor in 2017, and the Bears had been within the Giant 12 name recreation two years later prior to Rhule left for the NFL.
McGuire stayed with the Bears on trainer Dave Aranda’s workforce, and so they had been on option to successful the Giant 12 championship when Tech employed him in November to interchange the fired Matt Wells. McGuire left straight away to start out paintings in Lubbock whilst intervening time trainer Sonny Cumbie completed the season at the box.
BACK AT TECH
New offensive coordinator Zach Kittley is aware of Lubbock, and big-scoring offenses.
Kittley used to be OC remaining season at Western Kentucky, which averaged 535 yards and 44 issues a recreation, after large numbers at Houston Baptist the former yr. His dad is Tech’s longtime NCAA championship-winning monitor trainer. The more youthful Kittley labored with Kliff Kingsbury from 2013-17, going from a pupil assistant to graduate assistant after which assistant QBs trainer in a span that incorporated Patrick Mahomes beginning for the Crimson Raiders.
“He’ll say we now have Air Raid ideas however we’re no longer a real Air Raid,” McGuire stated of Kittley. “Within the interview, he stated, ‘Trainer, I’m going to search out our highest 11 gamers, I’m going to get them at the box, and we’re going to attain a large number of issues.’”
THE GAMES
The season opener Sept. 3 in opposition to Murray State is the primary of 7 house video games for the Crimson Raiders. 5 of the ones are Giant 12 video games, together with No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 10 Baylor and Texas visiting Lubbock. There are back-to-back non-conference games against Top 25 teams after they host long term Giant 12 workforce No. 24 Houston on Sept. 10, then pass to No. 13 North Carolina State the following week.
___
Extra AP university soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap_top25
