Story by
Joey McGuire lays out Liberty Bowl preparation plan for Texas Tech football staff
- Story by
- Joey McGuire lays out Liberty Bowl preparation plan for Texas Tech football staff
The NCAA transfer portal opens Monday for 20 days, and the Texas Tech football team resumes practice as the Red Raiders prepare to play Arkansas on Dec. 27 at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tennessee.
Tech coach Joey McGuire said being in on the acquisition of new talent and evaluating the roster will be a bigger priority for his newly hired coordinators than scheming for the bowl game. New offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich met the team Sunday, and new defensive coordinator Shiel Wood is due in town Monday.
Advertisement
"I want them to add anything they can add to help us win," McGuire said, "but the main thing with them is they're going to be evaluating our current players and then starting (Monday), we'll have visits with people that are coming in the portal. ... They'll be a part of the visits. I think that was really important why we wanted to get coordinators hired before Dec. 9. ...
"And then, I really want to give them the opportunity to evaluate our current roster."
More: Childhood Hog Joey McGuire fired up for Texas Tech football vs. Arkansas in Liberty Bowl
More: Jacob Rodriguez leads Texas Tech football coaches' all-Big 12 honorees
Advertisement
Last week, McGuire hired Wood from the University of Houston to replace Tim DeRuyter, dismissed on Dec. 1, and hired Leftwich from Texas State to replace Zach Kittley, the new head coach at Florida Atlantic.
Kirk Bryant, senior offensive analyst and assistant quarterbacks coach, will take a more active role with quarterbacks for the bowl game, McGuire said. With defensive backs coach Marcel Yates also dismissed, analyst Darcel McBath will take a more active role with cornerbacks.
Texas Tech's CJ Ah You attends football practice, Thursday, March 31, 2022.
McGuire said last week wide receivers coach Justin "Juice" Johnson and outside linebackers coach C.J. Ah You will call plays for the bowl game.
Advertisement
"It also gives Mack and Shiel a chance to evaluate the coaches," McGuire said, "because there's still some guys that we've got to add on staff, and there'll possibly be some guys that have other opportunities other places."
Texas Tech senior offensive analyst Kirk Bryant cheers on players during practice on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022, at the Texas Tech Football Training Facility, Texas.
Kittley took young Tech staffers Harrison Hanna, Tyler Schovanec and Trent Vasey with him for positions on the Florida Atlantic staff.
McGuire also confirmed he's in the process of hiring his son, Garret McGuire, to a role to be determined, possibly working with running backs and-or special teams. He was wide receivers coach the past two years at Nebraska.
Advertisement
"He will bring a lot of energy," Joey McGuire said. "He'll rank as one of the top recruiters in the nation off the class they just signed. I'm hoping so (to hire him), because it definitely will help us."
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Joey McGuire lays out Liberty Bowl plan for Texas Tech football staff
