For four years, Joey McGuire’s story at Texas Tech was one of steady climbing. Every year brought some evidence of positive growth. During those four years, he went 35-18 overall with a 24-12 mark in Big 12 play. McGuire’s personality and “Brand” helped rebuild a program that went 36-71 between 2010 and 20121.
Last season, that climb reached the heights that (as recently as about 5-6 years ago) would have been thought of as impossible. The Red Raiders went 12-2, won the Big 12 championship, and advanced to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. Now, with fall camp underway, McGuire’s version of Texas Tech is one nobody in Lubbock has seen before: a proven winner, not a hopeful underdog.
Climb to established power
That shift is the real difference entering Year 5 for McGuire. He no longer coaches the Red Raiders with something to prove (against previous expectations). The Texas high-school Hall-of-Fame coach shows up to practice with something to defend.
The extension he signed before the Big 12 title game, worth roughly $7 million annually through 2032, reflects an administration betting that last season was the floor, not the ceiling. Athletic director Kirby Hocutt made that expectation explicit, saying the program intends to be an annual playoff contender under McGuire going forward.
The roster looks different, too. Gone is the “underdog buying its way up” era of NIL spending. Texas Tech now operates like an established power, having committed over $25 million to the roster the past two offseasons combined. If that sounds like a lot of money, yes, it is.
But it is also the cost of doing college football business. Take a look at the money Texas, Ohio State, and others that consistently find themselves in the top 10 spend on their rosters.
That spending bought this year’s headline-grabbing quarterback pursuit of Brendan Sorsby. Unfortunately, that deal fell apart amid a gambling scandal and legal fight. It put McGuire in a position where he had to navigate the most turbulent offseason of his tenure without ever taking his eyes off the Big 12 crown.
McGuire’s new tone: “Not Scared of Anybody”
Perhaps most telling is McGuire’s own tone. At Big 12 Media Days, he didn’t hedge or lower expectations after the Sorsby saga. In fact, he doubled down, telling reporters the Red Raiders are “not scared of anybody” and that their goals haven’t changed. That’s a different posture than the coach who once sold recruits on potential. This is a coach now selling proof.
McGuire is not on any traditional coaching hot seat heading into 2026. He no longer carries the pressure of building a winner. But the continual roster building and investment of resources have (rightfully) greatly shifted expectations.
When McGuire leads his team out of the field of Galaxy Stadium on September 5th, he is coaching with a different item to prove. McGuire must prove that this Texas Tech will be a perennial favorite in the Big 12 and a contender for a national championship.
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This article originally appeared on Red Raiders Wire: Joey McGuire enters Year 5 with something to defend, not prove
Reporting by Andrew McCleary, Red Raiders Wire / Red Raiders Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Andrew McCleary, Red Raiders Wire | USA TODAY Network
