Texas Tech names former QB Kliff Kingsbury Head Coach
The 33 year old coach is best known for working with Case Keenum at Houston and most recently being the Offensive Coordinator for Texas A&M directing Manziel to a Heisman Thropy. Clearly this is a risky move hiring someone without any head coaching experience but I think their fans would rather see this than hiring another retread.
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8741465/kliff-kingsbury-…
December 12th, 2012 at 11:01 PM ^
Honestly i think its a great hire. The guy has so much energy and im sure players will be excited to play with him. If he can get good staff together he should be fine. Any doubters out there should look up Fitzgerald at NW and the job he has done
December 12th, 2012 at 11:06 PM ^
Loves texas tech, apparently rocked the offense that tech used to run, and apparently can also coach the system per stints at Houston and A&M. Seems like he could be a great young mind
December 12th, 2012 at 11:08 PM ^
December 12th, 2012 at 11:09 PM ^
He's best known for looking exactly like Ryan Gosling. This must make him the most attractive HC in college football, no?
Seriously though, great hire. A&M fans loved him and attributed their offensive success (and even much of the success of Johnny Manziel, as he was also QB coach) to him. He brings a lot of energy to that program, has great ties to it, and his youth could help him recruit, I would think. If he can get a good staff together at Tech they could be on the rise very soon.
December 12th, 2012 at 11:30 PM ^
Seems like if Tech will drop some cash to get a good DC then they could be set
December 13th, 2012 at 8:30 AM ^
Remember, it's not gay if it's Kliff Kingsbury.
December 14th, 2012 at 6:17 AM ^
Duly noted
December 12th, 2012 at 11:15 PM ^
#1 - He's going to stay there
#2 - He knows the area
#3 - He's been groomed by 2 great coaches...and played in a crazy system by a 3 "mad scientist"
#4 - He coached Keenum and Manziel
#5 - He's got a track record of success
December 13th, 2012 at 9:32 AM ^
I'd actually say he's been groomed by 3 great coaches (Leach, Holgerson, Sumlin), and maybe even a 4th if you wanna stretch it (Bill Belichick).
I guess I can let go of that tiny glimmer of hope that he'd somehow find his way to Ann Arbor if we ever told Borges to hit the bricks.
December 12th, 2012 at 11:18 PM ^
Great hire.
December 12th, 2012 at 11:37 PM ^
December 13th, 2012 at 2:23 AM ^
I don't see the same level of risk. Very successful quarterbacks have a natural demeanor to handle those things you mention. If he were a kicker, then I'd be worried. Great hire TTech!
December 13th, 2012 at 9:27 AM ^
December 13th, 2012 at 2:45 PM ^
Can make a case for Mike Gundy
December 12th, 2012 at 11:39 PM ^
He will score some points, that is for sure.
December 12th, 2012 at 11:40 PM ^
Doesn't this sound like a little like the JIm Harbaugh - Michigan HC search circa 2007 expect for the part where they actually hire him?
December 13th, 2012 at 1:52 AM ^
Hint: Harbaugh's old team is in the Rose Bowl.
December 13th, 2012 at 1:58 AM ^
December 13th, 2012 at 10:10 AM ^
I would have had zero problem with Harbaugh spending a few years at Michigan and then taking off. He'd probably be replaced by Hoke, so we'd have a similar group to what we have now... But with a lot more talent in the cupboard and a lot more success in the recent past.
December 13th, 2012 at 9:29 AM ^
...him being very vocal about not wanting to coach at Michigan. Wouldn't that have made him unavailable at the time?
December 12th, 2012 at 11:41 PM ^
December 13th, 2012 at 12:33 AM ^
This bodes well for Tech's future. People here have been clamoring for KK for quite some time now.
December 13th, 2012 at 2:26 AM ^
I'd say for no more than 33 years
December 13th, 2012 at 12:41 AM ^
Kingsbury is a freaking genius, and quite a charismatic character too.
December 13th, 2012 at 1:23 AM ^
Nothing has gone right for TTU since they screwed Mike Leach. Maybe this will get things going in the right direction for them.
December 13th, 2012 at 1:37 AM ^
December 13th, 2012 at 1:57 AM ^
December 13th, 2012 at 7:53 AM ^
Even though he's young he's shown he can coach up Qb's and run an efficient offense. I think the key is he finds good assistant coaches, especially on the defense side of the ball.
December 13th, 2012 at 7:57 AM ^
Is freaking jealous!
December 13th, 2012 at 9:20 AM ^
No question this is a great hire for Texas Tech -- hot-shot rising coordinator, young and charasmatic, popular former player. A+ for them.
As for Kingsbury, I'm not so sure. Yes, it's pretty damn hard to turn down the coaching job at your alma mater, especially when you haven't yet been a head coach. At some point, you've got to earn your head-coaching bones - and what better place to do that, than a school where you're already beloved, you know the recruiting base, and the AD and alums will give you a long leash to succeed?
That said ... if Kingsbury had stayed at A&M and guided their offense to another year or two like this one (a good assumption w/Manziel), a lot of schools with "destination" head-coaching jobs, better national exposure, and higher ceilings than T. Tech would've been backing up their money trucks at Kingsbury's door to make him their head coach. Then again, if he succeeds at Tech the way, say, Rich Rod succeeded at his alma mater, the big schools will still come calling -- and at that point he'll have the head-coaching experience that'll make him more likely to succeed.
Anyway, should be interesting to see how it works out for him.
December 13th, 2012 at 10:07 AM ^
There is absolutely no doubt that this is the right move. Money, Alma Mater, Familiarity, Family, etc.
It doesn't get much better than this in terms of fit. And the dude is 33 years old!
December 13th, 2012 at 12:18 PM ^
What does this do to Manziel's chances of winning 4 Heisman Trophies? Has a change at OC ever infuenced a qb's success?