It didn't take long for Texas Tech to decide on a new football coach after firing Mike Leach over player abuse. They've picked Tommy Tuberville as the new Red Raiders' head coach.
Tommy Tuberville, former Auburn coach, has been named the next football coach at Texas Tech, the school announced Saturday. According to ESPN, the deal is for five years and in the range of $2 million a year.
Tommy Tuberville, 55, is "late" of Auburn because he and the school parted ways in 2008 after his team went 5-7 in his 10th season at the school. In 2004, however, Tuberville received national coach of the year awards after leading the Auburn Tigers to a 13-0 record. Tuberville averaged 8.5 victories in his 10 seasons, and took Auburn to eight consecutive bowls, posting an 85-40 record overall.
Prior to Auburn, Tommy Tuberville coached at Mississippi where he had a 25-20 record in four years. He also spent a year as defensive coordinator at Texas A&M when the Aggies finished 10-0-1 and were among the nation's defensive leaders. That also gives Tuberville a sort of cursory knowledge of Texas Tech's recruiting area.
Tommy Tuberville will be coming into a program that had nine wins this year. However, the team always seems to play second fiddle to the "big guns" in the Big 12 history, Oklahoma and Texas. That will be a major obstacle.
After Mike Leach was fired, the team seemed to unite under defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill, who led the team to a victory in the Alamo Bowl. He was also a finalist for the position, and it is said that when Tommy Tuberville comes in, he will come in with his own defensive coordinator. James Willis, the associate head coach and outside linebackers coach at Alabama, has already been mentioned to be Tuberville's choice for defensive coordinator.
Tommy Tuberville will have to come into to Tech and unite the team again. McNeill was able to do so, at least for the Alamo Bowl, despite what were certainly some division because of the Mike Leach firing.
Mike Leach was fired on Dec. 30th, after receiver Adam James alleged he was improperly treated following a concussion, James, the son of former NFL player and ESPN analyst Craig James, alleged the coach twice confined him to small, dark places while the team practiced, going so far as to post a "guard" outside the spaces.
Written by Michael Santo
HULIQ.com
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