Joey McGuire - Football Coach - Texas Tech Red Raiders

Joey McGuire

Title:
Head Coach

Joey McGuire enters his fourth season as Texas Tech’s head football coach where he has quickly built the Red Raiders back into a regular postseason contender with three-consecutive bowl appearances and an emphasis on recruiting the best athletes from the state of Texas.

The 17th head coach in program history, McGuire was named to the position on Nov. 8, 2021, by Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt. Since then, McGuire became only the second head coach in program history to lead the Red Raiders to a bowl appearance in each of his first three seasons, all while winning more conference games (16) than any other coach during that span.

Texas Tech is a combined 23-16 during McGuire’s tenure as head coach, which has included at least five Big 12 victories in each of those three seasons. The Red Raiders, who wrapped the 2024 season with a 6-3 mark against conference opponents, their most since 2009, are joined by Kansas State as the only active Big 12 programs to record five or more league wins in each of the past three years, regardless of conference affiliation.

The Red Raiders’ success under McGuire doesn’t stop there. In three short seasons, Texas Tech has accomplished the following:

McGuire is only the second head coach in program history to push the Red Raiders to a bowl appearance in each of his first three seasons, joining the late Mike Leach who did so in each of his 10 years in Lubbock.
McGuire became the first head coach in program history to lead the Red Raiders to a bowl victory in each of his first two seasons as Texas Tech downed Ole Miss in the 2022 TaxAct Texas Bowl and then Cal in the 2023 Radiant Technologies Independence Bowl.
McGuire pushed the Red Raiders to a 5-4 record in Big 12 play during each of his first two seasons, marking Texas Tech’s first winning conference mark since 2009. After a 6-3 mark during the 2024 campaign, McGuire is now the only head coach in program history to lead the Red Raiders to an above .500 conference record in each of his first three seasons.
In fact, Texas Tech had only recorded three-consecutive seasons with an above .500 conference record only once in its history prior to McGuire’s tenure, which came during the 1995-97 campaigns when the university was transitioning from the Southwest Conference to its new home in the Big 12.
Texas Tech has combined for 23 wins in McGuire’s first three seasons, matching the late Mike Leach for the most by a head coach in that span in school history. He joins E.Y. Freeland (1925-28), Steve Sloan (1975-77) and Leach as the only head coaches in program history to record a winning record in each of his first three seasons.
McGuire’s eight-win debut in 2022 finished one victory shy for the most ever by a first-year head coach in program history as Dell Morgan previously led the Red Raiders to a 9-2 record in 1941.
Texas Tech closed the 2022 season with a 42-25 victory over Ole Miss in the TaxAct Texas Bowl, marking its fourth-consecutive victory to close the season. The Red Raiders had not previously ended a season with four-straight wins since 1995.
McGuire is the only head coach in program history to defeat Texas and Oklahoma in the same season after the Red Raiders defeated both in overtime during his debut season in 2022.
The Red Raiders are a combined 15-5 at home over McGuire’s three seasons, turning Jones AT&T Stadium into a consistent home field advantage. That record includes a 10-4 mark during Big 12 play.
Red Raider fans have come to expect strong finishes under McGuire as Texas Tech is a combined 9-3 in the month of November in his three seasons despite having to start three different quarterbacks each of his first two years. Texas Tech’s nine wins in November are the most for any Big 12 program during that span.

THE PATH TO THE NFL
Texas Tech has had three Red Raiders hear their names called during the NFL Draft in McGuire’s tenure as rush end Tyree Wilson was picked in the first round in 2023, while defensive back Dadrion Taylor-Demerson went in the fourth round a year later followed by rush end Myles Cole in the seventh round. Texas Tech has also had more than 10 Red Raiders sign undrafted free agent contracts during McGuire’s tenure.

Wilson was picked seventh overall by the Las Vegas Raiders, becoming the highest-drafted Texas Tech defensive player in program history. Wilson earned first team All-America honors by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) following his 2022 senior season and was a first team All-Big 12 honoree after totaling 14.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks over 10 games. He matched Ring of Honor member Donny Anderson as being the second-highest drafted Red Raider in program history (all positions) and the highest in the modern era.

McGuire previously developed four NFL Draft selections during his tenure at Baylor. That list included outside linebackers Terrel Bernard in 2022 and William Bradley-King, a seventh-round selection by the Washington Football Team in 2021, as well as defensive linemen James Lynch and Bravvion Roy in 2020. Lynch went in the fourth round of the 2020 draft to the Minnesota Vikings, while Roy was taken two rounds later by the Carolina Panthers. Bernard, meanwhile, was a third-round selection by the Buffalo Bills during the 2022 NFL Draft.

AN NFL FRONT OFFICE
Under McGuire, Texas Tech’s personnel department resembles an NFL front office, a unique approach in the world of college football. Texas Tech’s personnel department is overseen by general manager James Blanchard, who was McGuire’s first hire after accepting the Texas Tech position. Blanchard has the ability to offer any potential recruit he and his staff feel will fit at Texas Tech, allowing McGuire’s coaching staff to prioritize player development.

The setup has helped Texas Tech land several of the nation’s top recruits, especially in the most lucrative footprint of the state of Texas. The Red Raiders began McGuire’s tenure began McGuire’s tenure with a 2023 class that ranked as high as No. 23 by Rivals, its highest recruiting record in more than a decade. Texas Tech followed with another highly-rated class in 2024, which led the Big 12 and again ranked as high as No. 23 overall nationally.

For McGuire, the Red Raiders will always prioritize recruiting the top high school talent in Texas, leaning into his staff’s ties to the high school coaches throughout the state. Texas Tech will complement that with additions via the transfer portal where McGuire and his staff have delivered successful results via the likes of All-Big 12 selections like linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, wide receiver Josh Kelly, tight end Jalin Conyers and defensive back C.J. Baskerville, among others.

Texas Tech landed On3’s top transfer portal class following the 2024 season as McGuire and his staff signed 17 newcomers to add to an already-talented list of returners such as Rodriguez, wide receiver Caleb Douglas and quarterback Behren Morton. The class was also ranked in the top five nationally by both ESPN and 247Sports.

Joey McGuire Texas High School Football Hall of Fame

THE TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL HALL OF FAMER
Texas Tech’s early success should come at little surprise as McGuire previously helped build a winning program at Baylor following a stellar 14-year run at Cedar Hill High School in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. McGuire, a 2020 inductee into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor and a 2022 member of the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame, created one of the most-memorable turnaround stories in Texas high school football history during his 14 seasons leading Cedar Hill.

The Longhorns not only won at a high level under McGuire, but they transformed into one of the state’s most dominant programs with its first state title in 2006 and then back-to-back state crowns in 2013 and 2014. Cedar Hill was an impressive 141-42 during McGuire’s tenure, going from an unknown to a state champion in only his fourth season as head coach. The Longhorns’ dynasty featured 12-consecutive playoff appearances, nine bi-district titles and seven district crowns under McGuire, including another appearance in the state title game in 2012 where Cedar Hill fell to Katy.

McGuire’s turnaround of Cedar Hill quickly placed him among the state’s most revered high school coaches as he was named the Texas Coach of the Year by MaxPreps, Dallas Morning News and Chevy Silverado in 2013. He also earned Coach of the Year honors for class 5A that season by the Texas Sports Writers Association (TSWA), Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, the National Football Foundation Dallas chapter and the Padilla Poll. He garnered the honor again from the Padilla Poll in 2014. The Dallas Cowboys also honored him as the organization’s high school Coach of the Year following Cedar Hill’s first state title in 2006.

McGuire, at only the age of 31, was promoted to head coach at Cedar Hill prior to the 2003 season following six seasons as an assistant coach. Cedar Hill had not recorded a winning season in the eight years prior to his promotion, a streak he quickly ended with a 6-4 campaign in his debut. McGuire was previously an assistant coach at his alma mater, Crowley High School, during the 1995 and 1996 prior to his move to Cedar Hill.

A two-time District Coach of the Year (2005-06), McGuire coached in all but two Under Armour All-America games during his tenure and was the head coach of the 2013 Semper Fidelis All-America Bowl, two events that feature the nation’s top collegiate prospects. He was also the head coach for the north team in the 2014 Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) All-Star Game.

THE PATH TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL
The back-to-back state titles provided McGuire with several opportunities to depart for the collegiate level, a move he wouldn’t make until after the 2016 season when Matt Rhule contacted him shortly after his hire as the new head coach at Baylor. Needing someone with extensive ties throughout the state of Texas, Rhule hired McGuire initially as his tight ends coach. The move was perfect timing for McGuire, who had remained at Cedar Hill to coach his son, Garret, for his final two seasons.

Baylor quickly turned into a Big 12 title contender within three years of McGuire’s hire as the Bears finished 7-6 in only his second season on staff in 2018 after defeating Vanderbilt in the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl. The Bears followed with one of their best seasons in school history in 2019, opening the season with nine-straight wins en route to an appearance in the Big 12 Championship game. Oklahoma edged the Bears in overtime, sending Baylor to an appearance in the Allstate Sugar Bowl and a top-15 final ranking to close the season.

Baylor reached bowl eligibility three times with McGuire on staff and was in the midst of an eventual run to the Big 12 title and a second appearance in the Allstate Sugar Bowl when McGuire was tabbed as Texas Tech’s new head coach late in the 2021 season. McGuire served as Baylor’s associate head coach during each of his final three seasons as he oversaw three different position groups during his tenure: tight ends (2017-18), defensive ends (2019) and outside linebackers (2020-21).

Baylor built a strong reputation as one of the top defensive programs in the country during McGuire’s tenure, namely in 2019 when the Bears’ defense featured both Lynch and Roy up front. The defensive line was possibly Baylor’s most-prolific position group that season as the Bears set a program record with 46 sacks, including 13.5 from Lynch alone. Lynch departed Baylor as the Bears’ single-season and career (22) sacks record holder as he was tabbed the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American.

PERSONAL
Following his success helping rebuild the Baylor program, Texas Tech was an ideal fit for McGuire, whose daughter, Raegan, was a recent graduate of the university. McGuire had visited Lubbock numerous times previously either to see his daughter or earlier in life when several life-long friends attended the university.

McGuire likes to say he would have attended Texas Tech, himself, had he not met his wife, Debbie. He eventually earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1995. The couple has been highly-involved in the Lubbock community since their arrival, volunteering for numerous charitable organizations, including Covenant Children’s Hospital and through their Women Behind the Brand clinic each August.

The couple’s two children are also highly successful in their own walks of life as Garret is in his first season as Texas Tech’s running backs coach after previously serving two years as the wide receivers coach at the University of Nebraska. Garret McGuire began his coaching career under current Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule as an offensive assistant with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers during the 2021-22 seasons. Prior to beginning his coaching career, Garret was a quarterback and special teams player at Baylor, playing in six games from 2017-20 where he was a two-time Academic All-Big 12 first team honoree.

Raegan, meanwhile, is a fashion designer for AMUR in New York City. Her designs have been worn by several high-profile figures, including Natalie Biden, the granddaughter to President Joe Biden, as well as Taylor Swift on her spring 2023 Eras Tour. Raegan and her husband, Joe Tocco, were married in May 2023.

JOEY MCGUIRE CAREER HISTORY
2022-present – Texas Tech Head Coach
2020-21 – Baylor Associate Head Coach (Outside Linebackers)
2019 – Baylor Associate Head Coach (Defensive Ends)
2017-18 – Baylor Assistant Coach (Tight Ends)
2003-16 – Cedar Hill High School Head Coach
1997-02 – Cedar Hill High School Assistant Coach
1995-96 – Crowley High School Assistant Coach