The Texas Tech Red Raiders college football team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A), representing Texas Tech University in the Big 12 Conference. [1] Texas Tech has played its home games at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas since 1947. [2]
Texas Tech (then known as Texas Technological College) fielded its first intercollegiate football team during the 1925 season. The team was known as the "Matadors" from 1925 to 1936, a name suggested by the wife of E. Y. Freeland, the first football coach, to reflect the influence of the Spanish Renaissance architecture on campus. In 1932, Texas Tech joined the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association, also known as the Border Conference. The school's short-lived Matadors moniker was replaced officially in 1937 with "Red Raiders", a nickname bestowed upon them by a sportswriter impressed by their bright scarlet uniforms that remains to this today. That same year, the team won its first conference championship and was invited to the Sun Bowl. The game was played on January 1, 1938, and resulted in a 7–6 loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers. Texas Tech suffered four more bowl losses before their first postseason win in the 1952 Sun Bowl. [3] Before withdrawing from the Border Conference in 1956, the Red Raiders won nine conference championships, the most held by a Border Conference member.
In 1956, Texas Tech was admitted to the Southwest Conference (SWC) but was ineligible for any title during a four-year probationary period. It gained full SWC membership and began official conference play in 1960. The Red Raiders won conference championships in 1976 and 1994. The team remained in the SWC until the conference dissolved in 1996. [4] The university was invited and became a charter member in the South Division of the Big 12 Conference.
Year | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ewing Y. Freeland (Independent)(1925–1928) | |||||||||
1925 | Ewing Y. Freeland | 6–1–2 | |||||||
1926 | Ewing Y. Freeland | 6–1–3 | |||||||
1927 | Ewing Y. Freeland | 5–4 | |||||||
1928 | Ewing Y. Freeland | 4–4–1 | |||||||
Grady Higginbotham (Independent)(1929) | |||||||||
1929 | Grady Higginbotham | 1–7–2 | |||||||
Pete Cawthon (Independent)(1930–1931) | |||||||||
1930 | Pete Cawthon | 3–6 | |||||||
1931 | Pete Cawthon | 6–3 | |||||||
Pete Cawthon(Border Conference)(1932–1940) | |||||||||
1932 | Pete Cawthon | 10–2 | 2–0 | 1st [n 1] | |||||
1933 | Pete Cawthon | 8–1 | 1–0 | 1st | |||||
1934 | Pete Cawthon | 7–2–1 | 1–0 | 1st | |||||
1935 | Pete Cawthon | 5–3–2 | 0–1 | 6th | |||||
1936 | Pete Cawthon | 5–4–1 | 0–0–1 | 4th | |||||
1937 | Pete Cawthon | 8–4 | 3–0 | 1st | L Sun | ||||
1938 | Pete Cawthon | 10–1 | 2–0 | 1st | L Cotton | 11 | |||
1939 | Pete Cawthon | 5–5–1 | 2–1 | 3rd | |||||
1940 | Pete Cawthon | 9–1–1 | 0–1 | 6th | |||||
Dell Morgan (Border Conference)(1941–1950) | |||||||||
1941 | Dell Morgan | 9–2 | 2–0 | 1st | L Sun | ||||
1942 | Dell Morgan | 4–5–1 | 3–0–1 | T–1st | |||||
1943 | Dell Morgan | 4–6 | 0–0 | N/A | |||||
1944 | Dell Morgan | 4–7 | 2–0 | 1st | |||||
1945 | Dell Morgan | 3–5–2 | 1–0–1 | T–1st | |||||
1946 | Dell Morgan | 8–3 | 3–1 | 2nd | |||||
1947 | Dell Morgan | 6–5 | 4–0 | 1st | L Sun | ||||
1948 | Dell Morgan | 7–3 | 5–0 | 1st | |||||
1949 | Dell Morgan | 7–5 | 5–0 | 1st | L Raisin | ||||
1950 | Dell Morgan | 3–8 | 3–2 | 4th | |||||
DeWitt Weaver (Border Conference)(1951–1956) | |||||||||
1951 | DeWitt Weaver | 7–4 | 5–0 | 1st | W Sun | ||||
1952 | DeWitt Weaver | 3–7–1 | 2–1–1 | 2nd | |||||
1953 | DeWitt Weaver | 11–1 | 5–0 | 1st | W Gator | 12 | 12 | ||
1954 | DeWitt Weaver | 7–2–1 | 4–0 | 1st | |||||
1955 | DeWitt Weaver | 7–3–1 | 3–0–1 | 1st | L Sun | ||||
1956 | DeWitt Weaver | 2–7–1 | 1–3 | N/A | |||||
DeWitt Weaver(Independent)(1957–1959) | |||||||||
1957 | DeWitt Weaver | 2–8 | |||||||
1958 | DeWitt Weaver | 3–7 | |||||||
1959 | DeWitt Weaver | 4–6 | |||||||
DeWitt Weaver(Southwest Conference)(1960) | |||||||||
1960 | DeWitt Weaver | 3–6–1 | 1–5–1 | 6th | |||||
J. T. King (Southwest Conference)(1961–1969) | |||||||||
1961 | J. T. King | 4–6 | 2–5 | T–8th | |||||
1962 | J. T. King | 1–9 | 0–7 | 8th | |||||
1963 | J. T. King | 5–5 | 2–5 | T–6th | |||||
1964 | J. T. King | 6–4–1 | 3–3–1 | T–4th | L Sun | ||||
1965 | J. T. King | 8–3 | 5–3 | T–2nd | L Gator | 10 | |||
1966 | J. T. King | 4–6 | 2–5 | T–6th | |||||
1967 | J. T. King | 6–4 | 5–2 | 2nd | |||||
1968 | J. T. King | 5–3–2 | 4–3 | 4th | |||||
1969 | J. T. King | 5–5 | 4–3 | T–6th | |||||
Jim Carlen (Southwest Conference)(1970–1974) | |||||||||
1970 | Jim Carlen | 8–4 | 5–2 | 3rd | |||||
1971 | Jim Carlen | 4–7 | 2–5 | 5th | |||||
1972 | Jim Carlen | 8–4 | 4–3 | T–2nd | L Sun | ||||
1973 | Jim Carlen | 11–1 | 6–1 | 2nd | W Gator | 11 | 11 | ||
1974 | Jim Carlen | 6–4–2 | 3–4 | 6th | |||||
Steve Sloan (Southwest Conference)(1975–1977) | |||||||||
1975 | Steve Sloan | 6–5 | 4–3 | 4th | |||||
1976 | Steve Sloan | 10–2 | 6–1 | T–1st | L Bluebonnet | 13 | 13 | ||
1977 | Steve Sloan | 7–5 | 4–4 | T–4th | L Tangerine | ||||
Rex Dockery (Southwest Conference)(1978–1980) | |||||||||
1978 | Rex Dockery | 7–4 | 5–3 | 4th | |||||
1979 | Rex Dockery | 3–6–2 | 2–5–1 | 7th | |||||
1980 | Rex Dockery | 5–6 | 3–5 | T–6th | |||||
Jerry Moore (Southwest Conference)(1981–1985) | |||||||||
1981 | Jerry Moore | 1–9–1 | 0–7–1 | 9th | |||||
1982 | Jerry Moore | 4–7 | 3–5 | T–6th | |||||
1983 | Jerry Moore | 3–7–1 | 3–4–1 | T–5th | |||||
1984 | Jerry Moore | 4–7 | 2–6 | 8th | |||||
1985 | Jerry Moore | 4–7 | 1–7 | 8th | |||||
David McWilliams (Southwest Conference)(1986) | |||||||||
1986 | David McWilliams [n 2] | 7–5 [n 2] | 5–3 | T–4th | L Independence | ||||
Spike Dykes (Southwest Conference)(1986–1995) | |||||||||
1987 | Spike Dykes | 6–4–1 | 3–3–1 | 4th | |||||
1988 | Spike Dykes | 5–6 | 4–3 | 4th | |||||
1989 | Spike Dykes | 9–3 | 5–3 | 4th | W All-American | 16 | 19 | ||
1990 | Spike Dykes | 4–7 | 3–5 | T–5th | |||||
1991 | Spike Dykes | 6–5 | 5–3 | T–2nd | |||||
1992 | Spike Dykes | 5–6 | 4–3 | T–2nd | |||||
1993 | Spike Dykes | 6–6 | 5–2 | T–2nd | L John Hancock | ||||
1994 | Spike Dykes | 6–6 | 4–3 | T–1st | L Cotton | ||||
1995 | Spike Dykes | 9–3 | 5–2 | T–2nd | W Copper | 20 | 23 | ||
Spike Dykes(Big 12 Conference)(1996–1999) | |||||||||
1996 | Spike Dykes | 7–5 | 5–3 | 2nd (South) | L Alamo | ||||
1997 | Spike Dykes | 6–5 | 5–3 | T–2nd (South) | |||||
1998 | Spike Dykes | 7–5 | 4–4 | 3rd (South) | L Independence | ||||
1999 | Spike Dykes | 6–5 | 5–3 | T–2nd (South) | |||||
Mike Leach (Big 12 Conference)(2000–2009) | |||||||||
2000 | Mike Leach | 7–6 | 3–5 | 4th (South) | L Galleryfurniture.com | ||||
2001 | Mike Leach | 7–5 | 4–4 | T–3rd (South) | L Alamo | ||||
2002 | Mike Leach | 9–5 | 5–3 | T–3rd (South) | W Tangerine | ||||
2003 | Mike Leach | 8–5 | 4–4 | 4th (South) | W Houston | ||||
2004 | Mike Leach | 8–4 | 5–3 | T–3rd (South) | W Holiday | 17 | 18 | ||
2005 | Mike Leach | 9–3 | 6–2 | T–2nd (South) | L Cotton | 19 | 20 | ||
2006 | Mike Leach | 8–5 | 4–4 | 4th (South) | W Insight | ||||
2007 | Mike Leach | 9–4 | 4–4 | T–3rd (South) | W Gator | 23 | 22 | ||
2008 | Mike Leach | 11–2 | 7–1 | T–1st (South) | L Cotton | 12 | 12 | ||
2009 | Mike Leach [n 3] | 9–4 [n 3] | 5–3 | T–3rd (South) | W Alamo | 23 | 21 | ||
Tommy Tuberville (Big 12 Conference)(2010–2012) | |||||||||
2010 | Tommy Tuberville | 8–5 | 3–5 | 5th (South) | W TicketCity | ||||
2011 | Tommy Tuberville | 5–7 | 2–7 | 9th | |||||
2012 | Tommy Tuberville [n 4] | 8–5 [n 4] | 4–5 | T–5th | W Texas | ||||
Kliff Kingsbury (Big 12 Conference)(2013–2018) | |||||||||
2013 | Kliff Kingsbury | 8–5 | 4–5 | 6th | W Holiday | ||||
2014 | Kliff Kingsbury | 4–8 | 2–7 | 8th | |||||
2015 | Kliff Kingsbury | 7–6 | 4–5 | T–5th | L Texas | ||||
2016 | Kliff Kingsbury | 5–7 | 3–6 | T–6th | |||||
2017 | Kliff Kingsbury | 6–7 | 3–6 | 7th | L Birmingham | ||||
2018 | Kliff Kingsbury | 5–7 | 3–6 | T–7th | |||||
Matt Wells (Big 12 Conference)(2019–2021) | |||||||||
2019 | Matt Wells | 4–8 | 2–7 | 9th | |||||
2020 | Matt Wells | 4–6 | 3–6 | 8th | |||||
2021 | Matt Wells [n 5] | 7–6 [n 5] | 3–6 [n 5] | T–7th | W Liberty | ||||
Joey McGuire (Big 12 Conference)(2022–Present) | |||||||||
2022 | Joey McGuire | 8–5 | 5–4 | 4th | W Texas | ||||
2023 | Joey McGuire | 7–6 | 5–4 | T-7th | W Independence | ||||
Total: | 597-481–32 | ||||||||
National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
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Michael Charles Leach was an American college football coach who primarily coached at the NCAA Division I FBS level. He was a two-time national coach of the year, three-time conference coach of the year and the mastermind behind the NCAA record-setting air raid offense. He was the head coach at Texas Tech University from 2000 to 2009, where he became the winningest coach in school history. After Texas Tech, he coached at Washington State University from 2012 to 2019, where he recorded the third-most wins of any coach in school history. He then coached at Mississippi State University from 2020 until his death in 2022.
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The Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University. The team competes as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The program began in 1925 and has an overall winning record, including a total of 11 conference titles and one division title. On November 8, 2021, Joey McGuire was hired as the team's 17th head football coach, replacing Matt Wells, who was fired in the middle of the 2021 season. Home games are played at Cody Campbell Field at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team represents Louisiana Tech University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. After 12 seasons in the Western Athletic Conference, Louisiana Tech began competing as a member of Conference USA in 2013. Since 1968, the Bulldogs have played their home games at Joe Aillet Stadium. Since its first season in 1901, Louisiana Tech has compiled an all-time record of 640 wins, 496 losses, and 37 ties. In 123 football seasons, the Bulldogs have won 3 Division II national championships, won 25 conference championships, and played in 28 postseason games, including 13 major college bowl games. The Bulldogs are currently coached by Sonny Cumbie.
Ruffin Horne McNeill Jr. is an American football coach and former player who currently serves as the special assistant to the head coach at NC State University. He previously served as the assistant head coach and outside linebackers coach at the University of Oklahoma and the assistant head coach and defensive line coach at the University of Virginia. McNeill also served as the head coach of the East Carolina Pirates from 2010 to 2015. Before being named head coach of the Pirates, McNeill served the Texas Tech Red Raiders as an interim head coach, assistant head coach, special teams coordinator, and linebackers coach. On December 28, 2009, he was named interim head coach of the Red Raiders following the suspension and later firing of head coach Mike Leach. He served in the position until the hiring of Tommy Tuberville, who subsequently released him as defensive coordinator.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team represents Texas Tech University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team competes in the Big 12 Conference and plays at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park. Their head coach is Tim Tadlock and is entertaining his 9th season with the Red Raiders.
The 2004 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University as a member of the Big 12 Conference during the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fifth season under head coach Mike Leach, the Red Raiders compiled an overall record of 8–4 record with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, finished in a tie for third place in Southern Division of the Big 12, defeated California in the 2004 Holiday Bowl, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 434 to 314. The team played its home games at Jones SBC Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.
The 1994 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their eighth season under head coach Spike Dykes, the Red Raiders compiled a 6–6 record and finished in a five-way tie for second place in the conference. However, Texas A&M was on probation and ineligible for the conference championship or post-season play, which meant that the Red Raiders were awarded a share of the SWC championship. Per SWC rules, Texas Tech was selected to represent the conference in the 1995 Cotton Bowl Classic since the Red Raiders had not played in the bowl game since 1939, and had never played in the game as a member of the SWC. Tech outscored opponents by a combined total of 312 to 246. The team played its home games at Clifford B. and Audrey Jones Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.
The 1932 Texas Tech Matadors football team represented Texas Technological College—now known as Texas Tech University—as a member of the Border Conference during the 1932 college football season. In their third season under head coach Pete Cawthon, the Matadors compiled a 10–2 record and outscored opponents by a combined total of 382 to 35. The team played its home games at Tech Field.
The 1933 Texas Tech Matadors football team Texas Technological College—now known as Texas Tech University—as a member of the Border Conference during the 1933 college football season. In their fourth season under head coach Pete Cawthon, the Matadors compiled an 8–1 record and outscored opponents by a combined total of 144 to 30. The team played its home games at Tech Field.
The 1935 Texas Tech Matadors football team represented Texas Technological College—now known as Texas Tech University—as a member of the Border Conference during the 1935 college football season. In their sixth season under head coach Pete Cawthon, the Matadors compiled a 5–3–2 record and outscored opponents by a combined total of 110 to 55. The team played its home games at Tech Field.
The 1936 Texas Tech Matadors football team represented Texas Technological College—now known as Texas Tech University—as a member of the Border Conference during the 1936 college football season. Led by seventh-year head coach, the Matadors compiled an overall record of 5–4–1 with a mark of 0–0–1 in conference play, tying for fourth place in the Border Conference. The team played home games at Tech Field in Lubbock, Texas.
The 2010 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech University as a member of the Big 12 Conference during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by first-year head coach Tommy Tuberville, the Red Raiders compiled and overall record of 8–5 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, placing fifth in the Big 12's South Division. Texas Tech was invited to the inaugural TicketCity Bowl, where they defeated Northwestern, 45–38. The team played home games at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas
The History of Texas Tech Red Raiders football covers 95 seasons since the team began play as the "Matadors" in 1925.
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