On3 Q&A: Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire discusses Red Raiders players set for big breakout seasons, an NFL-style personnel approach, other topics

Joey McGuire’s first year at Texas Tech created such buzz and optimism in Lubbock that the school’s administration rewarded him in December with a new six-year, $26.6 million contract just 13 months after hiring him as the Red Raiders’ head coach.

In his first year at Texas Tech, McGuire led the Red Raiders to their most wins since 2013 (eight), their highest ranked recruiting class since 2011 (28th) and their most Big 12 conference victories since the last season of the Mike Leach era in 2009 (five).

On3 caught up with McGuire to discuss several topics, including Texas Tech players poised for significant breakout seasons, the Red Raiders’ NFL-style personnel approach and other former successful high school coaches now working in college that McGuire sees being ready for college head coaching opportunities.

Here’s the full conversation:

Q: First of all, you guys obviously did some good things in Year 1. What was the biggest thing you learned from Year 1 there?

McGuire: We had fast buy in, really fast buy in, a lot faster than I thought we were going to have. But I think the thing we learned as a team was to be able to adapt. We went through a losing streak. We finished on a four-game winning streak, but we had a couple games before that that we weren’t playing as well. And I think more than anything, me, the team, the coaching staff, what we say every day and we’ve all got to be a part of it is ‘What’s next?’ We can’t let one one game affect the next game. And we went back-to-back losses with K-State and Oklahoma State. We probably let K-State’s game affect us more than what we needed to that next week. So just really learning, everybody learning, to get to the next game. We always talk about ‘Get to the next play,’ but we’ve also got to get to the next game.

Q: What are going to be the biggest differences with you guys heading into Year 2?

McGuire: We expect to be a lot better in the o-line. We were one of the worst teams in the country in sacks, giving up sacks. We’re a lot older. We added a center with a lot of experience in the transfer portal (Rusty Staats from Western Kentucky). Our center (Dennis Wilburn) was coming back, but his first time playing center in his life was this year, so now we get to move him to his position at guard. So I think the biggest thing for us, we’re going to be a lot better up front in the o-line.

Q: Who are some players there set to break out and really surprise people on a national level this fall?

McGuire: I think (running back) Cam’ron Valdez. He was banged up all year. He’s having a phenomenal spring. I think he’s going to be a guy. It’s easy to say (wide receiver) Jerand Bradley, but he was a freshman All-American last year, so it really wouldn’t be a breakout to say him. I really think Cam’ron Valdez. He and Tahj Brooks will share the load. Because of the speed that we play at, we play so many guys, and I think he’s going to have a huge year. Now, if we go on the other side, (outside linebacker and Syracuse transfer) Steve Linton. I’m telling you, this dude, he’s got two years (of eligibility). He won’t make it two years. There’s a really good chance that he leads the Big 12 in sacks and declares (for the NFL draft). And I told him, I want him to. I want him to declare early because that means he had just a phenomenal year. He is, I’m telling you, man, putting him in (Tim) DeRuyter’s defense is about to change his life. What he was doing at Syracuse, he played really well, but this defense fits him so much. He’s a freak.

Q: I know this one will probably be tougher considering you’re obviously focused more on your own team, but who’s somebody from another team that you faced last year that isn’t a big name that impressed you and that you could see breaking out and becoming a bigger name this year?

McGuire: I’m trying to go through who we play. It’s easy to say somebody from Baylor like (linebacker) Matt Jones. I can see him having a really good year because he kind of took a step back from the year before and I don’t know if there was health or what, but I think Matt Jones at Baylor would be a guy. K-State’s young running back (DJ Giddens), he came in and I thought he was a really good football player, so it’s going to be interesting to see what he does.

Q: Personnel and recruiting guys from some top programs have brought up during the last year that you guys are consistently ahead of the curve with the identification and just overall evaluation process of recruits and are often in very early on guys that end up blowing up later on. Is there anything unique or different about your personnel department staff and what you guys do that enables you to accomplish that?

McGuire: I think number one, we have a personnel department and our recruiting is run more like the NFL from the standpoint of my four guys in the personnel department, they are the beginning and the end if we’re going to offer a kid. It doesn’t have to be OK’d  by the defensive coordinator, the offensive coordinator or special teams. If (director of player personnel) James Blanchard and his crew want to offer a kid, then we’re going to offer him, so I think that speeds up the process. At first, it was probably a little different. I know it’s a lot different with other coaches. And I was like, ‘You’ve just got to trust the process because it’s how we’re going to do it, and they have. And now they’ve seen the classes that we’re signing, the kids that we get on so early that it gives us an opportunity to create a relationship before everybody else. But I think that’s the most unique thing, like literally the only guy that can tell James Blanchard we’re not going to offer a guy is me. And he and I have worked together for so long, I don’t think I’ve said no to him. I think that’s the biggest difference. A lot of people, they might have a personnel department, but they don’t really, truly trust that department and what they’re doing.

Q: So you obviously have the background that you do at the high school level and had the success that you did as a high school head coach. Obviously somebody like a Jeff Traylor falls in that category, too. Who is somebody else with a high school coaching background now working at the college level that you see getting a college head coaching opportunity and having success?

McGuire: There’s two really. One’s on my staff and one that I worked with. (Texas Tech associate head coach and running backs coach) Kenny Perry, which he was in on the North Texas job, and then (Baylor quarterbacks coach) Shawn Bell. I think Shawn Bell is ready to be a head coach right now at this level. He’s one of the most intelligent guys I’ve ever been around when it comes to football. I think those two guys.