Coaching Heat Index: Tommy Tuberville at Texas Tech

Tommy Tuberville came to Texas Tech under not the most favorable of circumstances. He was tasked with maintaining what had been the greatest run of success in program history. Just two years before his arrival, Tech tied the team’s benchmark for wins in a season with 11, achieved just twice previously: 1973 and 1953. That 2008 team should have played in a BCS bowl, and would have if not for a silly rule.

Suffering the program’s first losing season since joining the Big 12 only stoked the fires burning in Lubbock, and the result is a hot seat for Tuberville.

Further, Tuberville took over for a beloved predecessor whose ouster still confuses and frustrates fans nationwide. But as they say, winning cures all ills and in his first season, Tuberville led the Red Raiders to eight wins, maintaining a pace set since 2002. A 5-2 start to 2011, which included a road upset of pre-season No. 1 Oklahoma vaulted Tech into the Top 25 and carried further hope of defining Tuberville less as The Coach Who Replaced Mike Leach, and more Texas Tech’s head coach.

That he carried on the tradition set before him by Leach and Spike Dykes of playing an exciting, uptempo brand of football helped, as well. Offensive coordinator Neal Brown had run a similar spread offense at Troy, that yielded an unprecedented run of success there. Brown’s Trojan teams ranked 25 (’07), 26 (’08) and 16 (’09) nationally in points scored, and each of his two Red Raider offenses finished in the top 25.

Then came a nosedive of monumental proportions. Immediately following the OU defeat, Tech was blown out. By Iowa State. Paul Rhoads and venerable defensive coordinator Wally Burnham crafted a game plan to hold the explosive Red Raider offense to just seven points. Tech’s defensive inadequacies had been previously exploited, and with no offensive firepower to counter, things got ugly. The 41-7 beatdown vs. ISU began a run of three straight defeats by a combined 159-33. That stretch included surrendering 52 to a Texas offense that had been anemic much of the season, and a horrific 66-6 drubbing vs. Oklahoma State, which produced the below memorable image. Talk about capturing the entire essence of Tech’s November in one, still frame.

After a near-miss vs. Missouri, Baylor gave Tech one final 66-point eruption. There’s no doubt why defensive coordinator Chad Glasgow was relieved of his duties — all those pastings totaled to 39.3 PPG yielded, fourth most among all FBS teams. Glasgow was replaced by Art Kaufman, whose North Carolina defense ranked No. 49 and 56 in yards and points given up last season.

The offense should be no less potent this season, with gunslinging quarterback Seth Doege back behind center and top targets Eric Ward (800 yards receiving, 11 touchdowns) and Darrin Moore (571 yards receiving, eight touchdowns) all back. Marcus Kennard will also factor into the receiving corps, and freshman Derek Edwards showed potential in the Red Raiders’ spring game. However, all but Edwards have had recent injuries to overcome.

Gone from the group is Adam James, whose on-field production earned an All Big 12 honorable mention, but whose presence served as a constant reminder of Leach’s maligned dismissal. Barring a BCS appearance, the comparisons to Leach will haunt Tuberville throughout his tenure in Lubbock. Any lingering animosity over the coaching change that can be eliminated has to be considered to Tuberville’s benefit.

Further, losing James’s production won’t factor too heavily on the Red Raider, because offense isn’t Tech’s problem. Tuberville has always done well by surrounding himself with offensive minds, whether it be Al Borges at Auburn, or Brown now. Tech needs Kaufman to turn a small miracle. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Kansas State all figure to again have high scoring offense. The additions of West Virginia and TCU make the Big 12 even more of an uptempo league. No team can rely on surrendering seven touchdowns and expect to be competitive.