Tech AD Kirby Hocutt Meets with Kingsbury, Morris and Gray
By: Bryan Mudd
Updated: December 12, 2012
Face to face interviews have begun in the search for a new Texas Tech
football coach. Texas Tech Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt spent most of
the day traveling the country, meeting with at least two potential
candidates.
Sources tell KAMC News, Hocutt's day began with an interview of former Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury in the Houston area. Kingsbury is currently the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M and returned early Thursday morning from New York and the Heisman Trophy gala with Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel. Kingsbury has become a fan favorite in the Lubbock area to replace former coach Tommy Tuberville, who resigned Saturday to take the same job at the University of Cincinnati.
Hocutt then flew to Anderson, South Carolina, to Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris. Morris' offensive squads have sent records in his two years at Clemson, and his name has been mentioned in connection with several college coaching jobs. He is reportedly the nation's highest paid coordinator, earning as much as $1.3 million per year. He is a Texas native, and won three state championships as a high school coach here.
From South Carolina, Hocutt flew on to Nashville, presumably to speak with Lubbock native Jerry Gray, who works as the defensive coordinator for the NFL's Tennessee Titans. Gray has spent 15 years as an NFL coach and has expressed interest in college head coaching jobs in the past.
Hocutt is scheduled to return to Lubbock late Tuesday evening and has a lot to think about. Sources tell KAMC News that Baylor coach Art Briles remains a viable candidate for the Texas Tech coaching job, and that donors have raised the money necessary to pay Briles' contract buyout at Baylor, which is worth in excess of $4 million.
The Texas Tech Board of Regents is scheduled to meet Thursday, and their agenda includes a discussion of the coaching candidates, and whether or not to hire a search firm to find more qualified coaching candidates.
Sources tell KAMC News, Hocutt's day began with an interview of former Tech quarterback Kliff Kingsbury in the Houston area. Kingsbury is currently the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M and returned early Thursday morning from New York and the Heisman Trophy gala with Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel. Kingsbury has become a fan favorite in the Lubbock area to replace former coach Tommy Tuberville, who resigned Saturday to take the same job at the University of Cincinnati.
Hocutt then flew to Anderson, South Carolina, to Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris. Morris' offensive squads have sent records in his two years at Clemson, and his name has been mentioned in connection with several college coaching jobs. He is reportedly the nation's highest paid coordinator, earning as much as $1.3 million per year. He is a Texas native, and won three state championships as a high school coach here.
From South Carolina, Hocutt flew on to Nashville, presumably to speak with Lubbock native Jerry Gray, who works as the defensive coordinator for the NFL's Tennessee Titans. Gray has spent 15 years as an NFL coach and has expressed interest in college head coaching jobs in the past.
Hocutt is scheduled to return to Lubbock late Tuesday evening and has a lot to think about. Sources tell KAMC News that Baylor coach Art Briles remains a viable candidate for the Texas Tech coaching job, and that donors have raised the money necessary to pay Briles' contract buyout at Baylor, which is worth in excess of $4 million.
The Texas Tech Board of Regents is scheduled to meet Thursday, and their agenda includes a discussion of the coaching candidates, and whether or not to hire a search firm to find more qualified coaching candidates.
