Keeping Sonny Cumbie the excellent shift by Joey McGuire

Wednesday, new Texas Tech football head mentor Joey McGuire introduced via a Twitter video clip that he has made a decision to retain offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie.  A far more perfect go could not have been produced for this software.

If, as he said in his introductory press conference, McGuire desires his software to embody the toughness of West Texas, then earning Cumbie an integral part of his preliminary coaching staff is a no-brainer move.  Right after all, no a person understands West Texas and Texas Tech greater than Cumbie.

By now, nearly each and every Purple Raider is aware Cumbie’s story.  A former wander-on who rose to the job of starting up quarterback by beating out a 5-star JUCO recruit (Robert Johnson) for the occupation, Cumbie led Tech to a earn more than Aaron Rogers and No. 4 Cal in the 2004 Holiday break Bowl to cap off his unlikely profession as a Huge 12 starting QB.

He then experienced a stint in the Arena League right before starting a coaching job that has observed him rise from a graduate assistant at Texas Tech to an offensive coordinator for now two distinct Significant 12 groups.

Alongside the way, he’s experienced 3 offenses (2014, 2015, 2017) complete the yr in the best 10 nationally in full yards.

This 12 months, he’s got the Purple Raiders putting up in excess of 411 yards for every sport irrespective of obtaining to participate in a few diverse starting off quarterbacks, together with a redshirt freshman in Donovan Smith.  But Cumbie’s worth can not be summed up with mere stats.

Alternatively, he’s revealed during his time as interim head mentor that he’s accurately the sort of leader that would be a best fit with McGuire.  McGuire has regularly mentioned that he needs coaches who are going to pour into the players on his roster and no a person has done that far more this period than Cumbie, who was thrust into a challenging scenario adhering to the midseason firing of Matt Wells in Oct.

But Cumbie has been capable to keep this year’s Red Raider crew from throwing in the towel on the season.  And not only has his group performed tough for him, but he was also equipped to guide Tech to a dramatic 41-38 earn in excess of Iowa Point out to safe bowl eligibility.

It was in that sport that Cumbie’s most excellent concept as a Purple Raider was born as the West Texas native tapped into one thing…