Joey McGuire has background to be a recruiting success at Texas Tech

In today’s college football, no new hire is a sure thing from a recruiting standpoint. But it sure looks like Texas Tech hit a home run with Joey McGuire.

Multiple reports out of Waco and Lubbock, Texas, indicate Tech has zeroed in on McGuire, a Baylor assistant coach with deep ties in the Lone Star State, as its next head coach.

McGuire is currently the associate head coach and outside linebackers coach at Baylor, where he’s been for five seasons. Hired in 2017 by Matt Rhule as a tight ends coach, McGuire was retained by current Baylor head coach Dave Aranda. He later coached Baylor’s tight ends before moving onto his current role.

Joey McGuire well respected in Texas coaching community

Joey McGuire has made a name for himself as one of Baylor’s top recruiters and on-field coaches. But what is really exciting about this hire is the ties throughout the high school coaching community in the Lone Star State.

Simply put, McGuire is a Texas football coach through and through. And that still resonates with the high school coaches in Texas, who act as the gatekeepers to top prospects more than anywhere in the country.

Prior to his time at Baylor, McGuire served as the head coach at Cedar Hill High School in Texas, a program that hadn’t won a playoff game prior to his tenure. He took Cedar Hill to 12 straight playoff appearances, four state-championship games and won nine bi-district championships while amassing a 141-42 record.

“I’m a student of the game,” McGuire told the Dallas Morning News on the night of his hiring. “I can put kids in a position to win football games.”

That he did. And along the way, McGuire built Cedar Hill into a must-stop spot for recruiters.

From 2007 to his departure, Cedar Hill produced 20 On3 Consensus four-star recruits. It also produced countless three-star prospects that signed with every major conference in the country.

During that time, McGuire was able to watch and learn from some of the best college coaches that walked through his door to recruit his players.

He took that recruiting education with him to Baylor with success, and it’ll help him win over recruits in Lubbock.

“I believe what makes Joey McGuire a very solid hire for Texas Tech is the culture he builds, and the understanding for who to hire to maximize his staff in Lubbock,” On3 National Analyst Gerry Hamilton said.

“He has deep ties to the state of Texas and is very well-liked by Texas high school coaches. He will have full support within the state. The connections in DFW, East Texas and beyond will benefit in recruiting.”

What McGuire inherits at Texas Tech

The Red Raiders are currently at No. 66 in the On3 Consensus Team ranking and eighth in the Big 12 Conference.

Before news of Joey McGuire’s hire, there were committed prospects that have backed off pledges. There were others that started to look around. That’s chipping away at a solid foundation that was in place with the 2022 cycle.

There is significant recruiting overlap between Baylor and Texas Tech, so McGuire should be able to hit the ground running. Especially if reports of him starting immediately with an eye toward the early signing period are true. He’ll also be able to build a coaching and support staff with deep Texas ties. That will only help the Red Raiders recruit well.

There’s enough talent in Texas for the Red Raiders to recruit top-35 level classes consistently. That type of effort will be needed to win long-term at Tech.

“McGuire’s timing is also that of quality,” Hamilton said. “He worked under Matt Rhule, and watched a program be built back the correct way. And he has been a big part of recruiting under Dave Aranda. Texas Tech fans will genuinely enjoy cheering on a Joey McGuire coached team.”