Tech got themselves a good one.

Just days after firing Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech has decided on their next head coach. After initial reports suggested that Mike Leach and Dana Holgorsen, the Red Raiders have decided on Matt Wells. Wells, a G5 darling, has led the Aggies to one of the best seasons in school history, finishing this season at 10-2.  For his career, Wells is 44-34, and Utah State was his first head coaching job.

As previously stated, the two most talked about candidates were Leach and Holgo. Leach publicly denied interest in the job, seeing as they still (allegedly) owe him money from his previous stint. Holgorsen, on the other hand, was said to be very interested in the job, but was not interviewed in the process. Clemson Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables was also viewed as a candidate, but never a very serious one.

Despite his lack of Texas ties, the Wells hire is a good one. The young (45) G5 head coach is being increasingly overlooked in favor of older former coaches. Wells, whose offense this year was a little more balanced than their air raid, should change the offensive style for Tech, which is something they could use after years of middling in the air raid.

What about his staff?

Many fans may decry this hire because of aforementioned lack of Texas connections. While we don’t know what part of his staff, if any, Wells will carry over, he needs some assistants from Texas. So long as he can pull this off, he can still carve out a foothold in recruiting hotbeds. Joe Moorhead at Mississippi State is from Pennsylvania but his staff is full of assistants familiar with Mississippi and MSU has compiled a strong class. So long as he does this, he has a great chance of improving Tech.

Of course, this is the Big 12, and his most important hire may be the DC. Wells is an offensive guy, so he needs a good defensive mind to balance things out. Texas Tech is never going to out recruit Texas and Oklahoma, so scheme and coaching will matter more than usual.  

Personally I love watching the Utah State offense this year, and am excited for what Wells can do at a P5 school. This looks to be the best hire of the offseason thus far, and might stay that way.