COMMENTARY | The Texas Tech football team finished 5-7 last season, near the bottom of the Big 12. Tech’s first losing season last year was when it went 5-6 in 1992 under then-head coach Spike Fossi. Last season also marked the end of one of the nation’s longest bowl streaks when Tech failed to qualify for the regular season. The team was plagued by injuries last season, including season-ending injuries to running backs Eric Stephens and DeAndre Washington. The lack of offensive depth on both sides of the team was evident. The defense was the worst in recent memory which is notable considering that former head coach Mike Leach was often criticized for a lack of focus on defense and Tuberville earned a reputation as a defensive guru during his tenures with Ole Miss, Texas A&M; and Auburn. The offense finished the season ranked 29th nationally, but fell short of the high expectations that had been set during the Leach years when Tech’s offense was ranked in the top 10.
Tuberville took over as head coach in 2010 after the controversial firing of Mike Leach, the all-time wins leader in school history. Alumni and students alike were, and some still are, dismayed when Leach was fired and did not embrace Tuberville, despite his undefeated season with Auburn in 2004 including an undefeated season with previous teams. After two disappointing seasons, Tuberville didn’t do much. he should study himself as a faithful technician. Another sub-par season this year would certainly fuel an anti-Tuberville movement in Lubbock, but will the embattled management and new AD, Kirby Hocutt, look to fire Tuberville during or after the 2012 season?
The signs seem to indicate that it is highly unlikely that Texas Tech’s Tommy Tuberville will fire this season regardless of his club record. Even Tuberville’s detractors admit that he put together two of the best recruiting classes in Tech history. The fact that Leach’s system was a league gives added credence to the classic explanation of the failures of the first coach: “He needs time to recruit and develop players adapted to his system.” While Tuberville’s critics have accused him of falling short of the necessary height to survive the Big 12 season, it cannot be ignored that the perfect storm of injuries played a large volume in the final seasons of a 5-7 record.
After the conclusion of spring practices, Tuberville told ESPN’s David Ubben, “We’ve been a disaster in depth lately. The teams weren’t there to work.” He is also quoted as saying: “Are we ready for the championship? No, not really, because of inexperience.” That’s a bit of a comment about Tech fans, especially from the man who raised a few eyebrows in 2010 when he told a Southwest Fox Sports reporter, “We all want to win,” he was hired a little over two years later. While it is unlikely that Tuberville will be fired this year, no less than seven or eight will be fired this season. ouster calls at a fever pitch and the job will almost certainly be on the line entering his fourth year at Tech.
