Texas Tech Football: Defensive Line Coach Hired; Special Teams Coach Rumored

Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells announced one on-the-field hire and three off-the-field hires. It was reported last week that Texas Tech would hire Memphis defensive line coach Paul Randolph and Texas Tech confirmed that on Saturday. Randolph was at Arizona State when Keith Patterson was there and since Patterson left, then Patterson went east to Memphis where another Arizona State coaching alum was the head coach, Mike Norvell, who was previously the offensive coordinator at Arizona State. In a funny twist, Kevin Johns, the offensive coordinator for Texas Tech, is the new offensive coordinator for Memphis.

Additionally, Wells formally announced three off-the-field hires:

  • Antonio Huffman would be Wells’ Chief of Staff, which includes, “departmental budget, academics, team travel, summer camps and all other day-to-day operations.”
  • Troy Kema has been named the Associate A.D. and Player Development & Student-Athlete Services, where he had a similar position at Kansas for the past four years and was at Texas A&M as an assistant director of academics, Colorado, and Utah State, which is Kema’s alma mater and that’s your tie to David Wells. Kema played with Wells during the last two seasons in Logan.
  • And last, but certainly not least, Katharine Sawyer is the new Director of Recruiting, and she will set up, “official and unofficial visits with prospects while also coordinating the recruiting calendar with the entire Red Raider coaching staff.” Sawyer got her start at Louisville and then moved onto Texas for a short stint, and was last at USF, essentially following Charlie Strong.

And The Daily Memphian’s Jonah Jordan reports that Memphis special teams coach Joe Lorig will be the special teams coordinator for Texas Tech:

Lorig coached one of the best special teams units in the nation in the three years since being hired by head coach Mike Norvell. Running back Tony Pollard was named an All-American as a kick returner under the tutelage of Lorig.

Lorig also coached outside linebackers for Memphis has been in Memphis for three years, and was previously at Utah State for two seasons, 2015 where he coached linebackers and safeties and coached there in 2014 where the Aggies went 10-4. This should not surprise you as Lorig was also at Arizona State before that for two seasons. Memphis had the 39th best team in the nation according to S&P+ and was 42nd in 2017.

If the Lorig hire is confirmed then I think Wells will have one more on-the-field position to fill.

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