Tuberville was unable to embrace the Tech culture or the Big 12 and looked to be ready for the first job that was offered by the SEC.
After being overlooked by his former team in Auburn and by Tennessee, Tuberville was so desperate to leave Lubbock that he left for Cincinnati.
That's correct-the same Cincinnati of the lowly (and imploding) Big East.
That might deserve its own term for being really desperate to leave something/someplace-Tubervilled.
As in I really need to leave this party before I feel Tubervilled...
In any case, the Red Raiders were looking for a new head coach, and the unexpected decision for Tuberville to take the Cincinnati job after the best candidates around the country had already taken new jobs appeared to hamper Tech's chances of attracting an interesting hire.
Well, it was an interesting hire that they came up with anyway as Tech had limits in both time and interested candidates, but one made sense as a high risk. high reward hire.
Former Tech star quarterback Kliff Kingsbury was named as the newest head coach after just two candidates interviewed for the job.There are some negatives to the hiring of Kingsbury, mainly just one-Kliff Kingsbury has never been a head coach at ANY level.
Yep, he will attempt to jump at just 33 years of age to break his maiden at a Division I job in arguably the second-toughest conference in the country.
Other than that negative, Kingsbury does not come with a huge risk, considering that there were not a large number of experienced candidates for the job.
With his history of starring at Tech and being the first of the record-breaking passers of the Mike Leach era, Kingsbury will have a honeymoon period in Lubbock that will be longer than the average coach.
Honestly, I was mildly surprised that Kingsbury was interested after how the Tech administration bungled the entire Leach situation and the close connection between the two.
The positives of the hire?
Yes, Kingsbury is 33, but that will help him in dealing with players and he will be able to recruit well with that advantage.
Kingsbury will also have a long honeymoon period from Tech fans considering his background and the circumstances that he was hired under.
Kingsbury comes to Tech from the offensive coordinator's job at Texas A&M and has been given much of the credit for the rise of Heisman winner Johnny Manziel.
Kingsbury worked at Houston before that and was key in the development of their former Heisman candidate Case Keenum.
Noticing a trend here yet?
It will be interesting to see how Kevin Sumlin at A&M does in the next few years without Kingsbury running the offense as Sumlin's success at both schools rose with the arrival of Kingsbury and it will be worth following to see how Kingsbury succeeds without the guiding hand of Sumlin.
Between the accomplishments on the field, the background with quarterbacks, and the willingness to run the "Air Raid" offense, Kingsbury is likely to have no problem recruiting willing passers to come to Texas Tech and throw forty-plus passes a game.
One further point on the hire that I think merits considering-most coaches look at Texas Tech as a temporary stop on the way up the food chain.
Despite the positives of Tech through the years, their coaches have either been younger coaches looking to make a name that moves on or an experienced older coach that makes Tech his last stop, but for a limited period of time.
Kliff Kingsbury might be the exception to the rule if he succeeds.
Similar to Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State, a program with similar problems with coaches as Texas Tech, Kingsbury might choose to make this his career job.
If Kingsbury decides to take that route, he could wind up being a Tech icon twenty years from now.
That is something that no other candidate could even consider, let alone offer.
Make no mistake, this is a gamble by Texas Tech, but considering the mess of the Mike Leach affair and then the square peg into a round hole hire of Tommy Tuberville, this was Tech's best chance to avoid mediocrity in a state known for its hard nosed football and football recruiting.
The risk is high, but Texas Tech had no better choice, I think it was well worth taking...
Photo Credit: Ronald Martinez: Getty Images
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