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Texas Tech has sacked coach Kliff Kingsbury, one day after losing 35-24 to Baylor in Arlington, Texas, according to several reports. After the match, Kingsbury told reporters that he was planning to meet sporting director Kirby Hocutt for their annual end-of-season checkup.
"He was phenomenal with me and supported me and gave me everything I needed to succeed at Texas Tech," said Kingsbury, according to ESPN. "I have the greatest respect for Kirby and for what he has done for this university.It is the best AD in the country.We are all lucky for him."
Kinsbury, a former Red Raider quarterback from 1998-2002, was 35-40 in six years at the helm of his alma mater, finishing under .500 in the past three seasons. He coached Texas Tech in three bowl games, racking up a 1-2 record.
After playing seven games this year, Texas Tech had a 5-2 win, but the growing number of injuries on both sides of the ball contributed to a five-game slide in October and November. Kingsbury was also in the hot seat at the same time last year as the Red Raiders entered their last game at 5-6. However, Austin's 27-23 win over Texas was enough to keep Kingsbury around for another year.
As rumors about Kingsbury's employee status began to swirl late Saturday, some former Texas Tech players turned to Twitter to express their support for Kingsbury.
Kingsbury returned to Lubbock in 2013 as head coach for the first time after being offensive coordinator for one season at Texas A & M, where he coached quarterback Johnny Manziel, winner of the Heisman Trophy. This was part of a meteoric rise for Kingsbury, who was also assistant to Kevin Sumlin in Houston as the 2008-11 assistant.
Kingsbury's attacks were generally at the top of the top 12 with the Red Raiders scoring at least 35 points per game in four of his six seasons. At one point, Kingsbury oversaw three NFL conscripts in two years: Baker Mayfield, who was transferred to Oklahoma after a season, Davis Webb and Patrick Mahomes. Mayfield and Mahomes have been top picks in the last two NFL selections. Mayfield was ranked first overall compared to the Browns and Mahomes in 10th place over the Chiefs.
However, Kingsbury's time in Lubbock was just as marked for lack of defense. The Red Raiders have never finished higher than seventh place in the Big 12 in total defense and finished last in 2016. The hiring of defense coordinator, David Gibbs in 2015, has brought consistency and improvement on this side of the ball, but it is not enough. despite the offensive struggles caused by injuries this year.
Despite his inability to take a positive turn with his alma mater, Kingsbury is considered one of the brightest offensive minds in college football. As the coaches carousel starts spinning, there is no doubt that Kingsbury will have plenty of options for his next stop.
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