The 2OT: Why do you think Texas Tech continues to struggle on the football field?

The Thought.

We are once again at a point in the football season where we, the fans, have begun to question our head coach’s ability to get the job done. I am sure you’ve read the same article from ten different sources this week. I am sure that at some point during the loss to Iowa State a few weeks ago, you too were asking what he was still doing in Lubbock. Fans are divided. Some want him gone. Some want him to stay. Some think he’s finally in a great position to finally have an amazing season next year. Some are disappointed he still hasn’t been successful in Lubbock. Some question themselves why and how Kirby Hocutt has been so patient. Kingsbury wants to be here, but a series of unfortunate events has hurt his coaching career in his beloved alma mater.

The Take.

There is no doubt in my mind that Kliff Kinsgbury can coach and he has a great eye for talent. Yes, it has been a bumpy ride since he took over in 2013. Yes he has made mistakes, but he took over a program that was already struggling with little experience. Yes, it took him a while to bring together this amazing group of assistants and coordinators, but he finally has them. No, this is not how we imagined this season would go. If you had asked before the season started, I would have told you the Red Raiders would have secured their bowl game by now. I am slightly disappointed they have not, but he is down a few players. He has lost two starting quarterbacks. He lost Dakota Allen just a couple of weeks ago. His entire head coaching career has been riddled by the injuries of some of his key players. The good news is that, for the first time in his tenure, he has a competent group of assistant coaches in place. The defense has improved dramatically.

On the other hand, some fans are just not convinced he is the right coach for Texas Tech. They are tired of waiting for a better team. Every offseason social media is bombarded with videos showing a united team ready to take down the world. Every year Kingsbury and his coaching staff promise this is the year they will go all the way. Every year they fall short. They are still struggling to win a close game. They continue to struggle under pressure. They have failed to win a “big” game at home under Kingsbury. At his Thursday night radio show, Kingsbury admitted he enjoyed when fans rushed the field after a big victory. He experienced that a few times as a student-athlete, but he has yet to see it happen as a coach. As an alumna, I would like nothing more than to see that happen on Saturday. The bowl game eligibility the victory would bring is just an added bonus.

Why do you think Texas Tech continues to struggle on the football field?