Tag: joey mcguire

Report: Sooners to hire Texas Tech assistant Emmett Jones as WR coach

According to a report the Oklahoma Sooners are hiring Emmett Jones to be their next wide receivers coach.

Oklahoma looks to have completed its search for a permanent wide receivers coach. After Cale Gundy’s resignation in the summer, the Sooners promoted L’Damian Washington to interim wide receivers coach. He did an admirable job, but the belief was Oklahoma would look for a more experienced name to take over this offseason.

According to Matt Zenitz of On3, the Sooners are replacing Washington with Texas Tech wide receivers coach Emmett Jones.

Jones’ served as the Red Raiders’ passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach under first-year head coach Joey McGuire.

Jones has years of collegiate coaching experience to go along with his high school coaching experience in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. After his playing career, which included time at Texas Tech and UTEP, Jones stepped into the coaching ranks. He served as head coach at South Oak Cliff High School, posting a 30-8 record at the helm.

He coached receivers at Kansas from 2019-2021 before making his way back to Lubbock to be a part of McGuire’s staff.

Despite a revolving door at Texas Tech with its quarterbacks, Jones helped guide the Red Raiders this past season to the best passing offense in the conference. Three of his receivers accounted for 500 or more receiving yards.

His ability to develop and his connections in the high school ranks in the DFW area make him a great fit for the Sooners’ offensive staff. He’ll have his work cut out for him as he and Jeff Lebby will have to mastermind a plan to replace the 66% of receiving production they’ll lose now that the season is over.

From Oklahoma’s official press release on the hiring

OU HEAD COACH BRENT VENABLES ON EMMETT JONES:

“Couldn’t be more excited to welcome Emmett, his wife, Marlo, and their children, Emily and Emmett, to the OU family. Emmett is a great teacher of the game with a track record of positional development at the highest level. He’s produced some great collegiate players who have gone on to the NFL and he’s been around some of the brightest minds in college football in Kliff Kingsbury and Lance Leipold, and of course Joey McGuire this past year at Texas Tech. He’s been incredibly successful wherever he’s been, including in the high school ranks in the Dallas area. He’s a coaching giant in Texas high school football.

“Emmett’s been a connector at every stop. He’s personable and relational. He’s tough and demanding. Everywhere he’s been he’s made those places better. And everyone who’s had a chance to be coached by him or work with him has nothing but incredible things to say about his character, his coaching acumen and his relationship-building ability. What I love about Emmett is he recognizes the University of Oklahoma’s brand and the stage we’re on, and wanted to be a part of it. He jumped at the opportunity to join this program and that means a lot. Many of our coaches know him and have been around him personally and professionally, and they all have incredible things to say about him and his family. The Jones family’s got juice and energy and will really fit in well in the Norman community.”

EMMETT JONES ON JOINING THE OU STAFF:

“The University of Oklahoma’s tradition and the chance to work with Coach Venables made this an opportunity that was too hard to turn down. Also, I’d been researching and paying attention to Coach (Jeff) Lebby ever since I was back at South Oak Cliff and he was coaching running backs at Baylor. So I kept my eyes on him throughout his journey and especially at Ole Miss and this past year at OU. I feel like working with him — one of the brightest minds in the game when it comes to offensive schemes — will help me to continue to grow in this profession. And same thing with being able to soak up knowledge from Coach Venables.

“Oklahoma expects championships. I want to be around champions and I want to win multiple championships. I’ve coached in a couple of games in Norman and the game day atmosphere is incredible. Even going back to my time as a high school coach, players in our program got really excited to be recruited by Oklahoma. I remember how our guys would really perk up when they received information from OU. Just having a chance to be a part of that is like a dream come true. And in order for me to leave Texas Tech, I felt the situation would have to be perfect for me somewhere else. Oklahoma fit. It answered every question, crossed every ‘T’ and dotted every ‘I.’ And it’s not far from Dallas. It was just a no-brainer.

“I’m a passionate coach, I’m all about relationships. I love to pull in and reach young men, love to be that person they want to be around. I coach hard, but I truly believe you have to establish deep relationships with these young men. That’s something I feel like I specialize in. When it comes to the receiver position, I feel like I’m one of the best if not the best. I always try to enhance the position, try to find ways to set trends when it comes to development and challenging guys. OU is getting a family man, a team guy who loves being around the players. I’m all about toughness and hard work, and the players are getting a coach they’re going to love being around, one who will represent the program with the utmost respect in every form and fashion.”

VENABLES ON L’DAMIAN WASHINGTON, WHO WAS ELEVATED IN AUGUST FROM OFFENSIVE ANALYST TO INTERIM WIDE RECEIVERS COACH:

“We’re trying to keep L’Damian in an enhanced role. He jumped right in the ‘A’ gap and did a fantastic job of making us better in our first season, improving our players and our offense. He’s been bold and courageous and has been connected to both players and staff. I’m very thankful for his contributions and we’re fighting like heck to keep him here. He brings tremendous value to our staff, our locker room and that position group.”

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Final Big 12 football head coach power rankings

How do the Big 12 coaches finish in Pat’s final conference power rankings of 2022?

The 2022 college football season is done for everyone except Georgia and Texas Christian. They will meet in Los Angeles on Monday, Jan. 9, to find out who is the best team in 2022.

TCU could become the first Big 12 team to win the title since the Texas Longhorns accomplished this feat in 2005. It is a tall task, asking a team to beat the Bulldogs who have lost just once in their last 29 games.

Back to the task at hand, I am laying out my final power rankings for each head coach in the Big 12. These rankings are only based on what transpired during the season and factoring in where they were slated to finish in the Big 12 preseason poll.

We kick it off at the top with a first-year head coach who is looking to make history in the Lone Star state.

Big 12 Power Rankings: TCU vs. Kansas State set for Big 12 championship

TCU vs. Kansas State set for Big 12 championship game, and West Virginia gets another win over preseason contenders. Big 12 Power Rankings. From @john9williams

The TCU Horned Frogs are one win away from securing a spot in the College Football Playoff. All that stands in the way are the Kansas State Wildcats.

At best, these two were considered Big 12 title dark horses. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Baylor, the three teams that most people considered Big 12 contenders, struggled throughout the season and finished well outside of contention.

Depth was on display in the conference this season, as six teams were within two games of third place in the conference. TCU was the only team to finish with fewer than two conference losses. And Iowa State was the only team not to have three wins in Big 12 play.

Kansas State had TCU on the ropes when they played back in October. The Horned Frogs overcame a 28-10 deficit to outscore the Wildcats 28-0 to pick up the win.

With the regular season now over, we turn to the Big 12 title game and bowl season. Here’s our last set of Big 12 power rankings until after bowl season.

By the Numbers: Oklahoma travels to Lubbock to face Texas Tech

Who holds the statistical edge in Oklahoma’s primetime matchup with the Texas Tech Red Raiders? From @john9williams

The Oklahoma Sooners’ defense has been trending in a positive direction for about a month now. Though their performance against Baylor wasn’t all that impressive, the Bears’ offense was aided by three interceptions and several short fields on their way to 38 points and the win.

On defense, Oklahoma played well against Iowa State, West Virginia, and Oklahoma State, and the Sooners will need them to play well again on Saturday night if they want to come out of Lubbock with a win.

The Sooners hold a 23-6 edge in the historical matchup and have won 10 in a row dating back to 2012.

Unlike previous years, this Texas Tech team has had a revolving door at quarterback with Donovan Smith, Behren Morton, and Tyler Shough each getting starts. Shough has recently stepped in to start at quarterback with an injury. Shough was named the starter in the preseason, but injuries led to Smith taking over before Joey McGuire inserted Morton into the lineup.

Back healthy, the Red Raiders have gone back to Shough, who’s expected to start for Tech this Saturday night in Norman.

Oklahoma’s had more stability at the quarterback position, but over the last month, [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] has struggled to find consistency. Over the last four games, Gabriel’s completing just 57.8% of his passes for 214.5 passing yards per game, and has thrown five touchdowns and four interceptions. He’s also rushed for 37 yards per game and two touchdowns during that stretch, but he’ll have to find more efficiency throwing the football than he has in the last month.

The Sooners need their starting quarterback to rebound from the final three quarters against Oklahoma State, where he was just 6 of 22.

On paper, this looks like a fairly even matchup, but let’s take a look at the two sides in our weekly “By the Numbers” preview.

Game time set for Oklahoma’s season finale on the road vs. Texas Tech

The Oklahoma Sooners’ regular season finale against the Texas Tech Red Raiders will be broadcast in primetime on Fox Sports 1. From @bendackiw

The Oklahoma Sooners’ streak of non-primetime games on the road will end on their final game of the 2022 regular season in Lubbock. The Oklahoma-Texas Tech matchup will be broadcasted on FS1 at 6:30 P.M.

The Sooners and Red Raiders are both 5-5 on the season, but the Raiders are 3-4 in Big 12 play, while the Sooners are just 2-5.

It’s difficult to call Joey McGuire’s first year in Lubbock anything other than a success. Both the football program and fanbase have been revitalized.

As for the Sooners, it’s difficult to get a gauge on just how meaningful this game is without knowing the result of Bedlam, which is also getting a primetime kickoff.

If the Sooners win against Oklahoma State, they will have already achieved bowl eligibility heading into the final week of the season. Finishing the season with back-to-back wins and a 7-5 record would get the Sooners more momentum heading into recruiting season. Should they lose Bedlam, their regular season finale means so much more. Bowl eligibility would be on the line.

A primetime kickoff in Lubbock was the worst-case scenario for OU. The Red Raiders and their fanbase would love to end Brent Venables’ first season with a loss.

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Series History: Last 10 Texas vs. Texas Tech matchups

The Longhorns have dominated the all-time series over Texas Tech.

Texas and Texas Tech have met a total of 71 times dating back to 1928. Continue reading “Series History: Last 10 Texas vs. Texas Tech matchups”

Brent Venables at No. 8 in CBS Sports Big 12 head coach rankings

Brent Venables comes in at No. 8, but how does CBS Sports rank the remaining Big 12 coaches heading into the 2022 season?

This past winter saw the Big 12 turn over more than 25% of its coaching ranks as Brent Venables, Sonny Dykes, and Joey McGuire took over at Oklahoma, TCU, and Texas Tech.

Dykes is the only one of the three that enters 2022 with any head coaching experience after stops at Louisiana Tech, Cal and SMU. While Venables doesn’t have any head coaching experience, he’s spent the better part of the last 30 years learning from hall of fame coaches Bill Snyder, Bob Stoops and Dabo Swinney. As arguably the best defensive coordinator of the last decade, Venables gets to try his hand at building and running his first football program.

There’s a great deal of optimism surrounding Oklahoma under Venables, and there’s little doubt that the Sooners will have success. However, the turnover the Sooners endured this offseason leaves many wondering if Oklahoma can reassert itself as the king of the Big 12 in 2022.

In a deep league full of quality coaches, Venables checks in at No. 8 in CBS Sports Big 12 coach rankings for 2022. And that’s simply because he hasn’t done it before.

Here’s a look at how the coaches stack up in the Big 12 conference.

CBS Sports ranked every Power Five coach; how did the Big 12 fare?

Tom Fornelli ranked each of the power five coaches 1-65, where did the Big 12’s coaches land on the list?

The Big 12 welcomes three new coaches to its ranks in 2022. Brent Venables at Oklahoma, Sonny Dykes at TCU, and Joey McGuire at Texas Tech. Each come in with different expectations and experiences.

Dykes has 12 years of head coaching experience, including four at the Power Five. Venables has been a defensive coordinator for more than 20 years at Oklahoma and Clemson, winning three national titles, and learning under some of the legends of the game. McGuire, a high school coaching legend, spent time on Dave Aranda’s staff but hasn’t been a coordinator at the college level.

There’s no right path to a head coaching gig and the Big 12’s coaches come from a vast array of experiences. Chris Klieman was dominant at FCS North Dakota State. Steve Sarkisian had stops at USC and Washington before resurrecting his career as the offensive coordinator for Alabama. Dave Aranda rode LSU’s 2019 national title success to his first head coaching job at Baylor. Lance Leipold took over at Kansas without much time to prep for the 2021 season. Mike Gundy and Matt Campbell have been mainstays of the conference. Campbell has been a head coach for 11 seasons, including the last six at Iowa State while Gundy has been the head coach at Oklahoma State for the last 17 seasons.

It’s an interesting cast of characters in the Big 12, but how do they stack up compared to the rest of the Power Five. Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports ranked all 65 head coaches ahead of the 2021 season.

You can take a look at the coaches ranked 26-65 and the top 25 from Tom Fornelli and CBS Sports.

Big 12 coaches ranked by career win percentage

With turnover of three of the conference’s programs, here’s a look at how the current Big 12 coaches stack up in win percentage.

The Big 12 saw some head coach turnover from the 2021 season. Gone are Lincoln Riley, Matt Wells, and Gary Patterson and in are Brent Venables, Joey McGuire, and Sonny Dykes.

Dykes is the only one of the three with head coaching experience having spent time at Louisiana Tech, Cal, and SMU before taking over the TCU Horned Frogs. For much of the 2021 season, SMU looked to be the biggest threat to Cincinnati’s AAC title and playoff aspirations before a late-season collapse allowed Houston to challenge the Bearcats in the AAC title game.

McGuire made a name for himself in the Texas high school football ranks. He led Cedar Hill to three state championships in his tenure. After that he spent time on Baylor’s staff as an assistant before landing at Texas Tech. He might have limited college experience, but he’s a well respected name in Texas high school circles that should give the Red Raiders a boost on the recruiting trail.

Venables is arguably the most successful defensive coordinator of the last decade, helping Clemson win two national titles and predicting countless NFL prospects. No team had more sacks than the Tigers in the last decade in Venables pressure scheme. Bringing back Venables, the Sooners hope to recreate that success in Norman ahead of a future move to the SEC.

Athlon Sports picks the Oklahoma Sooners to finish second in the Big 12 in early 2022 projections

Looking ahead to the 2022 season, the Oklahoma Sooners were picked to finish second in Athlon Sports early Big 12 predictions.

Change isn’t always a bad thing. It comes with questions and some uncertainty, but the new can often be better than what you had or where you were.

That’s what the Oklahoma Sooners are facing heading into the 2022 offseason: A year of change and transition. Out is Lincoln Riley and in is Brent Venables, Jeff Lebby and a new defensive staff. Venables wants to make the Sooners fast and physical on defense while they run the football and controll the pace on offense.

Despite all of the changes, the program has much to be optimistic about this offseason. Steve Lassan of Athlon Sports has the Oklahoma Sooners picked to finish second in the Big 12 in his early 2022 predictions.

Lassan admits the league is pretty wide open.

“The Big 12 should feature a wide-open race to win the conference in 2022. A strong argument could be made for Baylor, Oklahoma or Oklahoma State as the early No. 1 pick in the league, but regardless of which team is the favorite, the gap among those programs is small.”

Here’s what he had to say about the Oklahoma Sooners.

It’s been a busy offseason in Norman, but new coach Brent Venables has the pieces in place to push for a Big 12 title. Assuming Caleb Williams doesn’t return, UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel should take over the quarterback spot and reunite with his former coach (and coordinator) in Jeff Lebby. The Sooners lost running back Kennedy Brooks and a couple of linemen to the NFL, but Gabriel’s arrival should keep this offense near the top of the conference. Venables was one of the nation’s top defensive signal-callers at Clemson and should make an impact right away on this side of the ball for the Sooners. – Lassan, Athlon Sports

It’s incredibly early the Oklahoma Sooners will worry about proving it on the field. What’s evident is the top of the Big 12 will be competitive once again. Baylor and Oklahoma State should be strong contenders for the conference title again in 2022. Oklahoma looks to rebound and get back into the Big 12 title game. And you never know what you’re going to get with Texas. After a terrible year, the Longhorns could bounce back and find themselves in the Big 12 race as well.

Here’s how Lassan ranked the Big 12 members.