Texas Tech Dumps Matt Wells and Makes Sonny Cumbie the Interim Head Coach

STILLWATER – After just two full seasons and eight games into the third season Texas Tech University has pulled the plug on Oklahoma native and former Utah State head coach Matt Wells as the man in charge of Red Raiders football. It may seem strange that Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt and the administration fired Wells when he has a 5-3 record this season, but on Saturday the Red Raiders blew a 14-point second half lead at home against Kansas State to drop to 2-3 in Big 12 play. Texas Tech plays Oklahoma this week and then after a bye week finishes with Iowa State, Oklahoma State, and Baylor. The prospects for a win and becoming bowl eligible against the top teams in the league are not high considering the way the team has performed.

Texas Tech is now going to put offensive coordinator and former Tech quarterback and assistant coach Sonny Cumbie in charge of the program as the interim head coach for the rest of the season. Cumbie played quarterback for Mike Leach at Texas Tech from 2000-04 and then was an assistant there from 2009-13 before leaving for TCU. He is back as the offensive coordinator for this season.

Wells, a native of Sallisaw had several Oklahoma connections on his staff including his brother and Keith Patterson, who is the defensive coordinator. Well finishes with a 13-17 record in his time at Texas Tech. Wells had previously been the head coach at Utah State, where he had lots of success with the Aggies’ program.

It seems the final straw was the 25-24 home loss on Saturday to a Kansas State team that came in 0-3 in Big 12 play, but the three games were against Baylor, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State. Wells was 1-1 against Oklahoma State with a 45-35 win in Lubbock in 2019 and a 50-44 loss to the Cowboys in Stillwater in 2020. The Cowboys travel to Lubbock to play Texas Tech on Nov. 20.