© Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Joey McGuire Hits Recruiting Trail Running After Accepting Texas Tech Job
"Get your guns up, Red Raider Nation. Let's go!"
These were the only words spoken publicly by new Texas Tech football coach Joey McGuire, fresh off of taking the job on Monday, following a stint at Baylor as the associate head coach.
And he would go, immediately, at least in recruiting.
A longtime Texas High School football coach, McGuire made his mark at Cedar Hill High School, where he led the Longhorns to three state championships. The high marks included back-to-back title runs in 2013 and 2014 to go along with nine bi-district titles. He was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor just last year.
The Cedar Hill legacy has already paid off as Tech picked up three football commitments within hours of the McGuire hire becoming official, each seniors on the current roster. One, Syncere Massey, was a commitment flip from Arizona State, where the defensive lineman had been committed since July.
The two additional pickups, defensive back Jalon Peoples and interior defensive lineman Harvey Dyson III, committed within two hours of each other Monday evening.
Peoples, one of the most coveted cornerback projections in the Lone Star State, said the decision came without much hesitation thanks to the Cedar Hill connection, his reputation and family ties. McGuire was his lead recruiter while at Baylor, where the Bears were squarely in the mix for his commitment thanks in large part to the new Tech head coach.
"Coach Mcguire has been a coach that I've wanted to play for," Peoples told Sports Illustrated. "For many years he coached my brothers and I've always wanted him to coach me because of the great person, father and coach he is.
"So when he called me yesterday and told me (about the job), I was excited. He told me, 'I’m coming for you' and I made my decision."
It was even more sudden for Dyson, who didn't hold a Red Raider scholarship offer before McGuire took over. Arizona, SMU, Grambling and others were what was on the table for the 6'3", 260-pound prospect, though he said McGuire was in contact at Baylor.
The regional buzz about the possibility of the new hire had the senior keeping a close eye on things, only accelerating the decision-making element once the tender was extended.
"Once he and I found out that he was going to be the next head coach at Texas Tech, we we’re locked in." Dyson told SI. "He’s a coach that’s going to get you fired up to play and going to get the best out of you. The best part about him is that he is a even better person outside of football. He checks in with you and makes sure everything is OK with you...He cares about his players off the field more than he does on."
It's no secret the Tech job is an uphill climb. Not since Mike Leach, the program's winningest coach at 84-43, has the program been a perennial contender in the Big 12 -- or even a winner in general.
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Leach left more than a decade ago and the three full-time coaches to follow him, including current U.S. Senator Tommy Tubervile and Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury, would combine for just 68 wins. Along with Matt Wells, who was fired in late October, neither amassed a .500 record while at the helm.
Should McGuire be the coach to bring the program back, instant recruiting success like he had the first 12 or so hours on the job, will define his first recruiting class in Lubbock. The Early Signing Period, the catalyst for most in-season coaching changes, kicks off December 15.
If the Cedar Hill track record has anything to do with it, combined with local perception, the program could be in great shape. Before McGuire took over at CHHS, the school was far from the power it became.
"I think recruiting this class late doesn’t make a difference that much to him," Dyson said. "He’s going to get the guys that he wants. His plans for the school is to build a culture and win football games. That’s exactly what he did at Cedar Hill. He made the school into a powerhouse and that is what he will do at Texas Tech."
Tech's class now sits at a dozen recruits in the 2022 recruiting cycle, now at eight from the state of Texas. Expect that number to grow over the next month.
McGuire was formally announced at noon Tuesday, but not before picking up momentum on the recruiting trail.
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