Red Raiders Lock Down 3 Coordinators, GM Through 2028 as They Build for the Future

Fans in West Texas do not want to see the 2025 season become a flash in the pan, and the staff at Texas Tech is doing its best to ensure that will not happen. After signing head coach Joey McGuire to a deal that locks him down through 2032, they have dished out contract extensions to other key pieces who have led the team to its best season in program history.

Offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich, defensive coordinator Shiel Wood, assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Kenny Perry, and general manager James Blanchard have all been given contract extensions that will keep them in town through 2028.

This helps Texas Tech build continuity and ride the momentum as the Red Raiders seek the consistency of being multi-year contenders. The deals were reported by several sources and confirmed by the Texas Tech Football account on X.

Texas Tech being proactive and giving extensions to all three coordinators — DC Shiel Wood, OC Mack Leftwich and STC Kenny Perry. Also extends GM James Blanchard. https://t.co/AobAxsKq3j
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 17, 2025

Wood and Leftwich are likely to be head coaching candidates at some point soon, especially considering the success they have found at their age. Wood is 43, and Leftwich is just 31, though both have quickly established themselves as premier candidates for positions in 2026 and beyond.

However, most openings had already been filled. At the same time, Texas Tech focuses on its postseason run, and these extensions should ease any worries about other programs attempting to poach Tech's coaching talent. Regardless, a promotion could still be on the table next offseason if the Red Raiders continue to dominate the competition.

This season, the Red Raiders finished the regular season inside the top five nationally in points per game, yards per game, points allowed per game, and yards allowed per game. They also ranked inside the top five in team special teams grade (89.9, fourth) and defensive grade (96.5, first), evidence of the multi-phase dominance.

With a unit as in sync and complementary as the Red Raiders', it is no wonder that the people in charge in Lubbock, Texas, wanted to guarantee at least one more season of the core working together.

Texas Tech announces that it has come to terms on contract extensions thru the 2028 season for four key members of its football coaching staff: GM James Blanchard, OC Mack Leftwich, associate head coach and special teams coordinator Kenny Perry and DC Shiel Wood.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 17, 2025

According to Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Wood's deal is worth $5.55 million, and Leftwich's is worth $4.8 million, both of which include bonus incentives. Both contracts were reportedly signed on Oct. 30 and run through Jan. 31, 2029, which could explain why neither was involved in this season's coaching carousel.

Both coaches were originally signed to deals last offseason through 2027, following successful campaigns elsewhere. Wood transformed the Houston Cougars' defense as the defensive coordinator, a skill for which he has gained a reputation, while Leftwich was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for Texas State.

Wood has quickly established himself as a premier defensive playcaller and culture-builder, leading teams to the top of the turnover leaderboard wherever he goes. The former wide receiver found success defensively at multiple stops, including Army, Troy, and Tulane.

As for Leftwich, he got his start at UTEP as an assistant after playing quarterback for the Miners. Following one season at Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas, he joined the FCS program at Incarnate Word under former North Texas head coach Eric Morris.

As the Cardinals found success, Leftwich was promoted from graduate assistant to quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator, working with the most recent No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, quarterback Cam Ward, who was at UIW from 2020–21.

Texas Tech GM James Blanchard's extension through 2028 is worth up to $2.225 million over the length of the deal with retention bonuses, a source tells ESPN. Blanchard can also earn performance bonuses. pic.twitter.com/4oukeRzwWA
— Max Olson (@max_olson) December 17, 2025

Texas Tech also reportedly gave a sizable extension to its general manager, Blanchard. The Red Raiders dominated the transfer portal in 2025; they also built a top-20 class in 2026 and an early top-10 class in 2027.

Plenty of attention has been given to the money Texas Tech spent on additions. However, the focus should be on the return on investment for the team. Players like David Bailey, Romello Height, Reggie Virgil, Howard Sampson, Terrance Carter Jr., and Brice Pollock transformed the outlook of their position group overnight.

Blanchard has excelled not only in talent acquisition but in getting players to buy into what Texas Tech has to offer. The outlook for Tech in 2025 and beyond is strong, and he has largely been responsible for this evolution of the Red Raiders program since joining in 2021. As a result, he is being paid over $2 million with bonuses, according to Max Olson of ESPN.

Right now, the program's attention is firmly planted on the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla.; Tech will face the winner of Oregon-James Madison for a chance at the semifinals in the College Football Playoff.

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