Texas Tech University Athletics
McGuire named to Bear Bryant Award watch list
October 15, 2025 | Football
Joey McGuire was one of 28 coaches tabbed to the watch list Tuesday after Texas Tech’s perfect 6-0 start
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire was one of 28 college football coaches across the country named to the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year watch list Wednesday, which is presented annually by the American Heart Association.
McGuire has led the Red Raiders to a No. 7 ranking in the latest Associated Press poll and a perfect 6-0 record heading into this Saturday's road game at Arizona State. It is the best start to a season since 2013 for the Red Raiders, who are one of 11 undefeated teams remaining in college football.
The Red Raiders haven't just won under McGuire this season but have won big as Texas Tech leads the country with an average margin of victory of 35.3 points. Texas Tech has not trailed in a single game to this point en route to becoming the first Big 12 school to boast both a 6-0 record and an average point differential of at least 35.3 since Baylor in 2015.
Texas Tech's dominance has been a mixture of another high-powered offense with a stifling defense that has not allowed more than 17 points in a game thus far this season. The Red Raiders enter this weekend as one of only two teams in the country to rank in the top 10 for scoring defense (4th) and total defense (9th) as well as scoring offense (2nd) and total offense (1st), joining fellow unbeaten Indiana.
Defensively, the Red Raiders have shut down opposing offenses thanks to one of the nation's top defensive lines and a potential All-American linebacker in Jacob Rodriguez. The Red Raiders enter this weekend ranked tied for fifth in the FBS with 21.0 sacks, while its run defense leads the country after giving up only 62.5 yards per game on the ground through the first half of the season. Texas Tech is also tied for fifth nationally with 13 forced turnovers over six games.
The Red Raiders remain one of the nation's top offenses as Texas Tech ranks second nationally in scoring, averaging an impressive 47.5 points per game. Texas Tech is also the only school in the country to rank in the top 15 nationally for both passing offense and rushing offense, ranking third with 325.3 yards per game through the air to go along with an additional 2232.8 yards per game on the ground. Texas Tech is currently 14th in the FBS for rushing offense and leads the country with 558.2 yards of total offense per game.
Texas Tech's undefeated start has pushed McGuire to a 29-16 record as head coach of the Red Raiders. With a win Saturday at Arizona State, McGuire would become the third Texas Tech head coach to reach 30 wins in only 46 games or less, joining only Pete Cawthon (1930-40) and Jim Carlen (1970-74).
The Bear Bryant Award is given each January to a college football coach for contributions that make the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life – both on and off the field.
Now in its 40th year, the Coach of the Year award winner will be presented Jan. 21, 2026, during the annual Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Awards ceremony in Houston, Texas. The ceremony, presented by Memorial Hermann Health System, will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network.
