Texas Tech University Athletics
McGuire garners AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honors
November 25, 2025 | Football
McGuire was named the Region Four Coach of the Year by the AFCA after leading Texas Tech to a 10-1 start
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire was named the Region Four Coach of the Year on Tuesday by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) after leading the Red Raiders to a top-five ranking and the cusp of the College Football Playoff.
McGuire was one of five regional winners who are all now finalists for AFCA National Coach of the Year honors. He was joined by Grent Key of Georgia Tech (Region One), Clark Lea of Vanderbilt (Region Two), Curt Cignetti of Indiana (Region Three) and Timmy Chang from Hawaii (Region Five). The AFCA regional awards are spread across all levels of college football, ranging from the FBS to the NAIA.
McGuire, who was one of 18 coaches across college football to be honored for the first time, has pushed the Red Raiders to a 10-1 start to their season and a No. 5 ranking by the College Football Playoff selection committee entering the regular-season finale Saturday at West Virginia. This is only the seventh 10-win season in program history and the first for the Red Raiders since 2008.
Texas Tech (10-1; 7-1) will have the opportunity to match its single-season record for wins with a victory over the Mountaineers (4-7; 2-6). The Red Raiders also finished with 11 wins during the 1953 and 1973 seasons under DeWitt Weaver and Jim Carlen, respectively, as well as in 2008 under Mike Leach. The 2008 campaign is the only year the Red Raiders reached their 11th win in the regular season.
The Red Raiders have done so with complimentary football, boasting a high-scoring offenses once again that is paired with one of the nation's top defenses. Texas Tech enters this week as the only FBS school to rank in the top-five nationally for scoring offense, scoring defense and takeaways per game. The Red Raiders are looking to become the first FBS team to rank in the top five of all three categories since Florida won the BCS National Championship in 2008.
Texas Tech has been dominant in its 10 victories this season, winning all 10 games by at least 20 points while outscoring opponents, 469-135, overall. The Red Raiders currently lead the nation with an average margin of victory of 33.8 points as Texas Tech joins only Oklahoma in both 2003 and 2008 to record at least 10 wins by 20 or more points in a season. Texas Tech has won each of its seven Big 12 games by at least 20 points as only Ohio State (8) and Utah (8) have more wins by that margin for the entire season.
Texas Tech's success has already landed McGuire on the watch lists for the Dodd Trophy and Bear Bryant Awards, which both honor the nation's top head coaches.
The Red Raiders will look to secure their spot in the Edward Jones Big 12 Championship this Saturday in an 11 a.m. CT kickoff at West Virginia. Texas Tech clinches its spot at AT&T Stadium in Arlington with a win over the Mountaineers or a loss by Arizona State in their in-state rivalry game Friday against Arizona.
