Texas Tech University Athletics
Football
Garret McGuire
- Title:
- Running Backs Coach
Garret McGuire enters his second season as Texas Tech’s running backs coach where he has quickly developed one of the nation’s deepest position rooms behind the tandem of Cameron Dickey and J’Koby Williams.
Texas Tech boasted multiple running backs with at least 800 rushing yards for the first time in program history during McGuire’s debut season, which helped push the Red Raiders to their first Big 12 title in history and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. The two-back system with Dickey and Williams paved the way for the Red Raiders finishing with 2,560 rushing yards as a team, their most since Texas Tech joined the Big 12 Conference in1996.
The duo both eclipsed more than 1,300 all-purpose yards, becoming the only pair of running backs in the country to do so during the 2025 season. It was only the seventh time in school history and the first time since 2015 that Texas Tech had featured multiple players with at least 1,300 all-purpose yards in the same season. It was the first time, though, that both players had been part of the running back room.
Dickey became the ninth Red Raider in program history to break the 1,000-yard mark, finishing with 1,124 rushing yards on the season in an impressive breakout season as a sophomore. It was the 14th different 1,000-yard season by a Red Raider in school history, earning him All-Big 12 second team honors by the conference coaches and a selection as one of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award. Dickey led the Big 12 for both rushing touchdowns (14) and total touchdowns (16), ranking in the top 20 nationally for both categories.
Williams, meanwhile, was a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, recognizing the most-versatile player in college football. Known for his speed as a rusher and as a returner, Williams led the Red Raiders with 1,525 all-purpose yards after totaling 868 on the ground, 388 through the air and 242 and 269 as a returner. He ranked 12th in the FBS for total all-purpose yards, bolstering a Texas Tech offense that averaged 39.4 points per game, its highest since 2016. Williams was also an All-Big 12 third team selection by the conference coaches as a returner and an honorable mention pick as a running back.
McGuire should have one of the nation’s deepest running backs room when the 2026 season kicks off thanks in part to the return of Quinten Joyner, who missed the entire 2025 season due to injury. The 2026 campaign will be McGuire’s sixth at either the collegiate or professional level and second in overseeing the running backs position. He previously was the wide receivers coach for Nebraska during the 2023-24 seasons after beginning his career as a coaching assistant with the Carolina Panthers in 2021. McGuire was promoted to an offensive assistant with the Panthers a year later ahead of the 2022 season.
Nebraska returned to a bowl game for the first time since 2016 with McGuire on staff in 2024 as the Huskers finished 7-6 overall following a victory over Boston College in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. McGuire contributed to consecutive top-25 recruiting classes for the Huskers as he was responsible for four four-star prospects signing with Nebraska for the 2025 class alone.
McGuire has been recognized as one of the nation's top up-and-coming coaches since being hired by Nebraska at only the age of 23. Over his two seasons, McGuire was named to the 2024 class for the AFCA 35 Under 35 list as well as the 30-Under-30 ranking of top young assistants compiled by 247Sports in 2023.
While at Nebraska, McGuire tutored a young wide receiver room with three true freshmen in Jaylen Lloyd, Malachi Coleman and Jaidyn Doss all seeing significant playing time during his debut season in 2023. Lloyd and Coleman developed into two of Nebraska's top receivers by the end of the season with Lloyd averaging an impressive 39.5 yards per catch after finding the end zone three times from at least 58 yards. Lloyd joined Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. as the only Big Ten receivers with at least three 50-yard receptions in 2023.
Nebraska started three different quarterbacks in 2023 for a Huskers offense that relied on numerous newcomers in McGuire's room. McGuire's ability to identify offensive weapons benefited the Huskers again in 2024 as Jacory Barnet Jr. set the Nebraska record for most receptions by a true freshman after catching 55 passes for 447 yards. Barnet Jr. ranked third nationally among all FBS freshmen for receptions and had the most targets (76) of any player in the country without a drop, according to Pro Football Focus. He finished second on the team with 875 all-purpose yards as an additional threat in the run game and as a returner.
The Huskers ranked tied for fourth nationally in 2024 for the fewest dropped passes, trailing only Army (5), Navy (6) and fellow Big Ten peer Washington (6). McGuire’s unit dropped only seven passes on the season despite 435 attempts, which led all three schools at the top of the rankings and more than doubled the amounts for both Army and Navy, traditional run-heavy offenses. The Huskers also ended the season ranked 15th in the FBS for completion percentage (66.2).
Nebraska got off to a 5-1 start to the 2024 season, which featured wins over fellow postseason teams in Colorado and Rutgers. This despite utilizing a true freshman quarterback in Dylan Raiola, who threw for the most yards and had the highest completion percentage by a freshman in school history. Raiola threw for 2,819 yards and 13 touchdowns with a 67.1 completion percentage, which ranked third all-time in Nebraska history. Raiola also ranked seventh all-time on Nebraska’s single-season passing yards chart.
McGuire had two of his Huskers sign NFL free agent agreements following the 2024 season as Isaiah Neyor came to terms with the San Francisco 49ers, while Jahmal Banks was picked up by the Baltimore Ravens. Banks led Nebraska with 44 catches for 587 yards and three touchdowns in his lone season as a Husker after transferring from Wake Forest. Neyor, meanwhile, was the team leader with five receiving touchdowns as part of 34 catches for 455 yards overall.
McGuire began his coaching career as a coaching assistant on Matt Rhule's staff with the Carolina Panthers in 2021. His tenure culminated with the Panthers as one of only eight NFL teams to have more than 3,200 passing yards and 2,220 rushing yards in 2022 despite injuries that forced Carolina to utilize three different starting quarterbacks. Even still, wide receiver DJ Moore ranked 15th in the NFL with seven touchdown receptions that season.
Prior to joining the coaching profession, McGuire was a quarterback and special teams player at Baylor from 2017-20, earning first team Academic All-Big 12 honors twice while also being named a team captain as a senior in 2020. He earned his degree in health, kinesiology and leisure studies from Baylor in 2020.
McGuire married his wife, Terra, in July 2026. He is the son of Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire and his wife, Debbie.
GARRET MCGUIRE COACHING HISTORY
2025-present – Texas Tech Assistant Coach (Running Backs)
2023-24 – Nebraska Assistant Coach (Wide Receivers)
2022 – Carolina Panthers Offensive Assistant
2021 – Carolina Panthers Coaching Assistant
BOWL GAMES COACHED (1): 2024 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripes Bowl (Nebraska)
Texas Tech boasted multiple running backs with at least 800 rushing yards for the first time in program history during McGuire’s debut season, which helped push the Red Raiders to their first Big 12 title in history and an appearance in the College Football Playoff. The two-back system with Dickey and Williams paved the way for the Red Raiders finishing with 2,560 rushing yards as a team, their most since Texas Tech joined the Big 12 Conference in1996.
The duo both eclipsed more than 1,300 all-purpose yards, becoming the only pair of running backs in the country to do so during the 2025 season. It was only the seventh time in school history and the first time since 2015 that Texas Tech had featured multiple players with at least 1,300 all-purpose yards in the same season. It was the first time, though, that both players had been part of the running back room.
Dickey became the ninth Red Raider in program history to break the 1,000-yard mark, finishing with 1,124 rushing yards on the season in an impressive breakout season as a sophomore. It was the 14th different 1,000-yard season by a Red Raider in school history, earning him All-Big 12 second team honors by the conference coaches and a selection as one of 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award. Dickey led the Big 12 for both rushing touchdowns (14) and total touchdowns (16), ranking in the top 20 nationally for both categories.
Williams, meanwhile, was a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, recognizing the most-versatile player in college football. Known for his speed as a rusher and as a returner, Williams led the Red Raiders with 1,525 all-purpose yards after totaling 868 on the ground, 388 through the air and 242 and 269 as a returner. He ranked 12th in the FBS for total all-purpose yards, bolstering a Texas Tech offense that averaged 39.4 points per game, its highest since 2016. Williams was also an All-Big 12 third team selection by the conference coaches as a returner and an honorable mention pick as a running back.
McGuire should have one of the nation’s deepest running backs room when the 2026 season kicks off thanks in part to the return of Quinten Joyner, who missed the entire 2025 season due to injury. The 2026 campaign will be McGuire’s sixth at either the collegiate or professional level and second in overseeing the running backs position. He previously was the wide receivers coach for Nebraska during the 2023-24 seasons after beginning his career as a coaching assistant with the Carolina Panthers in 2021. McGuire was promoted to an offensive assistant with the Panthers a year later ahead of the 2022 season.
Nebraska returned to a bowl game for the first time since 2016 with McGuire on staff in 2024 as the Huskers finished 7-6 overall following a victory over Boston College in the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. McGuire contributed to consecutive top-25 recruiting classes for the Huskers as he was responsible for four four-star prospects signing with Nebraska for the 2025 class alone.
McGuire has been recognized as one of the nation's top up-and-coming coaches since being hired by Nebraska at only the age of 23. Over his two seasons, McGuire was named to the 2024 class for the AFCA 35 Under 35 list as well as the 30-Under-30 ranking of top young assistants compiled by 247Sports in 2023.
While at Nebraska, McGuire tutored a young wide receiver room with three true freshmen in Jaylen Lloyd, Malachi Coleman and Jaidyn Doss all seeing significant playing time during his debut season in 2023. Lloyd and Coleman developed into two of Nebraska's top receivers by the end of the season with Lloyd averaging an impressive 39.5 yards per catch after finding the end zone three times from at least 58 yards. Lloyd joined Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. as the only Big Ten receivers with at least three 50-yard receptions in 2023.
Nebraska started three different quarterbacks in 2023 for a Huskers offense that relied on numerous newcomers in McGuire's room. McGuire's ability to identify offensive weapons benefited the Huskers again in 2024 as Jacory Barnet Jr. set the Nebraska record for most receptions by a true freshman after catching 55 passes for 447 yards. Barnet Jr. ranked third nationally among all FBS freshmen for receptions and had the most targets (76) of any player in the country without a drop, according to Pro Football Focus. He finished second on the team with 875 all-purpose yards as an additional threat in the run game and as a returner.
The Huskers ranked tied for fourth nationally in 2024 for the fewest dropped passes, trailing only Army (5), Navy (6) and fellow Big Ten peer Washington (6). McGuire’s unit dropped only seven passes on the season despite 435 attempts, which led all three schools at the top of the rankings and more than doubled the amounts for both Army and Navy, traditional run-heavy offenses. The Huskers also ended the season ranked 15th in the FBS for completion percentage (66.2).
Nebraska got off to a 5-1 start to the 2024 season, which featured wins over fellow postseason teams in Colorado and Rutgers. This despite utilizing a true freshman quarterback in Dylan Raiola, who threw for the most yards and had the highest completion percentage by a freshman in school history. Raiola threw for 2,819 yards and 13 touchdowns with a 67.1 completion percentage, which ranked third all-time in Nebraska history. Raiola also ranked seventh all-time on Nebraska’s single-season passing yards chart.
McGuire had two of his Huskers sign NFL free agent agreements following the 2024 season as Isaiah Neyor came to terms with the San Francisco 49ers, while Jahmal Banks was picked up by the Baltimore Ravens. Banks led Nebraska with 44 catches for 587 yards and three touchdowns in his lone season as a Husker after transferring from Wake Forest. Neyor, meanwhile, was the team leader with five receiving touchdowns as part of 34 catches for 455 yards overall.
McGuire began his coaching career as a coaching assistant on Matt Rhule's staff with the Carolina Panthers in 2021. His tenure culminated with the Panthers as one of only eight NFL teams to have more than 3,200 passing yards and 2,220 rushing yards in 2022 despite injuries that forced Carolina to utilize three different starting quarterbacks. Even still, wide receiver DJ Moore ranked 15th in the NFL with seven touchdown receptions that season.
Prior to joining the coaching profession, McGuire was a quarterback and special teams player at Baylor from 2017-20, earning first team Academic All-Big 12 honors twice while also being named a team captain as a senior in 2020. He earned his degree in health, kinesiology and leisure studies from Baylor in 2020.
McGuire married his wife, Terra, in July 2026. He is the son of Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire and his wife, Debbie.
GARRET MCGUIRE COACHING HISTORY
2025-present – Texas Tech Assistant Coach (Running Backs)
2023-24 – Nebraska Assistant Coach (Wide Receivers)
2022 – Carolina Panthers Offensive Assistant
2021 – Carolina Panthers Coaching Assistant
BOWL GAMES COACHED (1): 2024 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripes Bowl (Nebraska)
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Saturday, September 05
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