Texas Tech fires head football coach Matt Wells

Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells during an NCAA college football game against Kansas Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)
By

Texas Tech has fired head football coach Matt Wells, the school announced Monday.

Wells’ dismissal comes despite a 5-3 record this season, but two days after the Red Raiders lost 25-24 at home to Kansas State. Wells went 13-17 overall in two-plus seasons in Lubbock, but just 7-16 in Big 12 Conference play.

The 48-year-old Wells came to Texas Tech from Utah State, where he was 44-34 in six seasons. A former Utah State quarterback, he’d also been an offensive coordinator or an offensive position coach at his alma mater, New Mexico, Louisville, Tulsa and Navy.

Offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie, a former Texas Tech quarterback, has been installed as interim head coach. The Red Raiders are at No. 4 Oklahoma on Saturday.

Texas Tech is the sixth FBS coaching job to come open since the start of the 2021 season, following Connecticut, USC, Georgia Southern, LSU and Washington State.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

X

Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information

If you opt out, we won’t sell or share your personal information to inform the ads you see. You may still see interest-based ads if your information is sold or shared by other companies or was sold or shared previously.