TECH COACHES: OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW

Five of Mike Leach’s nine on-field assistant coaches, including defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill, were released on Wednesday as new Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville continued the work of putting a staff together.



Riley
Meanwhile, Tech appeared closer to hiring James Willis, an assistant from national champion Alabama as defensive coordinator. Citing unnamed sources, the Tuscaloosa News reported Wednesday that Willis, 37, had agreed in principle to take the job.

Only offensive line coach Matt Moore and defensive line coach Charlie Sadler are set to return in their current roles. Dennis Simmons, who has been wide receivers coach the last two years, will remain with the athletic department for the time being, but not in the same capacity, Tech officials said.

Let go in addition to McNeill were inside receivers coach Lincoln Riley, running backs coach Clay McGuire, cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell and special teams coach Eric Russell. Also out are Dave Emerick, the chief of staff/assistant athletic director who coordinated recruiting, and director of player personnel Antonio Huffman.

Tommy McVay, the director of football operations, has been retained, the Avalanche-Journal learned. McVay also survived the transition from Spike Dykes’ staff to Leach’s 10 years ago.

The released coaches will be paid until June 1, unless they get another job before then, athletic director Gerald Myers said.

Safeties coach Carlos Mainord, 65, said he had made up his mind to retire beforehand.

“It was just time to do it,” Mainord said. “My wife and I had talked about it, whoever came in and whoever got the job, we were ready to retire. I respect Tommy, and know he’ll do a good job. It had nothing to do with the new coach or anybody. It was just time to retire.”

Mainord, who had four stints on the Tech staff starting in 1968, said he and his wife, Judy, have no immediate plans to leave Lubbock. Mainord spent one of his 44 years in coaching on the same University of Miami (Fla.) staff with Tuberville.

There’s a chance the next staff could still have a Mainord family member. Carlos Mainord confirmed that his son, Tommy, has had discussions about joining the Red Raiders’ staff. Tommy Mainord is offensive coordinator at Lamar. He was co-offensive coordinator at Sam Houston State in 2008, the last of his three years there.

Both the Red Raiders’ graduate assistant coaches, Sonny Cumbie on offense and Duane Price on defense, will be back.

Earlier this week, strength and conditioning coach Bennie Wylie was retained on a six-month trial basis.

Tuberville was hired as head coach on Saturday and made his first major addition on Tuesday, when he chose Neal Brown from Troy to be his offensive coordinator.

“Neal is an excellent young coach, and his offensive philosophy fits perfectly here at Texas Tech,” Tuberville said in a statement released through Tech media relations. “We are going to keep the Air Raid offense alive and well, and Neal’s credentials certainly back that up. He understands this system in and out and has had great success with it at Troy and is excited about coming to Texas Tech and the Big 12 Conference.”

Tech officials said the first media availability for Tuberville and Brown since Tuberville’s introductory news conference will be Thursday.

Brown will have one familiar face on his staff: Moore, the Red Raiders’ offensive line coach the last three years, worked with Brown for one season at Troy.

Meanwhile, on the defensive coordinator front, Willis completed a campus tour of a little less than 24 hours and left Wednesday with no announcement. Willis is associate head coach and linebackers coach at national champion Alabama, where he was in his first year this season. He spent six of the previous eight years on Tuberville’s staff at Auburn.

Story courtesy at www.redraiders.com