Just when you think the coaching carousel can’t get any stranger. It’s been pretty strange so far, especially the Bret Bielema move to Arkansas but this one might take the cake. Texas Tech head coach (I guess that’s former head coach now) Tommy Tuberville has accepted the Cincinati Bearcats head coaching job.
Tuberville will move from the Big 12 and Texas Tech, where he went 20-17 in his three year stay with the Red Raiders, to a Big East Conference that has been taking hit after hit the past couple of years. Tuberville looked like he had turned the corner in Lubbock this season when they started out 6-1 including a win over Oklahoma but the Red Raiders would finish 1-4 in their last five which was a similar finish to the prior season when they dropped seven of their last eight. Tuberville’s teams put up the offensive numbers at Tech but have struggled to find themselve on defense during his tenure.
The move to Cincinnati is questionable. Texas Tech plays in a much better conference and is seen as a better job on the coaching ladder. Tuberville was working on a five year, $11 million dollar contract at Tech and his raise he got in 2011 didn’t sit well with the faculty in Lubbock. We all know how Mike Leach got along with the administration when he was there so maybe there were some internal issues that expedited Tuberville’s exit.
Tuberville has also seen his share of controversy while in Lubbock. His wife was involved in an accident that resulted in a death. Also, not as serious but certainly controversial, Tuberville had an on field incident where he struck one of his assistant coaches. Maybe it was just time for the Tuberville’s to get out of town.
It’s an interesting move at the very least. CIncinnati’s last two coaches are currently employed by Tennessee and Notre Dame so maybe this is a move by Tuberville to try and get back into the limelight of another SEC, or higher profile, job. Great hire on the surface for Cincinnati for the interim, but you have to think Tuberville is looking at this as a stepping stone.
For a Cincinnati take on the job, head over to the Bearcats Blog. For a Texas Tech perspective visit Viva la Matadors and check out their 200+ comments and counting for this article.
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