LUBBOCK, Texas (KXAN) — Texas Tech head football coach Matt Wells is expected to be fired Monday, according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram’s Mac Engel.
Engel reports offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie will replace Wells immediately as the interim head coach.
Texas Tech will be searching for its fourth full-time head coach since Mike Leach left the school in 2009. In less than three years in Lubbock, Wells is 13-17, failing to take Tech to a bowl game in his first two seasons.
However, Tech (5-3) is one win away from qualifying for a bowl game this year, but the program closes out the season with difficult games against Oklahoma, Iowa State, Baylor and Oklahoma State.
Texas Tech won’t be favored to win any of its remaining four games.
From interim coaches Ruffin McNeil and Chris Thomsen to full-time coaches Tommy Tubberville and Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech has had five coaches since Leach.
The Red Raiders looked to Wells after firing Kingsbury following the 2018 season. The former Utah State head coach didn’t have many connections to the state of Texas when he became Tech’s 16th head coach in program history.
Texas Tech started the season 3-0 after non-conference wins against Houston, Stephen F. Austin and Florida International. The Red Raiders opened conference play with a 70-35 blowout loss to Texas in Austin. Starting quarterback Tyler Shough was injured against the Longhorns and hasn’t returned yet.
Wells is owed around $7 million for the remainder of his contract. Tech Tech is playing at Oklahoma this weekend at 2:30 p.m.
Hocutt will hold a press conference at 5 p.m. Monday.
