Sonny Cumbie left TCU for Texas Tech and is the new Red Raider offensive coordinator.

“It’s good to have Sonny (Cumbie) back,” said Texas Tech coach Matt Wells.  “He’s West Texas, from Snyder, Texas, obviously had a really good senior season at Tech and a career at Tech. He’s been under several staffs before me. I think the vibe is really good with him and the offensive players, they’re excited. In terms of him and the quarterbacks, that’s part of the reason I do believe I chose him is just his ability to coach and connect with those quarterbacks.

“He’s a detailed teacher. He’s a technique teacher. He’s done a nice job with those guys in the spring. I’m looking forward to the work he’s going to do with them throughout this season. But I think overall it’s been positive. But he knows we need to play well. Texas Tech means a lot to Sonny. And it’s a place where I know he and his wife and his family are comfortable. Great to have him in the building as part of our staff.”

Texas Tech is committed to playing better defense.

“I think we made a lot of progress from year one to last year, from ‘19 to 2020 in our defense,” Wells said. “If you look at the Big 12, just in the Big 12 games, we improved from really not very good in 2019 to okay in a lot of areas last year. But we need to make a jump again this year. And I think the strength of that defense will be our linebackers. Riko Jeffers, Colin Schooler, both those guys had draft grades and chose to come back as super seniors.

“We need to play well. They know it. But the strength of that will be those guys in the middle, those linebackers and their veteran leadership.”