Texas Tech Red Raiders
Encyclopedia
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic
teams that represent Texas Tech University
(TTU). The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports. The Masked Rider
and Raider Red
serve as the mascots representing the teams, and the school colors are red
and black
. Texas Tech participates in the NCAA
Division I and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference
.
From 1932 until 1956, the university belonged to the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association
. Texas Tech was admitted to the Southwest Conference on May 12, 1956. When the Southwest Conference disbanded in 1995, Texas Tech, along with the University of Texas at Austin
, Texas A&M University
, and Baylor University
, joined with all eight former members of the Big Eight Conference
to form the Big 12 Conference.
The university's athletic director is Kirby Hocutt. Bob Knight, the winningest coach in men's Division I basketball
history, coached the Red Raiders men's basketball
team from 2001 to 2008. Following Bob Knight's retirement in 2008, his son Pat Knight
assumed head coaching duties. The Red Raiders football team, which has been coached by Mike Leach from 2000 to 2009, is a member of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and has appeared in the 19th-most bowl games of any team. Tommy Tuberville
was named head coach in 2010 following the firing of Mike Leach. In 1993, led by coach Marsha Sharp
, the Lady Raiders basketball team won the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship. Following Sharp's retirement in 2006, Kristy Curry
was named Lady Raiders head coach. Red Raiders baseball
coach Larry Hays
, who is one of only four coaches in NCAA baseball history to win 1,500 career games, retired in 2008. He is replaced by Dan Spencer
.
suggested Tech's athletic teams be called the "Dogies" explaining that "a Dogie is a calf whose mother died and is forced to look out for itself" and "If ever anything had to rustle for itself, it was West Texas and Tech College."
and men's basketball
, baseball is the third oldest sport at Texas Tech. The initial team organized in 1925 and the first game, an 18–9 victory over West Texas State Teachers College
, was played in 1926. In the following game, the team suffered its first ever loss, 14–9 to the team it had previously defeated. The third game in the team's history—this one against Daniel Baker College
—ended in a 3–3 tie after 11 innings.
E. Y. Freeland
was the first coach of the Red Raiders, though the team was known as the Matadors at the time. He remained in the position for three years before R. Grady Higginbotham
took the role. Higginbotham coached for only two years. From 1930 to 1953, Tech did not field an intercollegiate baseball team. When the program returned in 1954, Beattie Feathers
became the head coach of the Red Raiders and remained until 1960. He was followed by Berl Huffman
(1961–1967), Kal Segrist
(1968–1983), and Gary Ashby
(1984–1986). Upon Ashby's departure, Larry Hays
became the head coach of the team.
Texas Tech's baseball team plays at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park and is coached by Dan Spencer
. Larry Hays
had been the Red Raider's head coach for the previous 22 years and accumulated over 800 wins with Texas Tech. On April 2, 2008, Hays became just the fourth coach in NCAA baseball history to win 1,500 career games. The Red Raider's first ever win came on April 5, 1926 against New Mexico Military Institute
. During the 1990s, Tech players drew notice from 17 big league organizations. Two Red Raiders were selected in the second round, one each in the third, fourth, and fifth rounds. As of 2002, 16 former Tech players have appeared in Major League Baseball
.
Larry Hays
took over the Red Raiders baseball team in 1987. Under Hays, Texas Tech endured only two losing seasons, his first and last, and enjoyed their greatest success in baseball. Hays took Tech from having a losing tradition to being a national contender. When Hays started with the Red Raiders, the team's overall record stood at 550–576. By the time he left, he was the fourth-winningest coach is college baseball history and the team's record had improved to 1,365–1,054–9. The Red Raiders reached eight straight NCAA tournaments
from 1995–2002 and again in 2004, three of which were held at Dan Law Field. They also won two conference championships, in 1995 (while still in the Southwest Conference) and 1997, and two conference tournament championships, in 1996 and 1998.
Texas Tech's cross country and indoor/outdoor track & field teams are coached by Wes Kittley
. Under his leadership, the program has reached new heights. At the 2005 Outdoor National Championships, Tech qualified 31 men's and women's athletes, more than any other school in the country.
From 1990 to 2006, the men's team garnered 91 All-America awards, 20 Big 12 championships, and one individual national title. In the same time period, the women's team won 32 All-America awards, 29 Big 12 championships, and five individual national titles. During the 2007/08 season, the women had another strong showing behind Sally Kipyego
, who won four individual national titles (cross country, indoor 3000 m and 5000 m, outdoor 10,000 m) and placed second in her bid for an unprecedented fifth title in one academic year (outdoor 5000 m). Kipyego added three more nation titles (cross country, indoor 5000 m, outdoor 5000 m) and one more second-place win (outdoor 1500 m) during the 2007/08 season. Under Kipyego's leadership, the women's team captured its first title in 2008.
team is a member of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A). Texas Tech played its first intercollegiate football game on October 3, 1925. The contest, against McMurry University
, ended in a controversial 0–0 tie. Tech's Elson Archibald seemed to have kicked a game-winning 20-yard field goal but the referee ruled that the clock had run out before the score. It was later reported that the referee made the call to get revenge because he wanted to be the team's first head coach but the job was instead given to Ewing Y. Freeland
.
In 1932, the program joined the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association
. Five years later, the team won its first conference championship and was invited to the Sun Bowl
. The game was played on January 1, 1938, and resulted in a 6–7 loss to West Virginia
. Texas Tech suffered four more bowl losses before getting their first postseason win in the 1952 Sun Bowl. Before withdrawing for the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1956, the Red Raiders won a total of eight conference championships and one co-championship, the most titles held by a Border Conference team.
In 1960, Texas Tech was admitted to the Southwest Conference (SWC). The Red Raiders won conference co-championships in 1976 and 1994. The team remained in the SWC until the conference ceased operations 1996. Following the dissolution of the SWC, the university became a charter member of the Big 12 Conference
.
In the Big 12 Conference, the Red Raiders competed in the South Division from the athletic conference's formation until the 2010 season. As of the 2011 season, Big 12 members compete in a round robin schedule. The team has the distinction of being the only one in the Big 12 to have a winning season each year since the conference was created in 1996. In July 2007, ESPN
ranked all 119 FBS (formerly 1-A) football programs on performance from 1997–2006 and placed Texas Tech at number 32. Also, with 13, the Red Raiders rank fourth nationally in consecutive winning seasons, trailing only Florida State (30), Florida (19), and Virginia Tech (14).
Described as a program on the rise, the Red Raiders, coach by Mike Leach since 2000, earned 56 wins from the 2000 through the 2006 season. During the same period, only three other Big 12 teams had more victories—Oklahoma
, Texas, and Nebraska. In each of its last thirteen seasons Tech has finished with a winning record, the fourth-longest such streak in the nation. The Red Raiders have made 32 bowl appearances, which is 19th most of any university.
, qualified for the tournament after finishing 7th in NCAA Central Regional.
Basketball came to Texas Tech only two years after the school was founded. The inaugural game was a 37–25 loss to Daniel Baker College
. Tech would lose two more games before finally clinching their first ever victory—35–21 at Sul Ross University.
Grady Higginbotham
was the first coach, earning a 14–18 record over two seasons. At .438, Higgenbotham was the only Tech basketball coach to garner an overall losing record during his stay. Following Higgenbotham's departure, Victor Payne
led the Matadors (as the school's teams were known until 1936) from 1927
to 1930
. His final tally stood at 32 wins and 20 losses. W. L. Golightly
coached only one season, bringing in an 11–9 record. Dell Morgan
held the head coaching job from 1931 to 1934, chalking up 42 wins to 29 losses. He was followed by Virgil Ballard
. Though Ballard coached only a single season, it was during his time that the team won their milestone 100th game, a one-point victory over House of David. Ballard left with a 15–9 record.
Berl Huffman
was twice the head basketball coach at Texas Tech—first from 1935 to 1942 and then from 1946 to 1947. During his total of eight seasons, he garnered a record of 121–67. Polk Robison
was the only other person to serve two different times as the head basketball coach at the school. When Huffman left in 1942, Robison took the job. And, when Huffman left a second time in 1947, it was Robison who again filled the position, this time remaining until 1961. At a total of 18 seasons, his stay is the second longest of any Red Raiders basketball coach, behind Gerald Myers
. He departed after leading his teams to 254 wins, 195 losses, and the first two NCAA tournaments
in school history.
Gene Gibson
followed Robison into the position. In his eight seasons, he chalked up the second worst record of any head basketball coach at Tech. Still, at 100–92, there were eight more wins than losses. Bob Bass
led the program to a 22–15 record over a season-and-a-half before returning to professional basketball coaching duties.
Bob Knight became the men's basketball coach in 2001. He retired on February 4, 2008. On New Year's Day 2007, a 70–68 defeat of New Mexico by Tech marked the 880th total win for Knight, making him the winningest coach in men's college basketball history. Knight also has several other distinctions, including being the only coach to win the NCAA, the NIT, the Olympic
Gold, and the Pan-Am
Gold, and has been given several awards. Knight was
succeeded by his son Pat Knight
. After Pat Knight's termination, Billy Gillispie
was named head coach on March 20, 2011.
has been coaching at Tech for 15 years, helping the men's tennis team to numerous winning seasons. Siegel was recently honored as the 2008 Big 12 Coach of the Year. He has coached players who are now college coaches themselves.
The men's tennis team had a very successful 2008 season being ranked as high as #17 in the nation. The Red Raiders have faced 11 ranked teams and have only lost to two, #31 TCU
and #11 Tulsa. Texas Tech ended the regular season ranked #17.
The Texas Tech tennis team won the Border Conference tennis championship in 1936, 1937, and 1950.
. Led by its star player Sheryl Swoopes
and head coach Marsha Sharp
, the Lady Raiders won the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship in 1993
. In early 2006, Lady Raiders coach Marsha Sharp retired and was replaced on March 30, 2006 by Kristy Curry
, who had been the coach at Purdue
.
has coached the Red Raiders.
, lacrosse, fencing
, and soccer.
to win the United States Polo Association National Intercollegiate Championship.
and won the 1955 championship at the College National Finals Rodeo
.
Jones AT&T Stadium
serves as home to the Red Raiders football team. The stadium, named for Clifford B. and Audrey Jones, opened in 1947. In 2000, the stadium was renamed Jones SBC Stadium after SBC Communications made a $30 million contribution to the university. Following SBC Communications' acquisition of AT&T Corporation in 2006, the stadium was renamed Jones AT&T Stadium. The stadium's original seating capacity was 27,000, but it was expanded in 1959, 1972, and again in 2003 to the current capacity of 53,000. On August 7, 2008, the Texas Tech Board of Regents announced a $25 million expansion project. The planned expansion will add a Spanish Renaissance themed facade to the east side of the stadium. In addition to the improvements to the exterior of the facility, the expansion with add 1,000 general-admission seats, 550 club seats, and 26 suites. Texas Tech has allocated a total of $19 million to the expansion and plans to add another $6 million through fund-raising initiatives. Construction is set to begin following the 2008 season
.
Since 1999, home basketball games have been played at United Spirit Arena
, a 15,020-seat multi-purpose facility which cost $62 million to build. In addition to serving as home to the men's and women's basketball teams, the arena is used by the Lady Raiders volleyball team.
titles, 23 Southwest Conference titles, and 22 Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association
titles.
s" from 1925–1936. As the school was thinking of an appropriate nickname for its athletic teams in 1925, the wife of the first football coach
suggested "Matadors" to reflect the influence of the campus' Spanish Renaissance architecture
. The students followed the suggestion, and later chose red and black as the school colors to represent a matador's traditional garb. Coincidentally, the football team won its first game right after it had adopted the name. The nickname and school colors became official during a formal convocation on March 15, 1926.
There are two main stories as to how the name "Red Raiders" replaced its predecessor. In one story, football coach Pete Cawthon
ordered attractive scarlet uniforms to help the team's identity. The football team, wearing its new outfit, defeated heavily-favored Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles on October 26, 1934. A Los Angeles sports writer called the Matadors a "red raiding team". Other writers who covered Tech sports caught on with the term and successfully promoted the use of "Red Raiders". In the other tale, former Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
sports columnist Collier Parris, reporting on a 1932 Tech football game, wrote: "The Red Raiders from Texas Tech, terror of the Southwest this year, swooped into the New Mexico University
camp today." The name soon became popular afterward and by 1936, it officially replaced "Matadors" at the same time the Saddle Tramps came about.
The Masked Rider
is Texas Tech University's oldest mascot. The tradition began in 1936, when "ghost riders" circled the field prior to home football games. The Masked Rider became an official mascot in 1954, when Joe Kirk Fulton led the team onto the field at the Gator Bowl
. According to reports from those present at the game, the crowd sat in stunned silence as they watched Fulton and his horse, Blackie, rush onto the football field, followed by the team. After a few moments, the silent crowd burst into cheers. Ed Danforth, a writer for the Atlanta Journal who witnessed the event, later wrote, "No team in any bowl game ever made a more sensational entrance." In 2000, The Masked Rider tradition was commemorated with the unveiling of a statue outside of the university's Frazier Alumni Pavilion. The sculpture, created by artist Grant Speed, is 25 percent larger than life.
Today the Masked Rider, with guns up
, leads the team onto the field for all home games. This mascot, adorned in a distinctive gaucho
hat like the ones worn by members of the marching band, is one of the most visible figures at Texas Tech. Christi Chadwell, a sophomore agricultural communications major from Garland
, will represent the university as the Masked Rider during 2010/11.
Texas Tech's other mascot, Raider Red
, is a more recent creation. Beginning with the 1971 football season, the Southwest Conference forbade the inclusion of live animal mascots to away games unless the host school consented. For situations where the host school did not want to allow the Masked Rider's horse, an alternate mascot was needed. Jim Gaspard, a member of the Saddle Tramps student spirit organization, created the original design for the Raider Red costume, basing it on a character created by cartoonist Dirk West
, a Texas Tech alumnus and former Lubbock mayor. Though the Masked Rider's identity is public knowledge, it has always been tradition that Raider Red's student alter ego is kept secret until the end of his or her tenure. The student serving as Raider Red is a member of the Saddle Tramps or High Riders.
. It is common for people to camp out in front of Jones AT&T Stadium
a few days prior to home football games against the Aggies, the Longhorns, and the Oklahoma Sooners
.
In March 2009, Texas Tech and Baylor
reached an agreement to move their next two football games to the Dallas metropolitan area
. The schools played November 28, 2009, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington
with Tech claiming the victory. The next game was scheduled for October 9, 2010, at the Cotton Bowl Stadium
during the State Fair of Texas
, with Tech emerging victorious again. There is also an option to extend the arrangement for an additional two years.
Zach Thomas
of the Kansas City Chiefs
and Wes Welker
of the New England Patriots
, and Michael Crabtree
of the San Francisco 49ers
.
College athletics
College athletics refers primarily to sports and athletic competition organized and funded by institutions of tertiary education . In the United States, college athletics is a two-tiered system. The first tier includes the sports that are sanctioned by one of the collegiate sport governing bodies...
teams that represent Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
(TTU). The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports. The Masked Rider
The Masked Rider
The Masked Rider is the primary mascot of Texas Tech University. It is the oldest of the university's mascots still in existence today. Originally called "Ghost Rider", it was an unofficial mascot appearing in a few games in 1936 and then became the official mascot with the 1954 Gator Bowl. The...
and Raider Red
Raider Red
Raider Red is one of the mascots of Texas Tech University. The main mascot is The Masked Rider who rides a live horse. Raider Red is used at events where The Masked Rider is not allowed or would not be appropriate....
serve as the mascots representing the teams, and the school colors are red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
and black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
. Texas Tech participates in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
.
From 1932 until 1956, the university belonged to the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Border Conference , was an NCAA-affiliated college athletic conference founded in 1931 that disbanded following the 1961-1962 season...
. Texas Tech was admitted to the Southwest Conference on May 12, 1956. When the Southwest Conference disbanded in 1995, Texas Tech, along with the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, and Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
, joined with all eight former members of the Big Eight Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
to form the Big 12 Conference.
The university's athletic director is Kirby Hocutt. Bob Knight, the winningest coach in men's Division I basketball
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
history, coached the Red Raiders men's basketball
Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball
The Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team represents Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition The team is currently coached by Billy Gillispie. Prior to Gillispie being named coach, the coach was Pat Knight who succeeded his father, Hall of Famer Bob...
team from 2001 to 2008. Following Bob Knight's retirement in 2008, his son Pat Knight
Pat Knight
Patrick "Pat" Knight is an American college basketball coach for Lamar University. He became the coach of the Lamar Cardinals basketball team on April 5, 2011. He was previously the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team until March 7, 2011...
assumed head coaching duties. The Red Raiders football team, which has been coached by Mike Leach from 2000 to 2009, is a member of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and has appeared in the 19th-most bowl games of any team. Tommy Tuberville
Tommy Tuberville
Thomas Hawley Tuberville is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Texas Tech University, a position he has held since the 2010 season...
was named head coach in 2010 following the firing of Mike Leach. In 1993, led by coach Marsha Sharp
Marsha Sharp
Marsha Sharp is the former head coach of Texas Tech University's women's basketball team, the Lady Raiders. She retired after twenty-three years at the conclusion of the 2005/06 season....
, the Lady Raiders basketball team won the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship. Following Sharp's retirement in 2006, Kristy Curry
Kristy Curry
-External links:*...
was named Lady Raiders head coach. Red Raiders baseball
Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball
The Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team represents Texas Tech University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team competes in the Big 12 Conference and plays at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park.-Early years:...
coach Larry Hays
Larry Hays
Larry Hays was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team from 1987 to 2008, and currently coaches women's softball at Lubbock Christian University.-Early life:...
, who is one of only four coaches in NCAA baseball history to win 1,500 career games, retired in 2008. He is replaced by Dan Spencer
Dan Spencer
Dan Spencer is the head coach for the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team. On April 29, 2008, Texas Tech Athletic Director Gerald Myers designated Spencer to become the head coach of the team once former head coach Larry Hays retired...
.
History
On February 24, 1925, an article published in the Fort Worth Star-TelegramFort Worth Star-Telegram
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a major U.S. daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. Its area of domination is checked by its main rival, The Dallas Morning News, which is published from the eastern half of the Metroplex. It is owned...
suggested Tech's athletic teams be called the "Dogies" explaining that "a Dogie is a calf whose mother died and is forced to look out for itself" and "If ever anything had to rustle for itself, it was West Texas and Tech College."
Varsity sports
Texas Tech competes in the following varsity sports:
|
|
Baseball
Behind footballTexas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
and men's basketball
Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball
The Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team represents Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition The team is currently coached by Billy Gillispie. Prior to Gillispie being named coach, the coach was Pat Knight who succeeded his father, Hall of Famer Bob...
, baseball is the third oldest sport at Texas Tech. The initial team organized in 1925 and the first game, an 18–9 victory over West Texas State Teachers College
West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M University , part of the Texas A&M University System, is a public university located in Canyon, Texas, a small city south of Amarillo. West Texas A&M opened on September 20, 1910...
, was played in 1926. In the following game, the team suffered its first ever loss, 14–9 to the team it had previously defeated. The third game in the team's history—this one against Daniel Baker College
Daniel Baker College
Daniel Baker College was founded April 5, 1889 in Brownwood, Texas and was named in memory of the Rev. Dr. Daniel Baker, a Presbyterian circuit-riding minister, who helped organize the first presbytery in Texas in 1840 and Austin College in 1849....
—ended in a 3–3 tie after 11 innings.
E. Y. Freeland
E. Y. Freeland
-External links:* at College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com...
was the first coach of the Red Raiders, though the team was known as the Matadors at the time. He remained in the position for three years before R. Grady Higginbotham
Grady Higginbotham
Roswell Grady Higginbotham was the first head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team. Leading it to a 14–18–0 record from 1925 to 1927....
took the role. Higginbotham coached for only two years. From 1930 to 1953, Tech did not field an intercollegiate baseball team. When the program returned in 1954, Beattie Feathers
Beattie Feathers
William Beattie "Big Chief" Feathers was an American football running back in the NFL. He played for the Chicago Bears, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Green Bay Packers during his seven year career. He was the first player in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in one season...
became the head coach of the Red Raiders and remained until 1960. He was followed by Berl Huffman
Berl Huffman
-References:...
(1961–1967), Kal Segrist
Kal Segrist
Kal Hill Segrist is a former utility infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles . Listed at 6' 0", 180 lb., Segrist batted and threw right-handed...
(1968–1983), and Gary Ashby
Gary Ashby
-References:...
(1984–1986). Upon Ashby's departure, Larry Hays
Larry Hays
Larry Hays was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team from 1987 to 2008, and currently coaches women's softball at Lubbock Christian University.-Early life:...
became the head coach of the team.
Texas Tech's baseball team plays at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park and is coached by Dan Spencer
Dan Spencer
Dan Spencer is the head coach for the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team. On April 29, 2008, Texas Tech Athletic Director Gerald Myers designated Spencer to become the head coach of the team once former head coach Larry Hays retired...
. Larry Hays
Larry Hays
Larry Hays was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team from 1987 to 2008, and currently coaches women's softball at Lubbock Christian University.-Early life:...
had been the Red Raider's head coach for the previous 22 years and accumulated over 800 wins with Texas Tech. On April 2, 2008, Hays became just the fourth coach in NCAA baseball history to win 1,500 career games. The Red Raider's first ever win came on April 5, 1926 against New Mexico Military Institute
New Mexico Military Institute
New Mexico Military Institute is a state-supported educational institution. NMMI is located in Roswell, New Mexico, United States. It is sometimes referred to as the West Point of the West and it is the only state-supported military college located in the western United States. NMMI includes a...
. During the 1990s, Tech players drew notice from 17 big league organizations. Two Red Raiders were selected in the second round, one each in the third, fourth, and fifth rounds. As of 2002, 16 former Tech players have appeared in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
.
Larry Hays
Larry Hays
Larry Hays was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team from 1987 to 2008, and currently coaches women's softball at Lubbock Christian University.-Early life:...
took over the Red Raiders baseball team in 1987. Under Hays, Texas Tech endured only two losing seasons, his first and last, and enjoyed their greatest success in baseball. Hays took Tech from having a losing tradition to being a national contender. When Hays started with the Red Raiders, the team's overall record stood at 550–576. By the time he left, he was the fourth-winningest coach is college baseball history and the team's record had improved to 1,365–1,054–9. The Red Raiders reached eight straight NCAA tournaments
NCAA Division I Baseball Championship
The NCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament is held each year from May through June and features 64 college baseball teams in the United States, culminating in the College World Series....
from 1995–2002 and again in 2004, three of which were held at Dan Law Field. They also won two conference championships, in 1995 (while still in the Southwest Conference) and 1997, and two conference tournament championships, in 1996 and 1998.
Cross Country and Track & Field
Wes Kittley
Wes Kittley is the current head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's and women's track and field teams.-External links:**...
. Under his leadership, the program has reached new heights. At the 2005 Outdoor National Championships, Tech qualified 31 men's and women's athletes, more than any other school in the country.
From 1990 to 2006, the men's team garnered 91 All-America awards, 20 Big 12 championships, and one individual national title. In the same time period, the women's team won 32 All-America awards, 29 Big 12 championships, and five individual national titles. During the 2007/08 season, the women had another strong showing behind Sally Kipyego
Sally Kipyego
Sally Kipyego is a runner who competed as part of the Texas Tech Red Raiders cross country and track and field teams...
, who won four individual national titles (cross country, indoor 3000 m and 5000 m, outdoor 10,000 m) and placed second in her bid for an unprecedented fifth title in one academic year (outdoor 5000 m). Kipyego added three more nation titles (cross country, indoor 5000 m, outdoor 5000 m) and one more second-place win (outdoor 1500 m) during the 2007/08 season. Under Kipyego's leadership, the women's team captured its first title in 2008.
Football
The Red Raiders footballTexas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
team is a member of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A). Texas Tech played its first intercollegiate football game on October 3, 1925. The contest, against McMurry University
McMurry University
McMurry University, founded in 1923, is a private co-educational university in Abilene, Texas. It is a liberal arts school offering forty-one majors in the fields of fine arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, education, business, and religion, and nine pre-professional programs, including...
, ended in a controversial 0–0 tie. Tech's Elson Archibald seemed to have kicked a game-winning 20-yard field goal but the referee ruled that the clock had run out before the score. It was later reported that the referee made the call to get revenge because he wanted to be the team's first head coach but the job was instead given to Ewing Y. Freeland
E. Y. Freeland
-External links:* at College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com...
.
Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Border Conference , was an NCAA-affiliated college athletic conference founded in 1931 that disbanded following the 1961-1962 season...
. Five years later, the team won its first conference championship and was invited to the Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
. The game was played on January 1, 1938, and resulted in a 6–7 loss to West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
. Texas Tech suffered four more bowl losses before getting their first postseason win in the 1952 Sun Bowl. Before withdrawing for the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1956, the Red Raiders won a total of eight conference championships and one co-championship, the most titles held by a Border Conference team.
In 1960, Texas Tech was admitted to the Southwest Conference (SWC). The Red Raiders won conference co-championships in 1976 and 1994. The team remained in the SWC until the conference ceased operations 1996. Following the dissolution of the SWC, the university became a charter member of the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
.
In the Big 12 Conference, the Red Raiders competed in the South Division from the athletic conference's formation until the 2010 season. As of the 2011 season, Big 12 members compete in a round robin schedule. The team has the distinction of being the only one in the Big 12 to have a winning season each year since the conference was created in 1996. In July 2007, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
ranked all 119 FBS (formerly 1-A) football programs on performance from 1997–2006 and placed Texas Tech at number 32. Also, with 13, the Red Raiders rank fourth nationally in consecutive winning seasons, trailing only Florida State (30), Florida (19), and Virginia Tech (14).
Described as a program on the rise, the Red Raiders, coach by Mike Leach since 2000, earned 56 wins from the 2000 through the 2006 season. During the same period, only three other Big 12 teams had more victories—Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, Texas, and Nebraska. In each of its last thirteen seasons Tech has finished with a winning record, the fourth-longest such streak in the nation. The Red Raiders have made 32 bowl appearances, which is 19th most of any university.
Golf
2007 saw the men's golf team compete in its first back-to-back National Championship tournaments since 1960. The team, coached by Greg SandsGreg Sands
-External links:**...
, qualified for the tournament after finishing 7th in NCAA Central Regional.
Men's basketball
Daniel Baker College
Daniel Baker College was founded April 5, 1889 in Brownwood, Texas and was named in memory of the Rev. Dr. Daniel Baker, a Presbyterian circuit-riding minister, who helped organize the first presbytery in Texas in 1840 and Austin College in 1849....
. Tech would lose two more games before finally clinching their first ever victory—35–21 at Sul Ross University.
Grady Higginbotham
Grady Higginbotham
Roswell Grady Higginbotham was the first head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team. Leading it to a 14–18–0 record from 1925 to 1927....
was the first coach, earning a 14–18 record over two seasons. At .438, Higgenbotham was the only Tech basketball coach to garner an overall losing record during his stay. Following Higgenbotham's departure, Victor Payne
Victor Payne
Victor Payne was a head college basketball and football coach. He was the head football coach at Abilene Christian College and Simmons University...
led the Matadors (as the school's teams were known until 1936) from 1927
1927 in sports
-American football:NFL championship* New York Giants win National Football League titleCollege championship* College football national championship – Georgia Bulldogs, Illinois Fighting Illini, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Texas A&M Aggies and Yale Bulldogs -Association football:England* The Football...
to 1930
1930 in sports
-American football:NFL championship* Green Bay Packers win the National Football League title with a record of 10–3–1College championship* College football national championship – Alabama Crimson Tide and Notre Dame Fighting Irish...
. His final tally stood at 32 wins and 20 losses. W. L. Golightly
W. L. Golightly
-Texas Tech:Golightly coached the Texas Tech Matadors basketball team during the 1930–31 season. His record with the team is 11–9. Golightly also served as an assistant football coach at Texas Tech under Pete Cawthon during the 1930 season.-References:...
coached only one season, bringing in an 11–9 record. Dell Morgan
Dell Morgan
-External links:...
held the head coaching job from 1931 to 1934, chalking up 42 wins to 29 losses. He was followed by Virgil Ballard
Virgil Ballard
Virgil Ballard was the fifth head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team during the Matador's 1934–35 season. He garnered a 15–9 record, including the team's 100th win, a one-point victory over House of David. Ballard also served as an assistant football coach under Texas Tech head...
. Though Ballard coached only a single season, it was during his time that the team won their milestone 100th game, a one-point victory over House of David. Ballard left with a 15–9 record.
Berl Huffman
Berl Huffman
-References:...
was twice the head basketball coach at Texas Tech—first from 1935 to 1942 and then from 1946 to 1947. During his total of eight seasons, he garnered a record of 121–67. Polk Robison
Polk Robison
Polk Robison was an American collegiate basketball and football coach and college athletics administrator who served as the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team from 1942 to 1946 and again from 1947 to 1961...
was the only other person to serve two different times as the head basketball coach at the school. When Huffman left in 1942, Robison took the job. And, when Huffman left a second time in 1947, it was Robison who again filled the position, this time remaining until 1961. At a total of 18 seasons, his stay is the second longest of any Red Raiders basketball coach, behind Gerald Myers
Gerald Myers
Gerald Myers is an American former college basketball coach. He was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team and the Houston Baptist Huskies men's basketball team....
. He departed after leading his teams to 254 wins, 195 losses, and the first two NCAA tournaments
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
in school history.
Gene Gibson
Gene Gibson
Gene Gibson coached the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team from 1961-1969. A former all-conference player for Texas Tech, during his first year as coach, he led the team to the second round of the NCAA tournament...
followed Robison into the position. In his eight seasons, he chalked up the second worst record of any head basketball coach at Tech. Still, at 100–92, there were eight more wins than losses. Bob Bass
Bob Bass
Bob Bass is a former basketball coach and executive who worked in the NCAA, American Basketball Association, and the National Basketball Association....
led the program to a 22–15 record over a season-and-a-half before returning to professional basketball coaching duties.
Bob Knight became the men's basketball coach in 2001. He retired on February 4, 2008. On New Year's Day 2007, a 70–68 defeat of New Mexico by Tech marked the 880th total win for Knight, making him the winningest coach in men's college basketball history. Knight also has several other distinctions, including being the only coach to win the NCAA, the NIT, the Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Gold, and the Pan-Am
Pan American Games
The Pan-American or Pan American Games are a major event in the Americas featuring summer and formerly winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Pan American Games are the second largest multi-sport event after the Summer Olympics...
Gold, and has been given several awards. Knight was
succeeded by his son Pat Knight
Pat Knight
Patrick "Pat" Knight is an American college basketball coach for Lamar University. He became the coach of the Lamar Cardinals basketball team on April 5, 2011. He was previously the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team until March 7, 2011...
. After Pat Knight's termination, Billy Gillispie
Billy Gillispie
Billy Clyde Gillispie , also known by his initials BCG, is an American college basketball coach. Since 2011, he has been the current head coach of the men's basketball team at Texas Tech University...
was named head coach on March 20, 2011.
Softball
The Red Raiders softball program began in 1981 but the program was dropped after only five seasons. When Texas Tech joined the Big 12 Conference as a charter member, the program was resurrected in time for the inaugural 1996 season. Since 2010, Shannon Hays, the first Lubbock Christian University head softball coach, has turned the Red Raider softball team around from a 15-42 season under interim head coach Amy Suiter to 80-34 in only two seasons.Tennis
Tim SiegelTim Siegel (coach)
Tim Siegel coaches the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's tennis team. Siegel has been Red Raiders' head coach since 1992. Prior to arriving at Texas Tech, Siegel was an assistant tennis coach with the Arkansas Razorbacks, and head coach of the SMU Lady Mustangs from 1990 through 1991. Siegel served as...
has been coaching at Tech for 15 years, helping the men's tennis team to numerous winning seasons. Siegel was recently honored as the 2008 Big 12 Coach of the Year. He has coached players who are now college coaches themselves.
The men's tennis team had a very successful 2008 season being ranked as high as #17 in the nation. The Red Raiders have faced 11 ranked teams and have only lost to two, #31 TCU
Texas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
and #11 Tulsa. Texas Tech ended the regular season ranked #17.
The Texas Tech tennis team won the Border Conference tennis championship in 1936, 1937, and 1950.
Women's basketball
Of the varsity sports, Texas Tech has had its greatest success in women's basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. Led by its star player Sheryl Swoopes
Sheryl Swoopes
Sheryl Denise Swoopes is an American professional basketball player who, subsequent to being waived into free agency, signed to re-join the WNBA to play with the Tulsa Shock in 2011. She was the first player to be signed in the WNBA when it was created. She has won three Olympic Gold Medals and...
and head coach Marsha Sharp
Marsha Sharp
Marsha Sharp is the former head coach of Texas Tech University's women's basketball team, the Lady Raiders. She retired after twenty-three years at the conclusion of the 2005/06 season....
, the Lady Raiders won the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship in 1993
1993 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Mideast Regional - Iowa City, IA:-Midwest Regional - Nacogdoches, TX:-West Regional - Missoula, MT:-Final Four - Atlanta, GA:...
. In early 2006, Lady Raiders coach Marsha Sharp retired and was replaced on March 30, 2006 by Kristy Curry
Kristy Curry
-External links:*...
, who had been the coach at Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers Women's Basketball
The Purdue Boilermakers women's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Big Ten Conference. Purdue is rich in tradition and history, holding the record for Big Ten Championships, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning...
.
Volleyball
The Texas Tech volleyball program began in 1975. Since the 2011 season, Don FloraDon Flora
Don Flora is the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders volleyball team. Flora became the head coach on January 7, 2011, replacing Trish Kissiar-Knight. Prior to coming to Texas Tech, he served as an assistant coach with the New Mexico State Aggies from 2009–2010 and as the head coach at the...
has coached the Red Raiders.
Club sports
In addition to varsity sports, the university's Sport Clubs Federation offers 30 recreational and competitive sport clubs, including polo, rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, lacrosse, fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
, and soccer.
Polo
Of the clubs sports, Texas Tech's Polo Club team, coached by Clyde Waddell, has had the greatest success. In spite of having no previous experience, at the invitation of students, Waddell took the job in 2000. Six year later, the team beat in-state rival Texas A&MTexas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
to win the United States Polo Association National Intercollegiate Championship.
Rodeo
Texas Tech's rodeo club team competes in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo AssociationNational Intercollegiate Rodeo Association
The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, based in Walla Walla, WA, was established in 1949. NIRA sanctions more than 100 college rodeos every year in the United States, and represents over 3,500 student athletes attending more than 135 member colleges and universities...
and won the 1955 championship at the College National Finals Rodeo
College National Finals Rodeo
The College National Finals Rodeo is held every June. Since 2001 the CNFR has been hosted in Casper, WY at the Casper Events Center.. The CNFR is an event where men and women involved in Rodeo come to compete in order to obtain the honor of national champion in their event...
.
Facilities
Jones AT&T Stadium
Jones AT&T Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, United States. It is the home field of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team of the Big 12 Conference.-Planning and funding:Clifford B. and Audrey Jones Stadium opened in 1947...
serves as home to the Red Raiders football team. The stadium, named for Clifford B. and Audrey Jones, opened in 1947. In 2000, the stadium was renamed Jones SBC Stadium after SBC Communications made a $30 million contribution to the university. Following SBC Communications' acquisition of AT&T Corporation in 2006, the stadium was renamed Jones AT&T Stadium. The stadium's original seating capacity was 27,000, but it was expanded in 1959, 1972, and again in 2003 to the current capacity of 53,000. On August 7, 2008, the Texas Tech Board of Regents announced a $25 million expansion project. The planned expansion will add a Spanish Renaissance themed facade to the east side of the stadium. In addition to the improvements to the exterior of the facility, the expansion with add 1,000 general-admission seats, 550 club seats, and 26 suites. Texas Tech has allocated a total of $19 million to the expansion and plans to add another $6 million through fund-raising initiatives. Construction is set to begin following the 2008 season
2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2...
.
Since 1999, home basketball games have been played at United Spirit Arena
United Spirit Arena
United Spirit Arena is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. The 15,020-seat arena opened in 1999 and is home to the Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball, Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball and Texas Tech Red Raiders women's volleyball teams...
, a 15,020-seat multi-purpose facility which cost $62 million to build. In addition to serving as home to the men's and women's basketball teams, the arena is used by the Lady Raiders volleyball team.
- Baseball – Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park
- Basketball – United Spirit ArenaUnited Spirit ArenaUnited Spirit Arena is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. The 15,020-seat arena opened in 1999 and is home to the Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball, Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball and Texas Tech Red Raiders women's volleyball teams...
- Equestrian – Texas Tech Equestrian Center
- Football – Jones AT&T StadiumJones AT&T StadiumJones AT&T Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, United States. It is the home field of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team of the Big 12 Conference.-Planning and funding:Clifford B. and Audrey Jones Stadium opened in 1947...
- Golf – The Rawls CourseThe Rawls CourseThe Rawls Course, located in Lubbock, Texas, USA, is the home of the Texas Tech Red Raiders golf teams. It is an NCAA championship course constructed through a major gift from Jerry S. Rawls and supported by revenue from students, faculty, staff, donors, and the general public.-Design:The Rawls...
- Ice Hockey – City Bank Coliseum
- Rodeo – Texas Tech Equestrian Center/Dub Parks Memorial Arena
- Soccer – John Walker Soccer ComplexJohn Walker Soccer ComplexJohn Walker Soccer Complex is a soccer-specific stadium located in Lubbock, Texas, USA on the campus of Texas Tech University. It has been home to the Texas Tech Red Raiders women's soccer team since 2008.-External links:...
- Softball – Rocky Johnson Field
- Tennis – Don & Ethel McLeod Tennis Center
- Track and Field, Indoor – Athletic Training Center
- Track and Field, Outdoor – R.P. Fuller Track
- Volleyball – United Spirit Arena
National (3)
Conference (58)
Texas Tech has won 58 conference championships: 11 Big 12 ConferenceBig 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
titles, 23 Southwest Conference titles, and 22 Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Border Conference , was an NCAA-affiliated college athletic conference founded in 1931 that disbanded following the 1961-1962 season...
titles.
- Baseball
- Regular Season: 1995, 1997
- Tournament: 1996, 1998
- Men's Basketball
- Regular Season: 1933, 1934, 1935, 1954, 1955†, 1956, 1961, 1962, 1965†, 1973, 1985, 1995, 1996
- Tournament: 1976, 1985, 1986, 1993, 1996
- Football
- 1937, 1942†, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1976†, 1994†
- Men's Golf
- 1936, 1937, 1939, 1955, 1959, 1971, 1996,
- Men's Outdoor Track and Field
- 2005
- Men's Tennis
- 1936, 1937, 1950
- Women's Basketball
- Regular Season: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000
- Tournament: 1998, 1999
- Women's Cross Country
- 2008, 2009, 2010
Nickname
The Red Raiders were originally known as the "MatadorMatador
A torero or toureiro is a bullfighter and the main performer in bullfighting, practised in Spain, Colombia, Portugal, Mexico, France and various other countries influenced by Spanish culture. In Spanish, the word torero describes any of the performers who actively participate in the bullfight...
s" from 1925–1936. As the school was thinking of an appropriate nickname for its athletic teams in 1925, the wife of the first football coach
E. Y. Freeland
-External links:* at College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com...
suggested "Matadors" to reflect the influence of the campus' Spanish Renaissance architecture
Architecture of the Spanish Renaissance
Renaissance architecture was that style of architecture which evolved firstly in Florence and then Rome and other parts of Italy as the result of Humanism and a revived interest in Classical architecture...
. The students followed the suggestion, and later chose red and black as the school colors to represent a matador's traditional garb. Coincidentally, the football team won its first game right after it had adopted the name. The nickname and school colors became official during a formal convocation on March 15, 1926.
There are two main stories as to how the name "Red Raiders" replaced its predecessor. In one story, football coach Pete Cawthon
Pete Cawthon
Peter Willis Cawthon was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team from 1930-1941.Cawthon graduated from Houston Central High School in 1917 and went on to attend Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. He lettered in baseball, football, and basketball during his freshman year...
ordered attractive scarlet uniforms to help the team's identity. The football team, wearing its new outfit, defeated heavily-favored Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles on October 26, 1934. A Los Angeles sports writer called the Matadors a "red raiding team". Other writers who covered Tech sports caught on with the term and successfully promoted the use of "Red Raiders". In the other tale, former Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal is a newspaper based in Lubbock, Texas, U.S. It is owned by the Morris Communications Company.-History:The Lubbock Avalanche was founded in 1900 by John James Dillard and Thad Tubbs. According to Dillard, the name "Avalanche" was chosen due to his desire that the...
sports columnist Collier Parris, reporting on a 1932 Tech football game, wrote: "The Red Raiders from Texas Tech, terror of the Southwest this year, swooped into the New Mexico University
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
camp today." The name soon became popular afterward and by 1936, it officially replaced "Matadors" at the same time the Saddle Tramps came about.
Spirit
Red Raider spirit is led by such organizations as the Saddle Tramps, the High Riders, and the spirit squads (consisting of the cheer squad and the pom squad). In April 2010, the Texas Tech cheer squad finished third at the National Cheerleaders Association and National Dance Association.Mascots
The Masked Rider
The Masked Rider is the primary mascot of Texas Tech University. It is the oldest of the university's mascots still in existence today. Originally called "Ghost Rider", it was an unofficial mascot appearing in a few games in 1936 and then became the official mascot with the 1954 Gator Bowl. The...
is Texas Tech University's oldest mascot. The tradition began in 1936, when "ghost riders" circled the field prior to home football games. The Masked Rider became an official mascot in 1954, when Joe Kirk Fulton led the team onto the field at the Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
. According to reports from those present at the game, the crowd sat in stunned silence as they watched Fulton and his horse, Blackie, rush onto the football field, followed by the team. After a few moments, the silent crowd burst into cheers. Ed Danforth, a writer for the Atlanta Journal who witnessed the event, later wrote, "No team in any bowl game ever made a more sensational entrance." In 2000, The Masked Rider tradition was commemorated with the unveiling of a statue outside of the university's Frazier Alumni Pavilion. The sculpture, created by artist Grant Speed, is 25 percent larger than life.
Today the Masked Rider, with guns up
Guns up
Guns Up is the slogan and hand signal of Texas Tech University. It is used by students and alumni as a greeting. It is also used as a victory sign during athletic events.-The gesture:...
, leads the team onto the field for all home games. This mascot, adorned in a distinctive gaucho
Gaucho
Gaucho is a term commonly used to describe residents of the South American pampas, chacos, or Patagonian grasslands, found principally in parts of Argentina, Uruguay, Southern Chile, and Southern Brazil...
hat like the ones worn by members of the marching band, is one of the most visible figures at Texas Tech. Christi Chadwell, a sophomore agricultural communications major from Garland
Garland, Texas
-Climate:* The average warmest month is July.* The highest recorded temperature was in 2000.* On average, the coolest month is January.* The lowest recorded temperature was in 1989.* The maximum average precipitation occurs in May....
, will represent the university as the Masked Rider during 2010/11.
Texas Tech's other mascot, Raider Red
Raider Red
Raider Red is one of the mascots of Texas Tech University. The main mascot is The Masked Rider who rides a live horse. Raider Red is used at events where The Masked Rider is not allowed or would not be appropriate....
, is a more recent creation. Beginning with the 1971 football season, the Southwest Conference forbade the inclusion of live animal mascots to away games unless the host school consented. For situations where the host school did not want to allow the Masked Rider's horse, an alternate mascot was needed. Jim Gaspard, a member of the Saddle Tramps student spirit organization, created the original design for the Raider Red costume, basing it on a character created by cartoonist Dirk West
Dirk West
Gerald Glynn "Dirk" West was an editorial cartoonist and journalist from Lubbock, Texas most famous for his caricatures of collegiate mascots. He was born in Littlefield, Texas but his family moved to Lubbock soon after. He attended Texas Tech University where he drew cartoons for The University...
, a Texas Tech alumnus and former Lubbock mayor. Though the Masked Rider's identity is public knowledge, it has always been tradition that Raider Red's student alter ego is kept secret until the end of his or her tenure. The student serving as Raider Red is a member of the Saddle Tramps or High Riders.
Rivalries
Texas Tech's main athletic rivals are the Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M AggiesTexas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
. It is common for people to camp out in front of Jones AT&T Stadium
Jones AT&T Stadium
Jones AT&T Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, United States. It is the home field of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team of the Big 12 Conference.-Planning and funding:Clifford B. and Audrey Jones Stadium opened in 1947...
a few days prior to home football games against the Aggies, the Longhorns, and the Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
.
In March 2009, Texas Tech and Baylor
Baylor Bears football
The Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games at Floyd Casey Stadium in Waco, Texas.-History:...
reached an agreement to move their next two football games to the Dallas metropolitan area
Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex
The Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a title designated by the U.S. Census as of 2003, encompasses 12 counties within the U.S. state of Texas. The area is divided into two metropolitan divisions: Dallas–Plano–Irving and Fort Worth–Arlington. Residents of the area...
. The schools played November 28, 2009, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
with Tech claiming the victory. The next game was scheduled for October 9, 2010, at the Cotton Bowl Stadium
Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...
during the State Fair of Texas
State Fair of Texas
The State Fair of Texas is an annual state fair held in Dallas, Texas . The fair season usually begins the last Friday in September and ends 24 days later. The fair is held at the historic Fair Park where it has been held since 1886. The 2012 State Fair of Texas will run from September 28th...
, with Tech emerging victorious again. There is also an option to extend the arrangement for an additional two years.
Athletic directors
- E. Y. FreelandE. Y. Freeland-External links:* at College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com...
, 1925–1927 - Grady Higgenbotham, 1927–1929
- Pete CawthonPete CawthonPeter Willis Cawthon was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team from 1930-1941.Cawthon graduated from Houston Central High School in 1917 and went on to attend Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. He lettered in baseball, football, and basketball during his freshman year...
, 1930–1940 - Morley JenningsMorley JenningsMorley "Jopsey" Jennings was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He attended college at Mississippi State University, where he participated in baseball, basketball, football, and track...
, 1941–1951 - DeWitt WeaverDeWitt WeaverDeWitt Thompson Weaver, Sr. was the head football coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders from 1951 to 1960.He was the first head football coach at Texas Tech to win a bowl game during his first season—an accomplishment unmatched at Texas Tech until Tommy Tuberville's first season, in 2010-2011.In...
, 1952–1960 - Polk RobisonPolk RobisonPolk Robison was an American collegiate basketball and football coach and college athletics administrator who served as the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team from 1942 to 1946 and again from 1947 to 1961...
, 1960–1970 - J. T. KingJ. T. KingJ. T. King was an American football coach. He was the head football coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders from 1961 to 1969. He amassed a 44–45–3 record....
, 1970–1978 - Dick Tamburo, 1978–1980
- John Conley, 1980–1985
- T. Jones, 1985–1992
- Robert Bockrath, 1992–1995
- Gerald MyersGerald MyersGerald Myers is an American former college basketball coach. He was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team and the Houston Baptist Huskies men's basketball team....
, 1996–2011 - Kirby HocuttKirby HocuttKirby Hocutt is the current athletic director at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Hocutt formerly held the same position at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio from 2005–2008 and the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida from 2008–2011.-Early years:...
, 2011–present
Head coaches
Head coaches of Texas Tech teams include:- Baseball – Dan SpencerDan SpencerDan Spencer is the head coach for the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team. On April 29, 2008, Texas Tech Athletic Director Gerald Myers designated Spencer to become the head coach of the team once former head coach Larry Hays retired...
- Basketball, Men's – Billy GillispieBilly GillispieBilly Clyde Gillispie , also known by his initials BCG, is an American college basketball coach. Since 2011, he has been the current head coach of the men's basketball team at Texas Tech University...
- Basketball, Women's – Kristy CurryKristy Curry-External links:*...
- Cross Country – Jon MurrayJon MurrayJon Murray is the current head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Lady Raiders cross country teams. He was named Big 12 Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2008, 2009, and 2010.-External links:**...
- Football – Tommy TubervilleTommy TubervilleThomas Hawley Tuberville is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Texas Tech University, a position he has held since the 2010 season...
- Golf, Men's – Greg SandsGreg Sands-External links:**...
- Golf, Women's – JoJo Robertson
- Soccer – Tom StoneTom Stone (coach)Tom Stone is the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders women’s soccer team. He played soccer as a youth, collegiately and professionally. Stone held various coaching positions before coming to Tech.-Playing career:...
- Softball – Shanon Hays
- Tennis, Men's – Tim SiegelTim Siegel (coach)Tim Siegel coaches the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's tennis team. Siegel has been Red Raiders' head coach since 1992. Prior to arriving at Texas Tech, Siegel was an assistant tennis coach with the Arkansas Razorbacks, and head coach of the SMU Lady Mustangs from 1990 through 1991. Siegel served as...
- Tennis, Women's – Todd PettyTodd PettyTodd Petty is the head coach of Texas Tech's women's tennis team. He replaced Cari Groce prior to the 2008/09 season.-External links:*...
- Indoor/Outdoor Track & Field – Wes KittleyWes KittleyWes Kittley is the current head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's and women's track and field teams.-External links:**...
- Volleyball – Trish Kissiar-KnightTrish Kissiar-KnightTrish Kissiar-Knight is a former head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders volleyball team. Knight replaced Nancy Todd who resigned on December 1, 2008. After Knight's departure, Don Flora became the new head coach on January 7, 2011.-External links:*...
Alumni
In the sports world, Texas Tech Red Raiders have gone on to play in the NFL, NBA, WNBA, Major League Baseball, and more. Current alumni standouts include NFL All-ProsAll-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
Zach Thomas
Zach Thomas
Zachary Michael Thomas is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Tech....
of the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
and Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
of the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, and Michael Crabtree
Michael Crabtree
Michael Alex Crabtree is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the 49ers with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for Texas Tech, where he received recognition as one of the nation's...
of the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
.