Texas Tech gambled on its 'underdog' head coach Joey McGuire. Here's what stood out during his interview and landed him the job.

• Joey McGuire's bold outreach efforts led to his hiring as the head coach of Texas Tech football.
• McGuire impressed the hiring committee with a seven-step plan to start winning games.
• Under McGuire, Texas Tech achieved a program record of 12 wins and its first-ever Big 12 Championship.

Experience isn't everything when it comes to hiring. Just look at Joey McGuire, the head football coach at Texas Tech University.

When the Red Raiders began their head-coaching search in 2021, McGuire didn't have as stacked a résumé as his competition. As ESPN reported, he was "a true underdog candidate."

At the time, McGuire had spent the majority of his coaching career at Cedar Hill High School in Texas, where he had notched three state championships. He also spent a few years as an assistant coach at Baylor.

On paper, it was the kind of background that would have given many Power 4 programs pause.

Texas Tech's hiring committee may have completely overlooked McGuire had he not reached out himself. According to ESPN, he cold-called athletic director Kirby Hocutt, left a voicemail, and asked for the opportunity to interview.

That kind of bold outreach can be a differentiator.

"I always advise not to be too afraid of cold outreach," a former Google recruiter told Business Insider in 2023. "If you're really interested in a company, get in touch with those you want to work with — email the CEO, the head of talent, or the hiring manager and let them know why you're the right person for the job."

Once McGuire got in the room, he made the most of it.

ESPN reported that he showed up to the interview with unmatched enthusiasm and "a seven-step plan for winning." The publication said he had with him "the full list of coaches he would like to hire. He had a detailed plan for fixing in-state recruiting and spoke of waking a sleeping giant."

The preparation left a lasting impression.

"We were all like, 'We found our guy,'" Tony Hernandez, a former deputy athletic director and member of the search committee, told ESPN after the meeting.

Texas Tech ultimately decided to go with McGuire, and the gamble has paid off.

While the Red Raiders fell to Oregon in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals on Thursday, under McGuire, the team has surged from relative obscurity to a program-record 12 wins in 2025. They also secured their first outright conference championship since 1955 when they toppled BYU last month.

McGuire's story is a good reminder that a little preparation can go a long way, no matter what type of job you're applying for.

As business etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore told BI, "Most people don't do the proper research about the company. We have so many resources to use, including LinkedIn, websites, and social media. There's no excuse for you to go into an interview and not know about the company and something about who might be interviewing you."