The
Texas Tech Red Raiders are the
athleticCollege 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 UniversityTexas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public, coeducational, 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...
(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 17 varsity sports and 30 club sports.
The Masked RiderThe 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 just a few games in 1936 and then becoming the official mascot with the 1954 Gator Bowl....
and
Raider RedRaider 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
redRed 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 human eye...
and
blackBlack 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
NCAAThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada...
Division IDivision I is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the United States....
and is a founding member of the
Big 12 ConferenceThe Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of twelve schools located mostly in the central United States. It is a member of the NCAA's Division I for all sports; its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of NCAA Division I football competition...
. The teams compete as members of the Big 12 South Division.
From 1932 until 1956, the university belonged to the
Border Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationThe Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association , an NCAA-affiliated college athletic conference founded in 1931, was 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 AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a public research university located in Austin, Texas, United States, and is the flagship institution of The University of Texas System. The main campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol...
,
Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University, often referred to as A&M or TAMU, is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas. It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The seventh-largest university in the United States, A&M enrolls over 48,000 students in ten...
, and
Baylor UniversityBaylor University is a private, Baptist-affiliated research university located in Waco, Texas, United States. It is the largest Baptist university in the world by enrollment. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the Association...
, merged with the Big 8 Conference to form the Big 12.
The university's athletic director is Gerald Myers. Bob Knight, the winningest coach in
men's Division I basketballThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single elimination tournament held each spring featuring 65 college basketball teams. college basketball teams in the United States...
history, coached the
Red Raiders men's basketballThe Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team represents Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas in NCAA Division I basketball competition. The Red Raiders, coached by Pat Knight, son of former Texas Tech coach and Hall of Famer Bob Knight, currently compete in the Big 12 Conference...
team from 2001 to 2008. Following Bob Knight's retirement in 2008, his son
Pat KnightPatrick Knight is the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team. He previously served in other coaching, administrative, and scouting capacities with United States Basketball League, International Basketball Association, NCAA, NBA, and Continental Basketball Association teams...
assumed head coaching duties. The Red Raiders football team, which has been coached by Mike Leach since 2000, is a member of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and has appeared in the 19th-most bowl games of any team. In 1993, lead by coach
Marsha SharpMarsha 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 2005–2006 season....
, the Lady Raiders basketball team won the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship. Following Sharp's retirement in 2006,
Kristy CurryKristy Lynn Curry née Sims is the head coach of Texas Tech University's women's basketball team, the Lady Raiders. She took the job in 2006, following the retirement of Marsha Sharp.-Coaching career:...
was named Lady Raiders head coach.
Red Raiders baseballThe 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.-Early years:...
coach
Larry HaysLarry Hays was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team from 1987 to 2008.-Early life:Hays was born in Elida, New Mexico, but went to school in Dora, where he played basketball and baseball in high school. After graduating from high school in the early 1960s, Hays attended Eastern...
, 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 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...
.
Athletics
Men's varsity sports at Texas Tech are baseball, basketball,
cross countryCross country running is a sport in which runners compete to complete a course over open or rough terrain. The courses used at these events may include grass, mud, woodlands, and water...
, football, golf, tennis, and indoor and outdoor track & field. Women's varsity sports are basketball, cross country, golf, indoor and outdoor track & field,
soccerCollege soccer is a term used to describe soccer that is played by teams operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
, softball, tennis, and volleyball. The university also offers 30 club sports, including cycling,
equestrianEquestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving horses. This broad description includes both use of horses for practical, working purposes as well as recreational activities and competitive sports.-Overview of equestrian activities:...
, ice hockey, lacrosse,
poloPolo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a long-handled mallet...
,
rodeoRodeo is a sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States, western...
,
rugbyRugby football may refer to a number of sports through history descended from a common form of football developed in different areas of the United Kingdom. Today it refers to either rugby league or rugby union.- History :...
, running, sky diving, swimming, and wrestling. The colors are TTU
ScarletScarlet or Scarlett may refer to a number of things or people:Things* Scarlet , a bright shade of red* Scarlet , a type of woollen cloth common in medieval England...
and
BlackBlack 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...
.
Basketball
Basketball came to Texas Tech only two years after the school was founded. The inaugural game was a 37–25 loss to
Daniel Baker CollegeDaniel 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 HigginbothamR. 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.Higginbotham coached the Red Raiders baseball team to a 10–17–0 record from 1928 to 1929....
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 PayneVictor Payne was a head college basketball and football coach. He coached football at Abilene Christian College and Simmons University. He coached basketball at Texas Technological College .- Abilene Christian :...
led the Matadors (as the school's teams were known until 1936) from
19271927 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-England:* First Division – Newcastle United win the 1926–27 title.* FA Cup – Cardiff City beat Arsenal 1–0, the only time the FA Cup has been won by a club outside England....
to
1930-American football:* Green Bay Packers win the National Football League title with a record of 10–3–1.-Association football:* FIFA World Cup – the first World Cup is held in Uruguay...
. His final tally stood at 32 wins and 20 losses.
W. L. GolightlyW. L. Golightly was a college basketball head coach.-Texas Tech:Golightly coached the Texas Tech Matadors during the 1930/31 season. His record with the team is 11–9....
coached only one season, bringing in an 11–9 record.
Dell MorganDell Morgan was a sports coach at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, US.-Basketball:Morgan was the head coach of the basketball team from 1931 to 1934. His record during that time was 42–29.-Football:...
held the head coaching job from 1931 to 1934, chalking up 42 wins to 29 losses. He was followed by
Virgil BallardVirgil Ballard was a head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team....
. 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 HuffmanBerl Huffman was a college basketball and college football head coach. He coached at Texas Tech and New Mexico.-Basketball:...
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 RobisonPolk Robison was an American basketball 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 MyersGerald Myers was a head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team. Myers currently serves as the athletic director at Texas Tech. Originally from Borger, Texas, Myers played basketball for Texas Tech from 1956-1959. As a player, he had an 86.9 percent free throw shooting average...
. He departed after leading his teams to 254 wins, 195 losses, and the first two
NCAA tournamentsThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single elimination tournament held each spring featuring 65 college basketball teams. college basketball teams in the United States...
in school history.
Gene GibsonGene Gibson coached the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team from 1961-1969. A former player for Texas Tech, during his first year as coach, he led the team to the second round of the NCAA tournament. He completed his coaching career with a record of 101–91 and the third-most conference...
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 BassBob 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
OlympicThe Olympic Games are a major international event of summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes compete in a wide variety of events. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in...
Gold, and the
Pan-AmThe Pan American Games are a multi-sport event, held every four years in the year before the summer Olympic Games and between competitors from all nations in the Americas...
Gold, and has been given several awards. Knight is succeeded by his son
Pat KnightPatrick Knight is the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team. He previously served in other coaching, administrative, and scouting capacities with United States Basketball League, International Basketball Association, NCAA, NBA, and Continental Basketball Association teams...
.
Of the varsity sports, Texas Tech has had its greatest success in women's
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
. Led by its star player
Sheryl SwoopesSheryl Denise Swoopes is an American professional basketball player who played most recently for the Seattle Storm in the WNBA. She was the first player to be signed in the WNBA when it was created. She has won three Olympic Gold Medals and is a three-time WNBA MVP...
and head coach
Marsha SharpMarsha 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 2005–2006 season....
, the Lady Raiders won the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship in
1993The 1993 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 17 and ended on April 4. The tournament featured 48 teams. The Final Four consisted of Ohio St., Iowa, Vanderbilt, and Texas Tech, with Texas Tech defeating Ohio St. 84-82 to win its first NCAA title...
. In early 2006, Lady Raiders coach Marsha Sharp retired and was replaced on March 30, 2006 by
Kristy CurryKristy Lynn Curry née Sims is the head coach of Texas Tech University's women's basketball team, the Lady Raiders. She took the job in 2006, following the retirement of Marsha Sharp.-Coaching career:...
, who had been the coach at
PurdueThe Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball is rich in tradition and history, holding the record for Big Ten Championships, along with being the only program in the conference to boast...
.
Football
The
Red Raiders footballTexas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The program began in 1925 and has an overall...
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 UniversityMcMurry 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. FreelandEwing Young Freeland was a head football coach at Texas Christian University and Texas Tech University.In 1925, Freeland coached at TCU, compiling a 4–5 record. Later in 1925, he became the first coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team . He coached at Texas Tech, where he had a 21–10–6...
.
In 1932, the program joined the
Border Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationThe Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association , an NCAA-affiliated college athletic conference founded in 1931, was disbanded following the 1961-1962 season...
. Five years later, the team won its first conference championship and was invited to the
Sun BowlThe Sun Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played usually at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The game was chartered on October 18, 1934, less than 2 months before the Sugar Bowl, and has been played 75 times, making it the second oldest college bowl game...
. The game was played on January 1, 1938, and resulted in a 6–7 loss to
West VirginiaThe West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. The Mountaineers head coach as of 2008 is Bill Stewart, who is the team's 32nd head coach.-History:...
. 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.
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 ConferenceThe Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of twelve schools located mostly in the central United States. It is a member of the NCAA's Division I for all sports; its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of NCAA Division I football competition...
.
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,
ESPNESPN is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting and producing sports-related programming 24 hours a day....
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—
OklahomaThe Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The Oklahoma Sooners are a perennial powerhouse. As of 2008, ESPN ranked the Oklahoma Sooners as the most prestigious college football program since 1936...
, 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.
Baseball
Behind
footballTexas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The program began in 1925 and has an overall...
and
men's basketballThe Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team represents Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas in NCAA Division I basketball competition. The Red Raiders, coached by Pat Knight, son of former Texas Tech coach and Hall of Famer Bob Knight, currently compete in the Big 12 Conference...
, 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 CollegeWest Texas A&M University , TEST 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 CollegeDaniel 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. FreelandEwing Young Freeland was a head football coach at Texas Christian University and Texas Tech University.In 1925, Freeland coached at TCU, compiling a 4–5 record. Later in 1925, he became the first coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team . He coached at Texas Tech, where he had a 21–10–6...
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 HigginbothamR. 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.Higginbotham coached the Red Raiders baseball team to a 10–17–0 record from 1928 to 1929....
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 FeathersWilliam Beattie 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 is credited as being 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 HuffmanBerl Huffman was a college basketball and college football head coach. He coached at Texas Tech and New Mexico.-Basketball:...
(1961-1967),
Kal SegristKal 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 AshbyGary Ashby was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team from 1984-86....
(1984-1986). Upon Ashby's departure,
Larry HaysLarry Hays was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team from 1987 to 2008.-Early life:Hays was born in Elida, New Mexico, but went to school in Dora, where he played basketball and baseball in high school. After graduating from high school in the early 1960s, Hays attended Eastern...
became the head coach of the team.
Texas Tech's baseball team plays at
Dan Law FieldDan Law Field, nicknamed "The Law", is the home stadium of the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team in Lubbock, Texas. It is located on the Texas Tech campus, adjacent to Jones AT&T Stadium and R. P. Fuller Track and Soccer Field...
and is coached by
Dan 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...
.
Larry HaysLarry Hays was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team from 1987 to 2008.-Early life:Hays was born in Elida, New Mexico, but went to school in Dora, where he played basketball and baseball in high school. After graduating from high school in the early 1960s, Hays attended Eastern...
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 InstituteNew Mexico Military Institute is a state-supported educational institution located in Roswell, New Mexico, United States. NMMI includes a four year high school and a two year junior college. Founded in 1891 by Joseph C. Lea who selected former Confederate Col. Robert S...
. 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 BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
.
Larry HaysLarry Hays was the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team from 1987 to 2008.-Early life:Hays was born in Elida, New Mexico, but went to school in Dora, where he played basketball and baseball in high school. After graduating from high school in the early 1960s, Hays attended Eastern...
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 tournamentsThe 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
Texas Tech's cross country and indoor/outdoor track & field teams are coached by
Wes KittleyWes Kittley is the current head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Texas Tech Lady Raiders 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 KipyegoSally 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.
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 is the current head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's golf team.-External links:**...
, qualified for the tournament after finishing 7th in NCAA Central Regional.
Tennis
Tim SiegelTim Siegel coaches the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's tennis team. As of 2008, he had been coaching at Tech for 16 years, leading the team to many winning seasons....
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
TCUTexas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Christian Church . Its mascot is the "horned frog" and its school colors are purple and white...
and #11 Tulsa. Texas Tech ended the regular season ranked #17.
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 is a full contact team sport, a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, 100 m...
, lacrosse,
fencingFencing is a family of sports and activities that feature armed combat involving cutting, stabbing, or bludgeoning weapons that are directly manipulated by hand, rather than shot, thrown or positioned. Examples include swords, knives, pikes, bayonets, batons, clubs, and similar weapons...
, and soccer.
Polo
Of the clubs sports, 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&M to win the United States Polo Association National Intercollegiate Championship.
Conference championships
Texas Tech has won 35 conference championships: 9 are Big 12 titles, and 17 are Southwest Conference titles. The other 9 are
Border Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationThe Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association , an NCAA-affiliated college athletic conference founded in 1931, was disbanded following the 1961-1962 season...
football titles that Tech received as one of its members from 1932–1956.
- Baseball
- Regular Season: 1995, 1997
- Tournament: 1996, 1998
- Men's Basketball
- Regular Season: 1961, 1962, 1973, 1985, 1995, 1996
- Football
- 1937, 1942†, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1976†, 1994†
- Men's Golf
- Men's Outdoor Track and Field
- Women's Basketball
- Regular Season: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000
- Tournament: 1998, 1999
- Women's Cross Country
Previous nickname
The Red Raiders were originally known as the "
MatadorA matador or torero is the main performer in bullfighting events in Spain, France, and other Spanish-speaking countries. He or she is the person who performs with and kills the bull. The role is also called toreador in English , but this term is actually never used in Spain or in Latin America...
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 coachEwing Young Freeland was a head football coach at Texas Christian University and Texas Tech University.In 1925, Freeland coached at TCU, compiling a 4–5 record. Later in 1925, he became the first coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team . He coached at Texas Tech, where he had a 21–10–6...
suggested "Matadors" to reflect the influence of the campus'
Spanish architectureSpanish architecture refers to architecture carried out in any area in what is now modern-day Spain, and by Spanish architects worldwide. The term includes buildings within the current geographical limits of Spain before this name was given to those territories...
. 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 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...
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-JournalLubbock Avalanche-Journal is a newspaper based in Lubbock, Texas, U.S. It is owned by the Morris Communications Company. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal was a combination of two newspapers, the Lubbock Avalanche and the Lubbock Daily 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 UniversityThe University of New Mexico is a public university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Founded in 1889, it offers bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and professional degree programs in the arts, sciences, and engineering...
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 Team and the Pom Squad). In April 2007, the Texas Tech cheerleaders finished fifth at the National Cheerleading Association's Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship.
Rivalries
Texas Tech's main athletic rivals are the Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies. It is common for people to camp out in front of
Jones AT&T StadiumJones AT&T Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. It is the home field of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team of the Big 12 Conference. The Red Raiders have a 310–152–13 record at the venue.-History:Clifford B. and Audrey Jones...
a few days prior to home football games against the Aggies, the Longhorns, and the
Oklahoma SoonersThe Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The Oklahoma Sooners are a perennial powerhouse. As of 2008, ESPN ranked the Oklahoma Sooners as the most prestigious college football program since 1936...
.
In March 2009, Texas Tech and
BaylorThe Baylor Bears football team represents Baylor University in Division I FBS college football. The are a member of the Big 12 Conference, south division...
reached an agreement to move their next two football games to the Dallas metropolitan area. The schools will play November 28, 2009, at Cowboys Stadium in
ArlingtonArlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area. According to a U.S Census Bureau release, as of 2007 Arlington had an estimated population of 371,038...
and on October 9, 2010, at the
Cotton Bowl StadiumThe Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1932 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 TexasThe 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 2009 fair will be held from September 25 to October 18...
. There is also an option to extend the arrangement for an additional two years.
Head coaches
Head coaches of Texas Tech teams include:
- Baseball – 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...
- Basketball, Men's – Pat Knight
Patrick Knight is the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team. He previously served in other coaching, administrative, and scouting capacities with United States Basketball League, International Basketball Association, NCAA, NBA, and Continental Basketball Association teams...
- Basketball, Women's – Kristy Curry
Kristy Lynn Curry née Sims is the head coach of Texas Tech University's women's basketball team, the Lady Raiders. She took the job in 2006, following the retirement of Marsha Sharp.-Coaching career:...
- Cross Country – Jon Murray
Jon Murray is the current head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Lady Raiders cross country teams.-External links:**...
- Football – Mike Leach
- Golf, Men's – Greg Sands
Greg Sands is the current head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's golf team.-External links:**...
- Golf, Women's – JoJo Robertson
- Soccer – Tom Stone
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 Siegel
Tim Siegel coaches the Texas Tech Red Raiders men's tennis team. As of 2008, he had been coaching at Tech for 16 years, leading the team to many winning seasons....
- Tennis, Women's – Todd Petty
Todd 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 Kittley
Wes Kittley is the current head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Texas Tech Lady Raiders track and field teams.-External links:**...
- Volleyball – Trish Kissiar-Knight
Trish Kissiar-Knight is the head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders volleyball team. Knight replaced Nancy Todd who resigned on December 1, 2008.-External links:*...
Facilities
Jones AT&T StadiumJones AT&T Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. It is the home field of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team of the Big 12 Conference. The Red Raiders have a 310–152–13 record at the venue.-History:Clifford B. and Audrey Jones...
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 suits. 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 seasonThe 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 ArenaUnited Spirit Arena is a 15,020-seat multi-purpose arena in Lubbock, Texas. The arena opened in 1999. It is home to the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Lady Raiders basketball teams and volleyball team. United Supermarkets, a Lubbock based supermarket chain with numerous stores in West Texas, was a...
, 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
Dan Law Field, nicknamed "The Law", is the home stadium of the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team in Lubbock, Texas. It is located on the Texas Tech campus, adjacent to Jones AT&T Stadium and R. P. Fuller Track and Soccer Field...
- Basketball – United Spirit Arena
United Spirit Arena is a 15,020-seat multi-purpose arena in Lubbock, Texas. The arena opened in 1999. It is home to the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Lady Raiders basketball teams and volleyball team. United Supermarkets, a Lubbock based supermarket chain with numerous stores in West Texas, was a...
- Equestrian – Tech Tech Equestrian Center
- Football – Jones AT&T Stadium
Jones AT&T Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. It is the home field of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team of the Big 12 Conference. The Red Raiders have a 310–152–13 record at the venue.-History:Clifford B. and Audrey Jones...
- Golf – The Rawls Course
The 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 Complex
- 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 and Soccer Field
- Volleyball – United Spirit Arena
Notable athletes, coaches & athletics faculty
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 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. There are also 2nd Team All-Pros which connotes the runner-up at each position...
Zach ThomasZachary Michael Thomas is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. 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 ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs 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 WelkerWesley Carter "Wes" Welker , is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He played collegiately at Texas Tech...
of the
New England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional American 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...
, and
Michael CrabtreeMichael 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 most...
of the
San Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team. The team plays its home games in San Francisco, California, while the club's headquarters and practice facility are located in Santa Clara...
.
External links