Continuity, alignment, and a unified vision were the dominant themes on a recent episode of the Texas Tech Red Raiders Daily Blitz, as host Timm ‘IndyCarTim’ Hamm broke down why Texas Tech’s staff situation might be one of the quiet superpowers in this year’s College Football Playoff race.

While several playoff contenders are dealing with coaching turnover, Texas Tech is doing the opposite: locking key people in.

Head coach Joey McGuire has his new deal in place, and the Red Raiders have now extended offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich, defensive coordinator Shiel Wood, associate head coach/special teams coordinator Kenny Perry, and general manager James Blanchard. Cowan and Level emphasized how rare it is for a program on the rise to keep its core brain trust together in this era of aggressive poaching and skyrocketing salaries.

McGuire’s priority, as Level noted, has always been simple: Who am I doing life with? The new contracts aren’t just about money; they’re about ensuring the right people, resources, and structure are in place as Texas Tech tries to move from breakthrough season to sustained contender.

The podcast contrasted Tech’s situation with programs like Oregon, which is losing both coordinators to head coaching jobs while also juggling portal season and staff-building. That “two phones, two jobs” existence, as they joked, is the opposite of where Texas Tech is right now.

The hosts also noted the national perception gap—some analysts view Tech as one of the most complete teams in the field, while others dismiss the Red Raiders because of the Big 12 logo or the early-season loss to Arizona State. But for Cowan and Level, that outside doubt only adds fuel.

In their view, Texas Tech enters this postseason with something priceless: a staff pulling in the same direction, a roster bought in, and a program finally aligned from top to bottom.