The No. 12 Texas Tech Red Raiders are set for a Big 12 road test against Houston on October 4, while the Nebraska Cornhuskers prepare to host Michigan State in a Big Ten clash that doubles as their homecoming game.
Both contests carry weight in shaping the outlook of the season, but an off-field story involving Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire, Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule, and McGuire’s son, Garret, came to the forefront as both coaches sat down for a candid chat.
How Matt Rhule’s Influence at Baylor Altered Garret McGuire’s Path
Matt Rhule recently asked Joey McGuire if he had ever gone too far during their time coaching together at Baylor, wondering aloud if there was anything he needed to apologize for.
“I know I’m a calm guy as a coach and all that, but sometimes I forget things that happen. Did I ever do anything crazy? Did I ever like snap? Did I ever, have I ever, is there anything I need to apologize to you for?” Rhule asked.
McGuire responded by recalling not just one moment but a pivotal chapter in his and his son’s lives.
“Well, you changed my life, but you also changed my son’s life. I think it’s a great story about him because he was going to the University of Texas. It’s Martin Luther King Day and we’re installing, like we have a brand new offensive staff, and there’s some guys that worked together. You brought your whole defensive staff, so it was totally different,” McGuire said.
He explained how his son Garret, who was still in high school at the time, sat in on meetings with Baylor’s staff. The experience left such an impression that Garret pursued Baylor instead of Texas.
“I’ll never forget, he goes, ‘Dad, can I come down and sit in some meetings?’ [Because] he was still in school. And we go to lunch, and he goes, ‘I need to come to Baylor. I’ll have more access.’ He knew he was going to be a coach,” McGuire recalled.
That decision altered Garret’s path, leading him to a playing career at Baylor from 2017 to 2020 before quickly transitioning into coaching. He served under Rhule with the Carolina Panthers and joined Nebraska’s staff as wide receivers coach for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
McGuire also remembered a lighter, more personal moment between the two coaches. “Long story long, the moment we were practicing, we had a Saturday night scrimmage. I don’t know if you remember. I don’t remember any of this. Oh, this is so good. So, because he was a quarterback, he was on the headsets and you ripped my tail. I mean, it was the best, you know, and I appreciated it,” McGuire said.
He added that even his longtime colleagues secretly enjoyed watching him get called out. “My coaches that coached with me for so many years, they used to love to come to practice, and every once in a while, you did get on me, they would be like secretly, ‘Finally.’ You know, they were fired up. But you ripped my tail, and I deserved it.”
Today, Garret McGuire is carving out his own path as one of the youngest position coaches in the country, while his father, Joey, has led Texas Tech back into prominence.
Rhule, meanwhile, is working to restore Nebraska’s winning culture, with his Cornhuskers sitting at 3-1 heading into their homecoming matchup against Michigan State.
As Texas Tech and Nebraska push deeper into their respective seasons, the bond between these coaching families remains a reminder of how moments off the field can carry just as much impact as the results on Saturdays.
