Former Texas Tech defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt resigned from his position two months ago. He cited “personal reasons” for his departure. Now, he is essentially being accused of trying to sabotage the Red Raiders.
On Monday, Texas Tech interim D-coordinator Mike Smith told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal that his team’s signals have been “passed around” to opposing teams.
“They have been passed around. I know other coaches have called and our signals have been passed around the whole time,” Smith said. “All I know is karma’s a bad deal.”
Smith isn’t the only one who believes that. Several Texas Tech staff members were seen holding towels to shield defensive signals during Saturday’s 42-30 loss to Oklahoma. After the game, Red Raiders head coach Kliff Kingsbury said the team’s signals had been “passed around” after the “situation we had earlier this year.”
It’s fairly obvious that Smith and Kingsbury are both talking about the same situation, and that situation is Wallerstedt’s departure.
“I don’t want to get into what’s going on with all that, but it’s not right and, to me, it’s not fair to the kids,” Smith added. “So if that’s how that person wants to handle business, they can handle business that way. I sure hope I don’t run into him anytime soon.”
Wallerstedt firmly denied the allegations in a statement on Monday.
“I have not shared with anyone the Red Raiders defensive signals,” Wallerstedt said. “I respect the players at Texas Tech and would never do such a thing.
“It sounds like something that’s done in the political arena — blaming someone else for what you now control. Coach Kingsbury and Smith would do well to simply execute their own game plan instead of trying to blame others for what may be their own shortcomings.”
Texas Tech is 3-7 on the season, so some might interpret the suspicions as excuse making. Smith insists that is not the case.
“I hate having excuses,” he said. “I won’t have excuses, but when somebody knows when you’re in a certain coverage every time, so I’m sitting there thinking, ‘How the heck are they attacking our corners? How do they know we’re not in quarter-quarter-halves? How do they know we’re not in cover two?’
“I mean, it’s ridiculous. I just thought we’re having a string of bad luck.”
If Smith and/or Kingsbury have some hard evidence, it would probably be a good ide ato present it. Blaming former members of your staff during a terrible season isn’t a good look.
H/T Dr. Saturday
