What Does Kingsbury's Firing Mean for Central's McIvor?

LUBBOCK, TX-- After six years and three consecutive losing seasons, Texas Tech has decided to part ways with head coach Kliff Kingsbury.

"I'd like to thank Kliff Kingsbury for his six years of dedication leading our football program," Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt said in a statement. "He's worked very hard and represented us in a first-class manner."

The news came after the Red Raiders lost 35-24 to Baylor and failed to become bowl eligible.

Now that there’s a change in Lubbock, what does that mean for Central QB and Texas Tech commit Maverick McIvor?

McIvor missed eight games this season due to a knee injury suffered in the third quarter against Del Rio. But his pledge to Texas Tech has stayed seemingly firm throughout the last three months and Tech has honored their offer.

That could change depending what the new coach wants to do.

CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd believes Tech will move for a coach with a background in an air raid offense. Among the leading candidates with that background is North Texas head coach Seth Littrell. He played under Mike Leach when he was an offensive coordinator at Oklahoma, meaning the powers that be (boosters) would likely be ok with that.

North Texas is one of the 16 schools to offer McIvor a scholarship, so one would believe the scholarship would be honored.

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported that Leach himself was a strong candidate for the vacancy. But ESPN’s Joel Anderson reported the contrary after speaking to Leach.

“They haven’t paid me for 2009 and we won nine games that year,” Leach told Anderson. “And they haven’t won nine games since.”

Leach is currently the head coach at Washington State University, another of the 16 schools to offer McIvor.

Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables has emerged seemingly as the leading candidate from multiple reports. That would mean a change from the normal high-scoring offense Red Raider fans have come to know.

Hiring Venables is where things could get tricky. If hired, Venables would likely hire an offensive coordinator to overhaul the offense into a pro-style to fit his scheme. All McIvor has known as a QB is the spread. That could mean the new regime in Lubbock would move a different way.

However, McIvor has a high football IQ and would likely be able to adapt if given the opportunity.

Kingsbury posted a 35-40 record during his stint as the head coach at Texas Tech.