REDEMPTION IN RED AND BLACK: MARCUS FREEMAN SPARKS TEXAS TECH REVIVAL IN YEAR ONE
LUBBOCK, TEXAS — When Marcus Freeman stepped onto the tarmac at Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport in January, few could have predicted just how quickly things would change for Texas Tech football. Less than a year later, the 40-year-old former Notre Dame head coach has led the Red Raiders to their first Big 12 Championship in program history—defying expectations and igniting a football renaissance in West Texas.
Under Freeman’s watch, Texas Tech went 11–2 in the 2025 season, shocking the nation with a smothering defense, revitalized recruiting, and a swagger that had long been missing from Jones AT&T Stadium. Tech closed out the regular season by defeating Oklahoma State, TCU, and a then-undefeated Utah squad in back-to-back weeks, securing a spot in the Big 12 title game against Kansas State.
In front of a sellout crowd in Arlington, Freeman’s Red Raiders sealed the deal with a 27–20 victory behind the breakout performance of sophomore quarterback Mason Bryant and a game-clinching interception by transfer safety Zyon Harmon—one of several defensive stars Freeman lured to Lubbock through the transfer portal.
The win marked the program’s first conference title since joining the Big 12 in 1996.
“We didn’t come here to be average,” Freeman said postgame, hoisting the championship trophy above his head as red and black confetti rained down. “This team believed. West Texas believed. And now, the rest of the country has no choice but to believe too.”
Freeman’s impact has been felt far beyond the win column. In less than 12 months, he flipped the culture within Texas Tech’s locker room and revamped the school’s entire recruiting philosophy. The 2025 signing class currently ranks 6th nationally, the highest in school history, featuring five ESPN Top 100 players and three defensive blue-chips from the Southeast—a region where Tech has rarely found traction.
Behind closed doors, Freeman demanded discipline, elevated academic standards, and brought in one of the top support staffs in the country, including former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and strength guru Matt Balis. On the field, Tech’s defense led the Big 12 in sacks and third-down efficiency, a dramatic turnaround for a program that ranked 10th in both categories the year before.
“He’s built something real,” said Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt. “This isn’t a one-year wonder. This is a new era.”
National recognition followed. Freeman was named Big 12 Coach of the Year and is a finalist for the 2025 Paul “Bear” Bryant Award. NFL scouts are buzzing about Freeman’s player development, and early projections place Tech inside the top 10 in next year’s preseason AP Poll.
But perhaps the most telling moment of the season came after the final whistle in Arlington. Instead of soaking in the spotlight, Freeman found his players and embraced them one by one, whispering the same phrase each time:
“Not done yet.”
From the golden domes of South Bend to the wide-open skies of Lubbock, Marcus Freeman has found not just a second chance—but a home. And in doing so, he’s brought Texas Tech back to the national stage, not just as a feel-good story—but as a force to be reckoned with.
Would you like a follow-up article—maybe about his second season or the college football playoff implications?
