WSU offensive line coach Clay McGuire leaving for same job at Texas Tech

PULLMAN – Washington State will need to look for a new offensive line coach.

Clay McGuire, who manned the unit the past two seasons, is taking the same job at his alma mater of Texas Tech, according to the Athletic and confirmed to The Spokesman-Review by a source with direct knowledge of the situation.

It was the second stint at WSU for McGuire, who coached the Cougars’ offensive line under the late Mike Leach from 2012-2017 and again under current head coach Jake Dickert from 2022-2023. He played a meaningful role in helping unlock the Cougs’ passing attack, which ranked third in the Pac-12 last season and eighth in 2022, with former QB Cam Ward blossoming into one of the country’s best .

It’s the first staff departure this offseason for Dickert, whose team finished 5-7 last season.

At Texas Tech, McGuire is joining forces with former WSU wide receiver Josh Kelly, who spent last fall as a Cougar before transferring to the Red Raiders. Washington State will host Texas Tech in Pullman on Sept. 7.

McGuire, a Texas native who played running back for Texas Tech in the early 2000s, struggled to help his offensive line produce last fall, particularly on the run-blocking front. The Cougars finished sixth in the Pac-12 in pass-blocking, per Pro Football Focus, but came in second to last in run blocking, finishing with a grade of 51.0. That figure ranked No. 116 of 133 FBS teams.

McGuire came to Washington State from USC, where he coached the Trojans’ offensive line in 2021. That season, Southern California led the Pac-12 in total offense at 443.9 yards per game, ranked first in passing offense at 298.3 ypg, and came in first in pass attempts and completions. That unit also allowed the third-fewest sacks in the conference that season.

Prior to that, McGuire worked as the offensive coordinator and running backs coach at Texas Tech in 2018. He then took a job at Texas State, coaching the offensive line from 2019-2020.

Last fall, the Cougars’ offensive line yielded 16 sacks, third most in the Pac-12. It also allowed 91 pressures, according to PFF, second most in the conference.