Joey McGuire leans into the hate, saying Texas Tech is the most ‘hated’ program in college football

Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire took a pointed, confidence-forward approach to how he wants his program to be perceived. Speaking around the start of the 2026 cycle, McGuire said he likes that fans “hate” Texas Tech, arguing that the level of animosity is a sign the Red Raiders are successful enough to draw attention and resistance from the rest of college football.

In the same conversation, McGuire connected that fan reaction to the program’s recent rise. He described Texas Tech as coming off an “outstanding 2025 season” and said the program is now focused on building on that foundation as 2026 approaches.

McGuire’s “most hated” framing is less about creating a villain and more about embracing the reality that winning teams become targets. In modern college football, a program’s national visibility often brings higher expectations, more scrutiny, and sharper recruiting competition, even when the on-field message remains straightforward.

For Texas Tech, the timing matters. The 2026 offseason is when recruiting plans, staff priorities, and roster development have to line up for the next step. If the Red Raiders are truly using last season’s momentum as an ingredient, it means the program’s goals are not just to match what happened in 2025, but to establish a consistent identity that can withstand the pushback that arrives when a team gets noticed.

McGuire’s comments also reflect how coaches try to manage pressure through culture. Turning negative energy into “fuel” is a common coaching message in college sports, but in Texas Tech’s case it lands with extra emphasis because the school’s style of football has historically been built around toughness and competitive intensity rather than passive “nice” branding.

The practical question for fans is whether that mindset translates into sustained recruiting momentum and continued on-field performance once the season starts. If Texas Tech can build depth and execute in the ways it expects to, the “hate” should keep coming, and the Red Raiders will be measured by how well they respond to it week after week.

As 2026 develops, the most meaningful follow-up will be whether Texas Tech’s preparation and roster progress reinforce the idea that the program has graduated from surprise to expectation. McGuire’s philosophy suggests that the Red Raiders want to be a team opponents watch closely and fans argue about, not a program that quietly fades into the background.