LUBBOCK, Texas — Coach Joey McGuire has announced the dismissal of Texas Tech’s defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter and secondary coach Marcel Yates, a decision confirmed on Sunday.

The Red Raiders have struggled significantly on defense, ranking 15th out of 16 teams in the Big 12 for both total defense and scoring defense. Over the course of the season, they allowed an average of 451.9 yards and 34.5 points per game.

In terms of pass defense, Texas Tech has found itself at the bottom of the conference and among the last in the nation, ranked 133rd out of 134 teams in this category. They surrendered an alarming average of 305.3 passing yards per game, and their total of 26 passing touchdowns allowed ties them for the highest in the Big 12 and ranks 124th nationally.

Both DeRuyter and Yates were in their third year at Texas Tech, having previously collaborated for one season at Oregon.

“This was a difficult but necessary decision as we continue to elevate this program to competing annually at the highest levels of college football,” McGuire stated regarding the changes.

The Red Raiders concluded the regular season with an 8-4 record and a conference mark of 6-3, tying for fifth place in the Big 12. They are set to participate in a bowl game for the fourth consecutive year, with announcements about coaching roles for the upcoming bowl expected in the future.