Former Texas Tech defensive coordinator Matt Wallerstedt resigned earlier this year after allegedly being under the influence of a “controlled substance” at the school’s football building. The Red Raiders replaced him with interim defensive coordinator Mike Smith, and apparently did not change their defensive signals when they did so. That appears to have been a mistake.
Texas Tech coaches allege ex-assistant giving signs to opponents
The Red Raiders should probably change their signs by now.
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Smith is now alleging Wallerstedt has been giving Texas Tech’s defensive signals to other teams since some point after he left in mid-September, via the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
“I don’t want to get into what’s going on with all that, but it’s not right and, to me, it’s not fair to the kids. So if that’s how that person wants to handle business, they can handle business that way. I sure hope I don’t run into him anytime soon.”
Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury also appeared to acknowledge suspicion of Wallerstedt’s involvement. He’s quoted in the Lubbock Avalance-Journal story as saying signs had been “passed around,” due to “the situation we had earlier in the year.”
When Wallerstedt left, Texas Tech had the Big 12’s worst scoring defense. That has not changed, as the Red Raiders are giving up a league-worst 41.6 points per game. They have given up at least 40 points in four of the seven games since Smith took over, including 82 points in a road thrashing to TCU.
Wallerstedt was hired as a defensive consultant at Louisiana-Lafayette in October.
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