With each shot from the free-throw line that clanked off the rim for Texas Tech on Sunday, the window of opportunity crept open just a little bit wider for McNeese State. Before the Red Raiders knew what hit them, the Cowboys were storming through it with a blistering second-half run that resulted in an 80-75 upset win inside United Spirit Arena.

When Tommy Tuberville announced on Dec. 8, in a stunning turn of events, he was leaving Texas Tech for Cincinnati, Tech senior quarterback Seth Doege knew what lay on the immediate horizon for his younger teammates. Doege was a redshirt freshman in 2009 when Mike Leach was fired at the end of that season, and the ensuing days brought confusion, uncertainty and anxiousness. “Everybody was shocked at first,” Doege said of last week’s events. “I remember when Leach left when I was a freshman. It’s hard to deal with because you don’t know who they’re going to hire.”

Before he ever stepped to the lectern on a stage inside United Spirit Arena, Kliff Kingsbury had a crowd of hundreds of Texas Tech fans in the palm of his hand. And with a few brief, yet measured words, he made sure it stayed right there. Kingsbury, 33, was formally introduced Friday as Tech’s new football coach in front of fans, alumni, former teammates and media, and he wasted no time reminding all in attendance that he was back where he belonged.

There has been no shortage of work landing on the desk of Texas Tech Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt this year. In May, Hocutt fired baseball coach Dan Spencer after a mostly unsuccessful four-year stint, then replaced him with assistant Tim Tadlock. This fall he navigated through a tumultuous saga surrounding former basketball coach Billy Gillispie, who eventually resigned under scrutiny and was replaced, on an interim basis, by Chris Walker.