Notre Dame trying to lure away a key staff of Texas Tech

According to reports, James Blanchard, the general manager of Texas Tech football, is being lured by Notre Dame.

We know we are living in somewhat strange times when Notre Dame is pursuing something that the Texas Tech football program has going for it. According to reports, the Fighting Irish are making a concerted effort to entice James Blanchard, the general manager of Texas Tech football, to take over the same position in South Bend.

It is reasonable to assume that Joey McGuire, the head coach of Texas Tech, and the other influential people in Lubbock will do everything in their power to keep Blanchard in West Texas. This is because having to replace the general manager and coordinators in the same off-season would not be ideal for this program.

Hopefully, Blanchard’s connections to McGuire and the anticipated large pay increase will be sufficient to repel Notre Dame’s advances.

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When McGuire was appointed head coach of Texas Tech in 2021, Blanchard was the first employee he added to his staff. The two had previously collaborated at Baylor, where Blanchard served as the assistant athletics director for scouting and McGuire was an assistant coach under Dave Aranda and Matt Rhule.

Blanchard has been leading the charge in Lubbock on the new trend of having a general manager oversee the hiring process for a college team. Since Tech was among the first universities to have a general manager (GM) perform duties akin to those of an NFL GM (apart from hiring and firing coaches), the model has gained traction across the country.

According to Blanchard’s bio from the Texas Tech Football website, “Blanchard joined McGuire in Lubbock immediately upon his hire, reshaping the Red Raiders’ entire recruiting process from scouting to on-campus visits as part of Texas Tech’s unique model that resembles an NFL front office. Blanchard and his staff are responsible for identifying every prospect Texas Tech ultimately offers a scholarship opportunity, allowing McGuire and his coaching staff to prioritize player development and scouting, especially during the season.

“That setup has transformed the Red Raiders’ roster in just two seasons as Texas Tech is coming off consecutive top-25 classes. Texas Tech’s 2023 class ranked as high as No. 23 nationally by Rivals, marking its highest-rated class in more than a decade.
Its 2024 class, meanwhile, also ranked as high as No. 23 nationally and was the highest-rated class in the Big 12. The Red Raiders previously signed a top-40 ranked class in 2022 in the month after McGuire’s hire, a considerable jump from where Texas Tech ranked prior to his arrival.”

It is a testament to Blanchard’s reputation and the effectiveness of the system he and McGuire created that a program fresh off a trip to the National Championship Game wants to steal Texas Tech’s top personnel officer. We now watch to see if the Red Raiders can retain this important football staff member.