Lone Star loyalty: Why Texas high school coach connections still matter in the NIL era

Even in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, deep-rooted connections with high school coaches remain college football's most valuable currency across the Lone Star State Nov 13, 2026 at 11:18 am ET • 7 min read David Wetzel was just leaving a meeting as president of the Texas High School Coaches Association in 2016 when he got a message. His alma mater, Baylor, was about to hire a coach. And a mutual friend slipped Matt Rhule his number. Twenty-four hours later, the longtime high school football coach was up in Waco giving Rhule and his staff the lay of the land. "I'm drawing the state of Texas on a napkin talking about recruiting, I'm on the board talking football," Wetzel said. "These guys are from the northeast, they've never been to Waco, they've got no clue." Wetzel was eventually brought on as Rhule's director of high school relations, one of many roles he held under Rhule and Dave Aranda over seven years. But put more simply, Wetzel was Rhule's Texas Translator. For generations, Texas high school football has been a unique source of pride in the state. No state produces more college and professional football talent, and coaches who know how to navigate it. The coaches with the knowledge, history and relationships to navigate all the complex dynamics are bestowed a distinction. Texas Ties. In the era of NIL and the transfer portal, high school recruiting has been deprioritized. Relationships often take a back seat to money. And yet, Texas programs keep doubling down on coaches with Texas ties. Four of the five sitting Power Four coaches in the state spent time in the Texas high school ranks before getting their jobs. UTSA's Jeff Traylor and Texas Tech's Joey McGuire were even legendary high school football coaches before ever reaching college football. Both have been transformative at their programs. Clearly, something of the old world remains. "I'm not saying guys can't come from outside and do it," North Texas athletic director Jared Mosley said. "But listen, if you're coming from outside and you don't have that direct experience and network, you better have a solid plan of how you're going to build that." Relationships work differentlyIn December 2021, Jacob Rodriguez knew he had to come home. A one-time quarterback from Wichita Falls, Texas, he decided to leave Virginia after coach Bronco Mendenhall suddenly stepped down. When he felt lost, it was his high school coaches who reached out to McGuire's first-year staff at Texas Tech. Rodriguez went on to leave as one of the greatest players in program history, a unanimous All-American and winner of nearly every national Defensive Player of the Year Award. "I've always said it, but if I was still a Texas high school coach, whether I'm getting a senior somewhere or a kid that's trying to make a decision in the portal, that's still my kid," McGuire said. In traditional high school recruiting, the pipeline is simple. A high school player leans on their high school coach for advice, and that coach leans on contacts and relationships to drive recruiting. That pathway still happens with regularity, but the system has changed with the rise of revenue sharing. Money is now a factor more than it's ever been. But in high school recruiting, relationships still provide a trump card that can impact and change the process. Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire won three state championships at Cedar Hill High School before joining Matt Rhule at Baylor. Getty Images "I think if you're comparable, if you're not shorting a kid, it really comes down to relationships," McGuire said. "The relationships matter, the feel of the building, the culture they feel when they walk on campus. [All-American] Lee Hunter turned down more money to come to Texas Tech, and that's not the popular sentiment." However, the new dynamic shaping rosters now comes in the transfer portal. With more talent transferring than ever, second chances for blue-chip recruits are transforming programs. Baylor quarterback DJ Lagway and Houston quarterback Conner Weigman were both five-star passers who opted to leave home. Since moving back from the SEC, both Texas natives have found the most consistency of their careers. Both united with staff who got to know them after high school. Coaches understand that they can't land every prospect out of high school. It's still worth making the relationship because they might be available later -- and perhaps at a more reasonable price point. "It's still a highly relational game," North Texas athletic director Jared Mosley said. "Now without [clear rules], that changes a little bit, but at the end of the day, I still believe young men are coming here because of the relational aspect. And certainly when you get to a point of talking retention, it's highly important."We're not going to retain everybody in this climate, but your odds are way higher when you invest in people." Finding coaching talentWhen Charlie Strong took the Texas job, he brought along a former Louisville quarterback named Will Stein. After one year staying on with Tom Herman as a quality control coach, Stein dipped into the high school level, serving as offensive coordinator at Lake Travis High School in Austin. Stein learned from legendary coach Hank Carter, leading multiple deep playoff runs behind future NFL star Garrett Wilson. When Traylor hired his first staff at UTSA, he brought Stein an hour down the road as passing game coordinator. After only one year as the full-time offensive coordinator, he was plucked by Oregon. "It's such a small world," McGuire said. "Everyone has a connection with somebody, and it's really important to have those relationships." Perhaps just as important as recruiting talent, Texas ties still help identify and attract coaching talent. Wetzel helped connect Rhule with McGuire, a longtime high school coach ready to take the next step after his son's graduation. He's now the coach at Texas Tech. McGuire helped make the connection with Shawn Bell, a former Baylor quarterback and now associate head coach at Houston under Willie Fritz. He's a hot candidate for Group of Six head-coaching jobs in Texas, too. "Texas ties have to factor into your search," North Texas athletic director Jared Mosley said. "You just have to. They don't necessarily have to come in with all the contacts and direct experience, but I think you've got to understand it from a staffing standpoint." North Texas coach Neal Brown (left) brought several assistants with Texas ties with him to Denton. Getty Images After striking gold with former Incarnate Word coach Eric Morris (now at Oklahoma State), Mosley underwent his second football coaching search last year. Ultimately, he settled on former West Virginia coach Neal Brown. While Brown isn't a native Texan, he served as offensive coordinator at Texas Tech under Tommy Tuberville. When he was let go from Morgantown, Brown spent a year at Texas as a special assistant to coach Steve Sarkisian. There, he was able to make critical contacts that helped him fill out a staff. One of his first hires was Errin Joe, an up-and-comer who served as director of scouting at Texas. He landed Matt Powledge as defensive coordinator from Baylor, hired North Crowley High School coach Ray Gates and five other coaches with major experience in Texas college football. In Year 1, the Mean Green are 7-2 with a chance to take control of The American title race on the road against UTSA. Even on a transfer-heavy squad, more than half of UNT's starters are from the state of Texas.North Texas boasts the No. 3 recruiting class in The American. Twenty-four of their 26 Class of 2027 commits are from Texas. Moving forwardBaylor became the first Texas job to open when Dave Aranda was fired on Oct. 25, ending a seven-year tenure. Sam Houston's Phil Longo joined the list days later, less than two years into his job. In the coming weeks, multiple other Texas programs could see coaching changes. TCU coach Sonny Dykes is on the hot seat after a disappointing 4-5 start. Even UTSA's Jeff Traylor and Texas State's G.J. Kinne could be on the move if they're poached for new opportunities. Both programs are now far better than when they first arrived. Early sources around Baylor and Sam Houston indicate that Texas ties will remain a huge consideration. For the Bearkats, especially, finding a candidate who can return credibility to the program for the first time since K.C. Keeler left is no easy task. UTSA coach Jeff Traylor has been a top candidate linked to major college openings. Getty Images Baylor found success with Rhule, who came to campus without any Texas ties. The infrastructure remained in place for Aranda, who set a program record with 12 wins. But after a few years of program atrophy, there could be an appetite to rebuild ties.And that takes us to the final piece of Texas ties: Building trust. Fans understand there are a number of quality jobs in college football. But when a coach is deeply bound in the state of Texas, fans know they won't ever take the support of their community for granted. "It's a lot easier for people to buy into what we're talking about and what we're selling because they do see that genuine statement," McGuire said. "I'm a Texan, I've never lived anywhere else, and I'm never gonna live anywhere else."