LUBBOCK, Texas – Darcel McBath, one of the top defensive backs in school history with seven years of experience coaching the position at the power-five level, will return to his alma mater as a football staff analyst, Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire announced Wednesday.
In his role, McBath will assist with Texas Tech’s advance scouting, providing weekly analysis of opponents on both sides of the ball for offensive coordinator Zach Kittley and defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter. He will also “self-scout” the Red Raiders, identifying in-game tendencies on a weekly basis.
“We’re excited to welcome Darcel and his family back home to Texas Tech,” McGuire said. “With his experience, Darcel will be an asset to both our offensive and defensive staffs in this newly-created role on our staff.”
A longtime assistant under the late Mike Leach, McBath returns to his alma mater following four seasons as the cornerbacks coach at Mississippi State (2020-23) and two additional years in a similar capacity at Washington State (2018-19). He began his coaching career as a quality control assistant at North Texas in 2016 before moving to Washington State in the same role the following season.
Mississippi State boasted two of its top cornerbacks in its history under McBath as he mentored both Martin Emerson, a third-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, and Emmanuel Forbes, the No. 16 overall selection of the 2023 NFL Draft. Forbes, a consensus All-America selection as a senior in 2022, ranked third in the country that season with six interceptions and set the NCAA FBS record after returning his sixth interception for a touchdown.
Prior to joining the coaching profession, McBath played five seasons in the NFL after being selected in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. McBath spent two seasons with the Broncos before moving on for one season with the Jacksonville Jaguars and two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers where he was a member of the Super Bowl XLVII roster.
