Report: Joey McGuire Named Baylor Interim HC After Matt Rhule Hired by Panthers

With the Matt Rhule era at Baylor officially over, the team will reportedly name Joey McGuire interim head coach of the Bears, per Niki Lattarulo of KCEN.

McGuire was an associate head coach on Rhule's staff where he primarily worked with defensive ends after spending 14 years coaching Texas high school football. Whether or not he will be in the running for the full-time job remains to be seen as the school announced it will not comment on Rhule's replacement until one has been announced. 

"We have launched a national search for our next head coach, and we will not make any comments on prospective candidates or where we are in the process until we are ready to introduce the next leader of our football program," Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades said in a statement. 

McGuire first joined Baylor's staff in 2017 as a tight ends coach before earning a promotion in 2019. While the school may not be ready to commit to McGuire to run the program long-term, there's certainly precedent for taking a chance on a successful high school coach to oversee the Bears: Art Briles was a four-time 4A state champion coach throughout the 1980s and '90s before becoming Baylor's head coach in 2008.

Having strong relationships with high school coaches across the state is partially what made Briles a key target for Baylor's officials, and while the school has replaced many of those who hired Briles, the need to recruit in-state remains a priority for the Big 12 program. 

McGuire went 141-42 with three state titles in four championship game appearances while at Cedar Hill High School and was named the 2013 Texas Coach of the Year by the Dallas Morning News. Notably, McGuire's son, Garret, just finished his sophomore season as a backup quarterback for the Bears. 

There won't be much time for any sort of honeymoon phase if McGuire's going to make a strong impression with his new bosses. According to 247sports, Baylor currently ranks last in the Big 12's 2020 recruiting rankings with no five-star commitments and just two four-stars. It's 15 total commitments in 2020 are tied for the fewest in the conference with TCU—which boasts five four-star recruits.

Baylor opens the 2020 season on September 5 at NRG Stadium in Houston against the Ole Miss Rebels.