Texas Tech football’s meteoric rise in recent years has been fueled by bold leadership and a relentless drive to make history. When Notre Dame courted General Manager James Blanchard for its GM job, many expected he’d jump.
Instead, Blanchard chose to stay in Lubbock, revealing a story of loyalty, ambition, and unfinished business that redefined the Red Raiders’ trajectory.
James Blanchard Explains Why He Stayed at Texas Tech Over Going to Notre Dame
Blanchard’s decision to turn down Notre Dame, a program fresh off a College Football Playoff runner-up finish, sent shockwaves through college football circles. Blanchard, who joined Texas Tech in 2021 as Texas Tech football coach Joey McGuire’s first hire, became the top target for Notre Dame after building Texas Tech’s recruiting and transfer portal classes into national powers.
Reflecting on the high-profile offer, Blanchard admitted, “Turning down the Notre Dame job was hard. You walk in there and see Marcus Freeman…this guy’s like a rock star. He has a glow about him when he walks in the room. You can just tell why he’s so successful.”
Yet, despite the allure of South Bend, Blanchard’s heart remained in Lubbock. “But we have unfinished business here. We had just signed about 85% of what became the number one portal class in the country, and I came here to do something that had never been done at this program before. We’ve never even been to the Big 12 championship before. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep at night if I hadn’t accomplished that mission with Coach McGuire”.
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Blanchard’s loyalty is rooted in relationships and the rare chance to make history. “People are going to have many times to take other jobs and opportunities, but you’re not going to have a lot of times, a lot of opportunities, to make history,” he said.
Under his leadership, Texas Tech signed the top-rated transfer portal class for 2025, bringing in 17 newcomers and earning the No. 1 national ranking from On3 and a top-three spot from 247Sports.
The Red Raiders also landed their first-ever five-star recruit, wide receiver Micah Hudson, and built consecutive top-25 recruiting classes—something not achieved in over a decade.
Blanchard’s confidence in Texas Tech’s potential is unwavering. “This has to be one of the top 5 resource programs in the country. There’s not a program in the country who I think that we can’t compete with as far as a resource allocation standpoint, as far as a donor support standpoint, and an admin support standpoint,” he explained, comparing the current momentum in Lubbock to Oregon’s early rise as a national contender.
Despite never reaching the Big 12 Championship game—a feat that has eluded the Red Raiders since the conference’s inception—Blanchard believes that milestone is within reach. “We’re much closer today than when we first arrived,” head coach Joey McGuire affirmed, crediting Blanchard’s vision and recruiting prowess for the program’s transformation.
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Remaining with the program for Blanchard was more than just being a loyal person; he decided to take the opportunity never to come back, which would be so unique as to be able to change Texas Tech football.
It is clear that as the Red Raiders prepare for the season ahead, Blanchard’s selection of Lubbock rather than legacy programs like Notre Dame as his destination demonstrates the power of belief, agreement, and the pursuit of history.
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