When Patrick Mahomes is lighting up the Super Bowl, Texas Tech fans have every reason to tune in. But this year, with the Kansas City Chiefs falling short of the playoffs, Mahomes won’t be center stage.
That doesn’t mean the Red Raiders are sitting this one out, though. Super Bowl 60 still has a strong Texas Tech presence - four former members of the program will be on the sidelines when the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks square off Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
Let’s break down who’s representing Lubbock on football’s biggest stage.
Mike Smith - New England Patriots, Outside Linebackers Coach
Smith is no stranger to the NFL grind - or to working with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel. The two have a long-standing friendship, and this season, Smith reunited with Vrabel in New England to lead the outside linebackers unit.
Smith’s football journey started at Coronado High School before he became a standout linebacker at Texas Tech from 2000 to 2004. He went on to play for the Baltimore Ravens before transitioning into coaching.
His coaching resume is as diverse as it is impressive: stints with the Jets, Chiefs, Packers, and Vikings, plus a return to Tech as an assistant under Kliff Kingsbury from 2013 to 2015. Smith brings a wealth of experience to a Patriots defense that’s been a key factor in their AFC title run.
Kobee Minor - New England Patriots, Cornerback
Every year, someone earns the title of “Mr. Irrelevant” - the last pick in the NFL Draft.
In 2025, that honor went to Kobee Minor. But if you think that label stuck, think again.
Minor didn’t just make the Patriots roster - he saw game action in four contests this season, including critical late-season matchups in Weeks 17 and 18. He recorded one tackle and continues to hold a spot on the active roster. Not bad for a guy taken with the final pick.
Minor’s college path was winding but productive. He started at Texas Tech from 2020 to 2022 before transferring for one-year stints at Indiana and Memphis.
Now, he’s suiting up for the biggest game of the year, proving that perseverance and talent can take you a long way - even from pick No. 257.
Chuckie Keeton - New England Patriots, Offensive Assistant
Keeton may not be a Texas Tech alum, but he’s part of the Red Raider coaching tree. The former Utah State quarterback served as a graduate assistant in Lubbock under Matt Wells from 2019 to 2020. That experience helped launch a coaching career that’s now landed him on the Patriots’ offensive staff.
After nearly a decade in the college ranks, Keeton made the jump to the NFL in 2024 - interestingly enough, with the Seahawks, the very team New England will face in Super Bowl 60. Now, just two seasons later, he’s on the opposite sideline, helping shape a Patriots offense that’s found its rhythm at the right time.
Karl Scott - Seattle Seahawks, Defensive Passing Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach
On the NFC side, Karl Scott is holding it down for the Red Raiders. As Seattle’s defensive passing game coordinator and DBs coach, Scott has played a major role in the Seahawks’ defensive resurgence this season.
Scott’s coaching roots trace back to Texas Tech, where he led the Red Raiders’ secondary from 2016 to 2017 under Kliff Kingsbury. From there, he made the leap to Alabama, helping the Crimson Tide to national prominence from 2018 to 2020 before heading to the NFL. He spent 2021 with the Vikings before joining Seattle’s staff, where he’s been ever since.
Scott’s football story began at Division III McMurry University in Abilene. He cut his teeth as a volunteer assistant at Hardin-Simmons under Jimmie Keeling - a Texas high school legend who guided Estacado to a state title in 1968. That grind-it-out, Texas football foundation still shows in the way Scott coaches his secondary.
Texas Tech’s Fingerprints on the Super Bowl
Even without Mahomes in the mix, Super Bowl 60 is a reminder of just how deep the Texas Tech football tree runs. From player development to coaching impact, the Red Raiders are still making noise at the highest level of the game.
Whether it’s Smith helping scheme up pressure packages, Minor getting his shot on special teams, Keeton contributing to the offensive game plan, or Scott dialing up coverage strategies - Tech fans have plenty of reasons to tune in Sunday. The school’s legacy isn’t just about one generational quarterback. It’s about the many who’ve taken the Red Raider mindset and carved out their place on football’s biggest stage.