Kirby Hocutt

Kirby Hocutt

Athletic Director


Kirby Hocutt, a 2018 Under Armour Athletics Director of the Year, has guided the Texas Tech athletics department to unprecedented success since being named the 13th Director of Athletics in school history on March 2, 2011.

Under his leadership, Texas Tech has developed into one of the nation’s elite athletics programs with a top-15 showing in the 2017-18 Capital One Cup men’s standings and a top-five finish for the 2018-19 academic year. Texas Tech ranked as the top men’s program in the state of Texas following both years and posted its highest two finishes all-time in the Capital One Cup.

The 2018-19 academic year ranked as arguably the best in school history as the men’s track and field team claimed the NCAA Outdoor title, the first national championship for a men’s athletic program in school history. Texas Tech also made its fourth appearance at the College World Series in a six-year span, concluding its trip to Omaha by finishing among the final four teams for the first time ever.

Texas Tech came close to another national title earlier that year as the Red Raider men’s basketball program navigated its way to the Final Four for the first time before falling to Virginia in the National Final. The Red Raiders, who advanced to the Elite Eight round just a year before, also claimed the program’s first ever Big 12 regular-season crown, one of 11 league titles for Texas Tech over the past six years.

Hocutt, who completed a two-year term as chairman of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee in 2017, has watched six of his programs – men’s track and field (indoor and outdoor), women’s tennis, men’s basketball, men’s golf and baseball – finish among the top-eight teams in the country for their respective sports the past four years. During that four-year span, Texas Tech has boasted 15 of its 17 athletic programs competing in the NCAA postseason or a bowl game.

In addition to Texas Tech’s success in competition, Hocutt has boosted Texas Tech’s athletic profile with a list of achievements such as:

 

Throughout his tenure at Texas Tech, Hocutt has been prominent on several national committees, possibly none more recognizable than his role on the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. Hocutt was named to the CFP Selection Committee in 2015 and served his second year as the committee chairman during the 2017 season. The CFP Selection Committee is responsible for selecting the top four teams in the playoff while also placing the next group of teams to the remaining New Year’s bowls.

Hocutt’s success at Texas Tech was recognized in March 2018 as he was named an Under Armour Athletics Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). Hocutt was one of four sitting athletics directors at the NCAA FBS level to win the prestigious award.  

Hocutt arrived at Texas Tech following three years at the University of Miami (Fla.) where he was named Athletics Director on Feb. 8, 2008. He previously earned his first opportunity as an NCAA Division I athletics director at Ohio University in 2005 at only the age of 33.

A Sherman, Texas native, Hocutt also served stints in the athletics departments at Kansas State (1996-97) and the University of Oklahoma (1998-2005). Prior to his time at Oklahoma, Hocutt served as the coordinator of licensing at the National Collegiate Athletic Association. He began his sports administration career as the assistant director of marketing and promotions at his alma mater, Kansas State University.

A former football student-athlete at Kansas State, Hocutt was a four-year letterman at linebacker while leading the Big 8 Conference in tackles as a junior in 1993. Hocutt, who was elected captain his senior year, was named to the All-Big 8 Conference team following his junior season. The Sporting News selected him in 1993 as one of the nation's top-20 “most underrated” players.

Hocutt earned his bachelor's degree from Kansas State in 1995 and his master’s of education degree from the University of Oklahoma in 2001. He and his wife, Diane, have two sons – Drew Phillips and Brooks Ryan. Drew is currently a football student-athlete at Angelo State University.

THE KIRBY HOCUTT FILE
Date announced as Director of Athletics: March 2, 2011
Birthdate: Nov. 19, 1971
Hometown: Sherman, Texas
Bachelor’s of Science Degree: Political Science, Kansas State University, 1995
Master of Education: University of Oklahoma, 2001
Wife: Diane
Sons: Drew Phillips and Brooks Ryan

CAREER TIMELINE
1995-96 – Internship, College Football Association
1996-97 – Assistant Director of Marketing and Promotions, Kansas State University
1997-98 – Licensing Coordinator, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
1998-2005 – Associate A.D. for External Operations and Sports Administration, University of Oklahoma
2005-08 – Director of Athletics, Ohio University
2008-11 – Director of Athletics, University of Miami (Fla.)
2011-Present – Director of Athletics, Texas Tech University

NOTEWORTHY AWARDS/ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEES (past and present)