Texas Tech fires defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter and assistant Marcel Yates

LUBBOCK, Texas — Texas Tech defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter and defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach Marcel Yates have been fired, coach Joey McGuire announced Sunday.

The Red Raiders rank 15th in the 16-team Big 12 in total defense and scoring defense. They finished the regular season having allowed 451.9 yards and 34.5 points per game.

They are last in the conference and 133rd out of 134 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in pass defense, giving up 305.3 yards per game. They have allowed 26 touchdowns through the air, tied for most in the conference and 124th nationally.

DeRuyter and Yates were in their third seasons at Texas Tech after working together at Oregon for one year.

“This was a difficult but necessary decision as we continue to elevate this program to competing annually at the highest levels of college football," McGuire said.

Texas Tech (8-4, 6-3 Big 12) finished tied for fifth in the conference and will play in a bowl for a fourth straight season. The school said coaching assignments for the bowl would be announced later.