Sometimes the best career moves are the ones you never planned. Just ask Joey McGuire, who went from wanting to be a nurse to becoming one of Texas football’s most celebrated coaches.
This UTA alumnus and current Texas Tech head coach proves that following your heart – even when it means completely changing direction – can lead to extraordinary success. And his journey started right here in Arlington.
When Love Changed Everything
Back in the early ’90s, McGuire had his future mapped out: nursing school, then becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. He’d started at a junior college before transferring to UT Arlington, where he joined Kappa Sigma fraternity.
“I think back about those times, and we had such a good time,” McGuire remembers. “The Greek system at UTA is really a vital part of that university, and they have a great nursing school.”
He was even planning to transfer to Texas Tech to join a friend. Then fate stepped in wearing a sorority pin.
“I ran into this little blond from Duncanville, Texas,” he says with obvious fondness. “She was a Zeta. My wife now of 31 years, Debbie McGuire.”
Love kept him at UTA, but something else was stirring too.
The Coaching Bug Strikes
While earning his kinesiology degree in 1995, McGuire kept helping his father – everyone in town knew “Coach McGuire.” That sideline experience ignited something he couldn’t ignore.
“I kept just getting this yearning like I need to coach, and so I flipped everything,” he recalls.
Talk about a career 180! From planning to work in operating rooms to dreaming of football fields.
Building a Texas Dynasty
McGuire’s coaching journey reads like a Texas football fairy tale. After assistant coaching stints at UTA and Cedar Hill High School, he became Cedar Hill’s head coach at just 31 years old in 2003.
Here’s where it gets incredible: Cedar Hill hadn’t had a winning season in eight years. McGuire turned that around immediately with a 6-4 debut season. Over his 14-year run, he transformed the Longhorns into a state powerhouse, capturing their first state title in 2006, then back-to-back championships in 2013 and 2014.
This wasn’t just winning – this was creating one of the most memorable turnaround stories in Texas high school football history.
College Success Follows
After his legendary Cedar Hill run, McGuire moved to Baylor University as an assistant before landing his dream job: head coach at Texas Tech in November 2021.
The results? Pure Texas football magic. He’s only the second coach in Red Raiders history to lead the team to bowl appearances in each of his first three seasons. Even better, he’s won more conference games (16) than any other coach during that same span.
What This Means for You
McGuire’s story isn’t just about football – it’s about recognizing when life is pointing you in a new direction. Whether you’re a UTA student wondering about your major, a career changer considering a bold move, or just someone who needs inspiration to follow your passion, his journey shows that sometimes the best plan is being open to change.
“The American Dream to me is having something that you wake up to every day and that you’re passionate about [that] can make an impact on people’s lives, in a positive way,” McGuire explains.
Recognition Well Earned
The accolades keep coming: 2020 inductee into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor and 2022 member of the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame. Not bad for someone who almost became a nurse!
McGuire’s success story started at UTA and shows how our local university continues producing leaders who make Texas proud. His journey from Arlington student to championship coach proves that with passion, hard work, and maybe a little help from love, you can achieve dreams you didn’t even know you had.
Ready to write your own success story? Sometimes all it takes is being brave enough to change course when your heart tells you to.
