THE Texas Tech football schedule I was about to fill two vacant positions on his coaching team within one day after Joey McGuire interviews completed.
THE Red Raiders were finalizing the hiring of Imarjaye Albury Sr. to be the new defensive line coach, two sources with direct knowledge said Wednesday (Feb. 11). Albury has been on the Minnesota Vikings staff for six years, serving in 2025 as the team’s assistant defensive line coach.
Advertisement
He would fill the position vacated by Zarnell Fitch, a founding member of McGuire’s team since 2022. Fitch’s one-year contract expired Jan. 31, and a Tech Athletics spokesperson said his deal has not been renewed.
Albury, 32, served as an assistant defensive quality control and linebackers coach for the Vikings in 2020 and 2021, served as a pro scout for the team in 2022, then worked as a defensive assistant in 2023 and 2024.
More: Texas Tech football to host Friday Night Lights spring game
More: Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt Reveals Big Scholarship Increase
According to his Vikings biography, Albury played college football for West Virginia in 2012 before transferring to Florida International, where he was a three-year starter on the defensive line and won the program’s Defensive MVP award in 2016. After brief stints in NFL rookie minicamps, he began coaching in 2017 at Division III Cortland State.
Advertisement
He then made quick stops with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, East Carolina, NAIA Ave Maria and Arkansas of the CFL. He was a defensive graduate assistant for the Razorbacks in 2018 and 2019.
He attended Miami Northwestern High School.
LUBBOCK, TEXAS – OCTOBER 11: Defensive coordinator Shiel Wood of the Texas Tech Red Raiders signals to the defense during the second half of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Jones AT&T Stadium on October 11, 2025 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
Earlier Wednesday, Tech was also working on a deal to hire former Missouri and NFL player Jacquies Smith to coach the Red Raiders’ edge defenders, according to two sources with direct knowledge.
Smith would fill the position left vacant when the Pittsburgh Steelers hired CJ Ah You last week.
Speaking Tuesday evening at a Red Raider Club reception in Midland, McGuire said he had completed interviews for both positions — a total of five candidates — and hoped to announce the hires within a few days.
Advertisement
Tech finished 12-2 last season, winning the Big 12 and losing in the Orange Bowl, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal. The Red Raiders led the FBS in rushing defense and turnovers gained this season and were third in rushing defense and total defense.
The top four was key, with edge defender David Bailey earning unanimous All-America recognition and edge Romello Height voted to the All-Big 12 first team by the conference head coaches. Defensive tackle Lee Hunter and AJ Holmes both received second-team All-America honors.
This story has been updated with more information.
This article was originally published in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech Football finalizes hiring of NFL staffer Imarjaye Albury Sr.
