After Houston Baptist completed its 2017 football season going 1-10, Huskies coach Vic Shealy wanted to shake things up in order to become more competitive in the Southland Conference. He decided to transition to a passing, spread offense.
What better place to give a look at for installing the new offense than at Texas Tech, which has run its version of an Air Raid for two decades.
“We needed a shift in terms of our offensive schematic design,” Shealy said. “I felt that was the way we needed to move. I questioned around who were a couple really younger offensive guys that truly got it. And I had a couple of guys recommend Zach (Kittley). I got it right. It was an easy transition.”
With Kittley as offensive coordinator, the Huskies’ offense has taken off over the past two-plus seasons behind quarterback Bailey Zappe, who in 2019 led FCS with 35 touchdown passes and was second in passing yards (3,811). In last week’s 57-31 loss at North Texas to open its season, HBU totaled 569 yards, but gave up 721.
On Saturday at 7 p.m. at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, HBU (0-1) visits Texas Tech, the opener for the Red Raiders. It will be a homecoming of sorts for Kittley as well as two other HBU assistants with strong ties to Texas Tech.
Kittley was mentored by Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech, where Kittley spent three seasons as a graduate assistant and assistant quarterbacks coach prior to arriving at HBU in January, 2018. Kittley is a son of longtime Red Raiders track coach Wes Kittley. Huskies running backs coach Tyler Schovanec is a son of Texas Tech president Dr. Lawrence Schovanec. Offensive line coach Jared Kaster was a four-year letter winner at center for the Red Raiders.
All three served on the Tech staff under Kingsbury and are in their third year coaching at HBU. Kittley credits Kingsbury, who was head coach of the Red Raiders from 2013-18, for his penchant of coaching offense.
“When coach Kingsbury got hired at Texas Tech, it was something I wanted to do. I just loved the offensive side of the ball, the creativity you can do, schematically and all those things,” Kittley said. “Whenever he got hired, I just really wanted to get into it. Luckily I was really good family friends with (former Tech assistant) Sonny Cumbie and he got my foot in the door.”
One of Kittley’s proteges at Tech was Patrick Mahomes. Zappe, who has flourished under Kittley’s tutelage, likes to fling the ball around the football field as well.
“Every quarterback wants to throw the ball,” Zappe said. “It’s a big blessing for me to have the air raid offense. It fits what I like to do, I like to throw the ball and get the ball to guys like Ben (Ratzlaff), Jerreth Sterns. We have playmakers that fit this offense and that’s what makes us go.”
Against North Texas, Zappe passed for 480 yards and three scores, completing 39-of-62 attempts. Sterns, FCS’ reception leader last season (105) had 11 catches for 93 yards. Ratzlaff totaled 108 receiving yards on six receptions.
Saturday’s game at Texas Tech of the Big 12 is the first time HBU will play a football game against a Power Five opponent. A lot of what Kittley has incorporated in the Huskies’ offense derives from what he picked up at Texas Tech.
“Everything I’ve learned is from him (Kingsbury),” Kittley said. “When I took over here three years ago we kind of brought that exact carbon copy over.
“But you have to adapt to your personnel. You’re going to see probably some similar things that the Red Raider fans saw for six years there, but you’re also going to see some things that you probably didn’t see.”
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Houston Baptist’s offense has familiar fit for trip to Lubbock - Houston Chronicle
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