Cody Campbell updates Joey McGuire's job status following Cincinnati loss, ominous tweet

After Texas Tech lost at Cincinnati on Saturday, Cody Campbell fired off the following tweet:

Those two sentences were not controversial on their own. It was an ugly loss; the Red Raiders' only lead was 6-3, and the 37-24 obscured how badly the game got away from them in the final three quarters thanks to a cosmetic touchdown with 59 seconds left. Campbell's sentiment was no different than any poster on RedRaiderSports.com. Of course, Campbell isn't just some message board poster. I found the tweet funny for two reasons:

1) Tagging Texas Tech, as if the rest of us don't know who he is and, thus, who he's referencing.
2) Tagging Texas Tech, as if he has no other avenue to get in touch with the people running the program. Pretty sure he has Joey McGuire's number if Campbell wanted to share his frustration privately.

But the humorous and ominous aspects of the tweet are intertwined. Campbell didn't want to just vent his frustration after the loss, he wanted us to see him vent his frustration after the loss. Saying nothing was an option. Campbell declined. 

Remember, Campbell isn't just the primary benefactor of Red Raider football, he's also the chairman of the board of regents for the entire TTU system. He's the closest thing college sports has to an owner, and if an NFL owner tweeted something like that, it wouldn't pass unnoticed by those who cover the franchise.

Perhaps sensing the ominous vibes he sent out by the tweet, Campbell again fired up Twitter on Wednesday to calm the waters.

"Absolutely nothing is going to change at the head coach position at Texas Tech. Joey McGuire is a perfect fit for our program, everybody, with an opinion that matters, loves him.  He isn’t going anywhere. If anything, we are ready, willing, and able to double down on him and this program. It’s more likely that he gets an extension and raise at the end of this year," Campbell tweeted in response to a 247Sports article speculating whom Tech might target if McGuire was fired after this season. (The article referenced the tweet above as the basis for the speculation.)

McGuire's critics point toward Texas Tech's ascension after Campbell's involvement to argue his success has essentially been bought for him. This exchange with (I can't believe I'm typing this) Big 12 Twitter personality Cyclone Larry was instructive.

McGuire was 23-16 before last year's breakthrough, making him the most successful Texas Tech coach in the post-Mike Leach era. Critics also discount how well McGuire and his staff used the money Campbell and his colleagues provided; each of the defensive linemen Tech brought in last year played better in Lubbock than they had in previous locations.

This year's team is not as dominant as last year's -- Tech is 10th and eighth in the Big 12 in yards per play offense and defense, after ranking third and first last season. After all, there's a reason Texas Tech targeted Brendan Sorsby in the portal. Still, Tech has multiple opportunities to redeem the Cincinnati loss, starting with Saturday against No. 22 Arizona (noon ET, ESPN). 

Texas Tech is in the midst of the most successful run in program history, and the man who poured in more money than anyone else to make it happen says the school is ready to double down for more.