- Jerrad Hofstetter said he feels as though he was ‘pushed out’ by Texas Tech
- Following his dismissal, a billboard in Lubbock now displays his image along
Fired Texas Tech rodeo coach Jerrad Hofstetter has received an outpouring of support following his shocking dismissal in Lubbock last week over allegations of financial mismanagement, mistreatment of animals, and compliance issues.
Hofstetter told EverythingLubbock.com that he felt as though he was ‘pushed out’ by the Red Raider athletic department over a misunderstanding regarding the livestock, some of which he kept on his property.
‘Everyone had full knowledge that there were animals off-site for quarantine,’ Hofstetter told EverythingLubbock.com. ‘We kept all of the sick animals off-site to keep other animals from getting sick.’
Following his dismissal, a billboard in Lubbock now displays his image along with the message: ‘Thank you Jerrad for your selfless service to our kids & rodeo #striveforhonor.’
There have also been messages of support for Hofstetter from his former athletes, including senior Brock Corman, not to mention social media posts.
Fired Texas Tech rodeo coach Jerrad Hofstetter has received an outpouring of support
Hofstetter competes in the Tie-Down Roping event during the Houston Livestock Show in 2011
‘Our very first college rodeo is in two weeks and they take our coach away from us,’ Corman told KCBD.com.
‘After an extensive review regarding multiple concerns, Jerrad Hofstetter was terminated as the Texas Tech Rodeo coach for misconduct, effective Sept. 5, 2024,’ read the school statement.
‘When he came here eight years ago, there were like 18 kids on the rodeo team,’ Corman added. ‘It went from 18 kids to 130 in eight years.’
Texas Tech Rodeo alumni Shelby Rhoden credited Hofstetter with building the program.
‘When I came my freshman year,’ Rhoden told KCBD.com, ‘no one knew about Texas Tech rodeo. They didn’t even know Texas Tech had a rodeo program, much less a team.’
That is when Hofstetter arrived.
‘It blew up so big that when I came home to Austin or traveling to different states, they knew about Texas Tech rodeo; they knew about Jerrad Hofstetter. He just made that program just so amazing,’ Rhoden said.
A billboard in Lubbock now displays his image along with the message: ‘Thank you Jerrad’
Clint Krehbiel, the Dean of Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, has since released a statement on Hofstetter’s dismissal.
‘Because this is a personnel issue, Texas Tech University will not comment further on this matter. The search for a new coach is underway, and we’re committed to supporting our students throughout this transition.’
Hofstetter was ultimately done in by a Texas Tech University System audit and a probe by the Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC), which found ‘numerous documented violations,’ according to a letter by Texas Tech Davis College.
Those report claims that Hofstetter failed to account for ‘hundreds of thousands of dollars’ in spending and neglected to produce receipts for more than 300 purchases.
Furthermore, the IACUC probe found neglect and poor cattle management, while Hofstetter failed to maintain required health and death records.
The letter alleges that Hofstetter was given chances to address the problems, but failed to do so.
The Texas native who was once ranked near the top of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association standings, Hofstetter coached Texas Tech for six seasons. Heading into the fall semester this year, he had recruited more than 100 students for the team, according to EverythingLubbock.com.
