Josh Bookbinder & Zarnell Fitch - Defensive Line & ILB Rushing the Passer

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Josh Bookbinder

The 2024 football season will mark Josh Bookbinder's third as a charter member of Joey McGuire’s staff at Texas Tech as he serves as the Red Raiders’ inside linebackers coach.

Bookbinder began his coaching career as an undergraduate coach at Baylor from 2007-08. He served as a defensive quality control coach for the 2009 season at Richmond following graduation before spending two seasons at Division II Carson-Newman, coaching linebackers in 2010 and then the defensive ends and special teams in 2011.

A native of San Antonio, Bookbinder earned his degree in sports sponsorships and sales from Baylor in 2009. He and his wife, Ashley, are parents to two sons, Grant and Walt, and a daughter, Annie.

Bookbinder is the grandson of legendary Baylor head coach Grant Teaff and the son of Russ Bookbinder, who served as Vice Chancellor and Chief Marketing Officer for the Texas Tech University System from 2009-12. Teaff, a West Texas native and former assistant coach at Texas Tech from 1966-68, remains the winningest head coach in Baylor history after compiling 128 victories over his 21 seasons (1972-92).

Zarnell Fitch

Zarnell Fitch, another one-time Texas High School Coaches Association member on Joey McGuire's charter staff, enters his third season at Texas Tech as the Red Raiders’ defensive line coach.

Fitch, no stranger to the Big 12 Conference, is regarded as one of the top defensive line developers in the country based on his work previously at TCU, his alma mater, and now with the Red Raiders. Texas Tech has recorded two of its best defensive seasons in recent memory during Fitch’s tenure as the Red Raiders gave up 29.2 points per game in 2022 before lowering that mark to 26.0 this past season, their lowest average since 2009.

Following his collegiate career, Fitch later spent time with the New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens and Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent before eventually playing two additional seasons in arena football.
After retiring from football, Fitch joined the coaching staff at Lincoln High School in 2012, serving as an assistant coach for two seasons before being named head coach for the 2013 season. Fitch led the Tigers to a 7-4 record that season, which included a win over Dallas Carter in the Class 4A playoffs. He was also a special education teacher during his time at Lincoln. Fitch earned his degree in communications and a minor in social work from TCU in 2006. Fitch and his wife, Mollie, have three sons, Zarnell III, Hunter and King, as well as two daughters, Haylee and Hope.