The Texas Tech Rodeo team has long been overlooked and neglected with poor facilities, little to zero scholarship money unless provided by alumni, redistribution of funds that were specifically donated to the program, and way too much micromanaging from higher ups that have zero experience or knowledge of rodeo and the lifestyle connected to it. 

Along came Jerrad Hoffstetter, and things changed for the better. He grew the team from 20something kids to 96+. In other words, the 60 or so kids who are paying full tuition in order to be on the rodeo team would be tossed aside. Jerrad moved the college rodeo off campus, which should’ve been the first thing TTU was ashamed of, and made it the best in the region and state. Rodeo host Cook’s Garage could have made a pile of revenue, but they instead saw how underfunded the program was and donated time, labor, materials, and location as well as any proceeds back to the rodeo team. 100% of the operating funds for the rodeo team as well as the money needed to put the hometown rodeo on is raised by the members and the committee. Other than the coach’s salary, Texas Tech contributes $0 to the team. $0. But the university still sees fit to take donated funds and give them to other clubs and teams. 

The rodeo was featured on the Cowboy Channel and had more buzz around it than all of its years of existence combined. 

Now, for reasons that no one can seem to make sense of, Jerrad has been fired by the Dean of CASNR, Clint Krehbiel with Department Chair Chance Brooks being the driving force. Notice, it was done after a summer of recruiting tuition-paying students and team members and after they will not be able to get their tuition or this year of rodeo under Jerrad back. Many kids use college rodeo as a springboard to the pros—this is quite literally their career path that is being endangered for no good reason.

The past 24 hours have been filled with testimony to Jerrad’s hard work, kindness, and passion. Kids from California travelled all the way to Lubbock just to compete under him. One young man mentioned decided to join the rodeo team out of the blue, having never ridden a horse. Jerrad coached him up throughout his collegiate career and ended up with a serious competitor. 

I have seen Jerrad pour into children I know personally who are a decade or more out from even being in college, and he’s had his team members right there by his side helping mold the next generation. I have a video of my niece roping live cattle for the first time in her life, and a young man is right there cheering her on in a manner that cannot be faked. Genuine excitement and kindness that starts at the top of an organization.

Several testimonies were from donors who sent money specifically for the rodeo team and nowhere else, but their funds were redistributed either against their will or against their knowledge.

Being a rodeo coach is a thankless, almost payless job. It’s very rare that you get someone with NFR experience, not to mention the drive Jerrad has to make not only the TTU program but the entirety of college rodeo better by leaps and bounds. Above and beyond doesn’t cover it. 

The TTU Rodeo team has a proud alumni base, as with most everything else affiliated with the school. It also has a very passionate base, and that base is passionately angry right now. My hope in creating this petition is that we can make a stand and show the powers that be how little support they have and how much support Jerrad and the rodeo team has. We still need to do our part to email and call Department Chair Chance Brooks as well as the Dean of CASNR—Dr. Clint Krehbiel.