Former Tech deputy AD to start college athletics consulting firm

Tony Hernandez, second in command to Kirby Hocutt as the Texas Tech deputy athletics director and chief operating officer for the past 5 1/2 years, resigned in early January.

Hernandez, 47, plans to move his family this spring to the Charlotte, North Carolina area, where they have close relatives. He is starting Fortify College Athletics, a consulting service to college athletics departments.

"My primary mission would be to try and make athletic departments — especially with the whole landscape with NIL, the transfer portal — more efficient, better-run operations," he said Thursday.

"I want to be a behind-the-scenes guy for eight to 10 athletic departments that I'm just really involved in and help them almost on a daily, weekly basis on whatever their needs are. But mostly try to make them a better-run business, because these days it really needs to be that, in my opinion."

Hocutt hired Hernandez in May 2017 after Hernandez had worked at the University of Miami for 17 1/2 years. The two had worked together at Miami, and Hernandez served as interim AD there after Tech hired Hocutt in February 2011.

Hernandez said he resigned on Jan. 9, shortly before the Tech spring semester started. Tech did not publicize the move. As part of his duties as deputy AD, Hernandez was the sport supervisor for the Red Raiders' football and men's basketball programs.

"I've been thinking about going out on my own — a few years, actually," he said. "My kids, my oldest is about to start high school and we don't want to move him in the middle of high school. My parents [living in Florida], both of them have been having health issues. So really wanted to get closer to family, and the opportunity is right now, and this was the best time to do it. Texas Tech, Lubbock, President Schovanec, Kirby have all been wonderful to me, but it was just time."

Hernandez said he likely will focus his consulting on Division I athletics departments, given that's his background. He plans to differentiate his athletics consulting business with a narrow purpose.

"I really want to focus on consulting and making athletic departments a better place," he said. "I think there's a niche there. There aren't many consulting firms that specialize in that. There's executive firms that do consulting. I want to do the reverse. I just want to do the consulting. I do not want to do the executive search firm."

Hernandez was Tech's third deputy AD under Hocutt. Joe Parker served in that position from April 2011 until March 2015, when he left to become the athletics director at Colorado State. Chad Weiberg took Parker's place and worked at Tech from May 2015 to May 2017 when he took a similar position at Oklahoma State, his alma mater. He was promoted in July 2021 to Oklahoma State AD.

Other members of Tech athletics' executive staff will divide up the duties Hernandez had until a permanent replacement is hired, senior associate AD Robert Giovannetti said.

"I'll have a lot of fond memories of Tech, Lubbock," Hernandez said. "It was the right place for us at the right time and now I think it was the right time for us to make a move and get closer to family.

"I love Tech. I love Lubbock. There's great people here. You wouldn't find two finer people to work for than President Schovanec and Kirby, and I'll miss them. I'll miss a lot of the coaches and staff, but it was just time."