Department of Animal & Food Sciences Assistant Professor of Practice Skyler Scotten
Skyler Scotten, whose rise through collegiate livestock judging has carried him from national championship teams to one of the country's most respected coaching careers, has been appointed assistant professor of practice in Texas Tech's Department of Animal & Food Sciences. He will join the faculty on Sept. 1, expanding a role that has already helped strengthen one of the nation's premier livestock judging programs.
'I look forward to working alongside an outstanding group of students and faculty each day and doing my part to continue building upon the legacy that has made this program so special.'
Scotten is no stranger to Texas Tech. As coach of the university's Livestock Judging Team, he has led students to competitions across the country, representing the university at approximately 15 contests each year while helping prepare the next generation of leaders in animal science. He also has directed summer livestock judging camps that have introduced more than 200 4-H and FFA members annually to the discipline, creating an important recruiting pipeline for the university and the livestock industry.
“I am incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity to join a program with such a rich history and tradition of excellence,” Scotten said. “I look forward to working alongside an outstanding group of students and faculty each day and doing my part to continue building upon the legacy that has made this program so special.”
His appointment reflects Texas Tech's continued investment in experiential learning, where classroom instruction is closely connected with hands-on competition, leadership development and industry engagement.
Before assuming his current coaching position, Scotten built a career that combined teaching, research and industry experience. He served as a graduate teaching assistant and instructor in Texas Tech's Department of Animal & Food Sciences and in Kansas State University's Department of Animal Science, helping teach undergraduate courses while pursuing advanced research.
His professional experience includes serving as co-owner of Scotten Livestock, a diversified livestock operation specializing in the production, development, and marketing of competitive show cattle, goats and sheep. Through Scotten Livestock, he is actively involved in livestock management, genetic selection, herd development, marketing, and customer relations, with livestock sold and exhibited by customers across the United States.
A native of Nevada, Missouri, Scotten's own livestock judging career began at Butler Community College where they were named 'Team of the Year' in 2019 before continuing at Kansas State University where his team was named national champions in 2020. He also served as assistant livestock judging team coach and graduate research assistant in 2021 and 2022 at KSU. He earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in animal science from Kansas State before completing his doctorate in ruminant nutrition at Texas Tech.
His accomplishments have earned widespread recognition throughout the livestock judging community. In 2025, he was named National Collegiate Coaches Association Coach of the Year. Earlier honors include induction into The Showtimes magazine Hall of Fame in 2023, recognition as the Junior Collegiate Livestock Judging No. 1 Overall All-American, and receipt of Kansas State University's F.W. Bell Award, the highest annual honor presented to a senior member of the university's livestock judging team.
Scotten joins a program with a legacy nearly as old as the university itself.
Texas Tech's Livestock Judging Team has been a fixture of the university since its earliest years and remains one of its most decorated competitive programs. In 1927, just two years after Texas Technological College opened, the team placed second at the Fort Worth Fat Stock Show. A year later, it claimed the championship by defeating regional rivals Texas A&M and Oklahoma A&M, establishing an early tradition of excellence.
That tradition has continued for generations. The program has captured nine official National Championships at the North American International Livestock Exposition, winning titles in 1934, 1953, 1985, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015 and 2016, cementing its reputation as one of collegiate livestock judging's most accomplished programs.
Today, Scotten joins one of the state's largest and fastest-growing academic programs in animal agriculture. Texas Tech's Department of Animal & Food Sciences includes approximately 30 faculty members serving more than 1,450 undergraduate and graduate students. Faculty expertise spans animal nutrition, meat science and muscle biology, food science and safety, animal health and welfare, and companion animal science, supporting research and teaching that address the evolving needs of livestock production and food systems.
CONTACT: Chance Brooks, Chair and Professor, Department of Animal & Food Sciences, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or chance.brooks@ttu.edu
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