Texas Tech suspends basketball coach Mark Adams

LUBBOCK, Texas — Texas Tech University suspended basketball coach Mark Adams on Sunday after an “inappropriate” comment made to a player during a practice session last week.

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According to a news release from the university, Adams, 66, was suspended for “inappropriate, unacceptable, and racially insensitive” comments during an incident with one of his players.

“Adams was encouraging the student-athlete to be more receptive to coaching and referenced Bible verses about workers, teachers, parents, and slaves serving their masters,” the news release stated. “Adams immediately addressed this with the team and apologized.”

Athletics director Kirby Hocutt was made aware of the incident on Friday and spoke with Adams, The Dallas Morning News reported. Hocutt then issued a written reprimand and suspended the coach.

Texas Tech will face West Virginia in its opening game of the Big 12 conference tournament on Wednesday, according to the newspaper.

Adams, a 42-year-coaching veteran who took over the Texas Tech program in 2021, according to the university’s website.

A 1979 graduate of Texas Tech and a native of Brownfield, Texas, Adams was the program’s director of basketball operations from 2013 to 2015. In 2016, he returned to the court as the Red Raiders’ lead assistant and was promoted to associate head coach in 2019.

Texas Tech finished its regular season with a home loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday, ESPN reported. The Red Raiders were 16-15 overall and 5-13 in conference play.

Before taking over the Texas Tech program in 2021, Adams recorded a 554-224 career record at five colleges between 1981 and 2013.