A Big 12 job has opened up in the Lone Star State with Mark Adams stepping down as Texas Tech’s men’s basketball coach on Wednesday. Perhaps the Red Raiders won’t have to go too far to find a replacement.
Texas Tech announced Sunday, March 5th that it had suspended Adams “in relation to the use of an inappropriate, unacceptable, and racially insensitive comment last week.” Per a press release sent out Wednesday, athletics director Kirby Hocutt determined the comment was “unintentional and an isolated incident.”
Adams said the following in a statement of his decision to step down as head coach: “My lifelong goal was to help and be a positive influence on my players, and to be a part of the Texas Tech men’s basketball team. However, both the university and I believe this incident has become a distraction for the Texas Tech men’s basketball team and the university, which I care about so deeply.”
Speculation has already begun to mount regarding who will take Adams’ spot on the Texas Tech bench, with several in-state candidates beginning to emerge. The Athletic noted eight potential options after the news broke, five of which are currently coaching in Texas.
This list includes University of Houston assistant coach Kellen Sampson, Texas acting head coach Rodney Terry, North Texas head coach Grant McCasland, Baylor associate head coach John Jakus and Texas Tech assistant coach Al Pinkins. One of the other names mentioned has notable Texas ties as well, as Oral Roberts head coach Paul Mills is a Houston native and Texas A&M alum who spent more than a decade as an assistant at Baylor before being tabbed to lead the Golden Eagles program in 2017. Andy Kennedy (UAB head coach) and Cuonzo Martin (former Missouri head coach) were also listed as potential candidates. another candidate might be the Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham. Ham played at Texas Tech from 1993-96, averaging 8.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Ham’s most iconic moment with the Red Raiders came when he shattered the backboard dunking against North Carolina in an NCAA Tournament game. The moment landed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated. But even that seems unlike since as of today the Lakers have managed to turn this season around after making it into the play-in tournament and could potentially even escape that and be the 8th seed.
