Texas Tech Suspends Men’s Basketball Coach Mark Adams For ‘Racially Insensitive Comment’

Texas Tech men’s basketball coach Mark Adams has been suspended for an “inappropriate, unacceptable, and racially insensitive comment.”

The school said in the statement that the Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt became aware of the incident on Friday and reports that while Adams was working with the team to become more receptive, he “referenced Bible verses about workers, teachers, parents, and slaves serving their masters.”

The school said that Adams immediately met with the team and apologized.

Hocutt issued the Red Raider’s coach a written reprimand and is conducting a deeper investigation of Adams’ interactions with his team and staff.

Adams, 66, graduated from Texas Tech in 1979 and has been serving as the team’s coach since 2016. From 2016-2021 he was Texas Tech’s assistant coach.

In 2022, he was given the Jim Phelan Award — given annually to the most outstanding men’s college basketball head coach in NCAA Division I competition.

Texas Tech (16-15) is set to face West Virginia in the first round of the Big 12 tournament on Wednesday.