Mark Adams Steps Down As Texas Tech Head Coach Amid Suspension

Adams was suspended due to an inappropriate and racially insensitive comment he made.

Texas Tech men’s basketball coach Mark Adams has stepped down from his role, according to a statement from the university on Wednesday, via Brian Hamilton of The Athletic. Adams had been suspended due to an inappropriate and racially insensitive comment he allegedly made toward a player last week. 

Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt conducted an inquiry into Adams’s interactions with players and staff, after which Adams stepped down from his role as the coach of the Red Raiders. In Hocutt’s investigation, the AD determined the comment was an isolated incident. 

Adams issued a statement, which was included in Texas Tech’s press release. 

“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.”

Adams was in his second year as the team’s coach, having been in the role since the 2021-22 season, when he succeeded Chris Beard.

Stadium’s Jeff Goodman reports that a “significant number” of players told administration they would not return to the team if Adams was to be the head coach in 2023-24. 

Following Adams’s suspension earlier this week, Texas Tech named Corey Williams as its interim head coach. The Red Raiders played their first game since Adams’s suspension Wednesday night, losing in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament against West Virginia, 78–62, falling to 16–16 on the year.