Texas Tech men’s basketball coach Mark Adams has resigned, the school announced Wednesday night, according to ESPN.
Just days earlier, Adams was suspended for using what the school called an “inappropriate, unacceptable, and racially insensitive comment,” ESPN noted.
What’s the background?
“On Friday, Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt was made aware of an incident regarding a coaching session between Adams and a member of the men’s basketball team,” the school said in a statement, according to Yahoo Sports. “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. Adams immediately addressed this with the team and apologized. Upon learning of the incident, Hocutt addressed this matter with Adams and issued him a written reprimand. Hocutt subsequently made the decision to suspend Adams effective immediately in order to conduct a more thorough inquiry of Adams’ interactions with his players and staff.”
But Adams told a bit of a different story to Stadium, a sports network.
The coach told Stadium his comments were not racist and that he was quoting a Bible verse when he told a player there is “always a master and a servant.”
“I was quoting the Scripture,” Adams added to Stadium. “It was a private conversation about coaching and when you have a job and being coachable.”
Adams added to Stadium, “I said that in the Bible that Jesus talks about how we all have bosses and we all are servants. I was quoting the Bible about that.”
In addition, Adams told Stadium that while he explained the situation to the team the following day, he didn’t apologize: “One of my coaches said it bothered the player. I explained to them. I didn’t apologize.”
TheBlaze on Monday asked Texas Tech whether Adams used the words “slave” or “slaves” in his interaction with the player and whether Adams disclosed to the college a specific Bible verse or verses he was using. Texas Tech hasn’t responded to the questions as of Thursday morning.
Hocutt determined that Adams’ comment was unintentional and an isolated incident following his inquiry, ESPN reported.
Adams offered the following prepared statement regarding his stepping down as coach, ESPN added: “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.”
Anything else?
This season was Adams’ second as the team’s head coach; last year Tech was 27-10 and lost to Duke in the Sweet 16 bracket of the NCAA tournament. Stadium said there’s more than $7 million remaining on Adams’ contract.
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