Suspended Texas Tech basketball coach explains Bible remark, responds to spitting claim

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Suspended Texas Tech men’s basketball coach Mark Adams attempted to explain the incident which led to his discipline and addressed a new accusation that he spat on a player.

Adams was suspended for using what the school called "an inappropriate, unacceptable, and racially insensitive comment" toward a student-athlete. The school said Adams was attempting to encourage the student-athlete, who was not named, "to be more receptive to coaching." The school said Adams "referenced Bible verses about workers, teachers, parents, and slaves serving their masters."

The coach explained to Stadium on Sunday he was quoting a verse from the Bible and told one of the players there is "always a master and a servant." He added that he was just "quoting scripture" when talking about a player being coachable.

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Texas Tech head coach Mark Adams calls instructions to his team against Kansas during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lawrence, Kan., Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023.  (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

"I said that in the Bible that Jesus talks about how we all have bosses, and we all are servants," Adams told Stadium. "I was quoting the Bible about that."

Texas Tech said in a statement that Adams apologized for the incident, but he clarified that he addressed the issue but "didn’t apologize." 

Adams took the head coaching job at the start of the 2021-22 season, replacing Chris Beard who took the Texas Longhorns job. The Red Raiders made it to the national championship in 2019 only to lose to Virginia.

Texas Tech coach Mark Adams shouts during the second half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Oklahoma, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, in Norman, Okla.  (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

He was also under fire for another alleged incident in which he was accused of spitting on a player.

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Adams said he may have "slobbered" on a player during the game by accident as he was battling a cold, according to Stadium. He told the outlet he didn’t remember telling the player, "I can spit on you whenever I want to."

The coach was suspended Sunday.

"Texas Tech University has suspended men's basketball head coach Mark Adams in relation to the use of an inappropriate, unacceptable, and racially insensitive comment last week," the school said in a statement.

"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. 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.

Texas Tech coach Mark Adams yells to players during the second half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against Oklahoma State, Saturday, March 4, 2023, in Lubbock, Texas.  (AP Photo/Brad Tollefson)

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"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."