Texas Tech has suspended men’s basketball coach Mark Adams for what the school is calling an “inappropriate, unacceptable, and racially insensitive comment.”
According to the school, Adams was encouraging a player to be more receptive to coaching and “referenced Bible verses about workers, teachers, parents, and slaves serving their masters.” Adams apologized to the team after he found out the player was upset about the use of the Bible verse, a source told ESPN.
Athletic director Kirby Hocutt was made aware of the incident. He issued Adams a written reprimand but then made the decision to suspend the coach to conduct a “more thorough inquiry of Adams’ interactions with his players and staff.”
Adams spoke with Jeff Goodman of Stadium and related that he believes his comments were not racist. Adams claims he was quoting a Bible verse when he told one of his players that there is “always a master and a servant.”
“I was quoting the scripture,” he said.
Adams said he spoke to the team the next day after “one of my coaches said it bothered the player.” The family of the player told Hocutt of the incident last week, according to Stadium.
