TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Coach
- Assistant Coach at LSU
Al Pinkins returned to Texas Tech to join Mark Adams' staff as an assistant coach after working at the University of Florida for the past four seasons. Pinkins was on the Red Raider coaching staff during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons where he helped the program reach the 2018 NCAA Elite Eight.
Along with experience at Texas Tech and Florida, Pinkins has been an assistant coach at LSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Middle Tennessee State during his 20-year career as a college basketball coach. Highly regarded for the development of front-court personnel, he will be involved in all aspects of the Tech program which includes opponent scouting and on-court coaching.
"My family and I are looking forward to returning to the wonderful community and fanbase in Lubbock," Pinkins said. "Coach Adams embraces the grind of college basketball and everything that comes with it. I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with Coach Adams and the rest of the staff. I can't wait to get going."
"I'm excited about the opportunity to have Coach Pinkins return to our staff," Adams added. "He is a veteran coach who has done a great job everywhere he's been. I got to work with him for two years here at Texas Tech and saw firsthand how great he is with the players."
During his two seasons at Tech, the program earned 11 wins against ranked opponents and would go 27-10 in the 2017-18 season. The Red Raiders enjoyed a historic season in his final year, reaching the Elite Eight for the first time in program history following wins over SFA, No. 23 Florida and No. 11 Purdue in the NCAA Tournament. Keenan Evans earned All-America and All-Big 12 First Team honors following the season, while freshman Zhaire Smith was selected with the 16th pick of the 2018 NBA Draft.
Following two years at Tech, Pinkins joined the Florida coaching staff as the associate head coach and helped the Gators to NCAA Tournament bids in 2019 and 2021. The Gators finished with a 20-14 record last season and advanced to the second round of the NIT before falling to Xavier. Pinkins served as the Gators' interim head coach during the NIT after Mike White took the Georgia head coaching position. Florida's season was highlighted by a 63-62 win over No. 2 Auburn. The Gators posted a 74-52 record during Pinkins' tenure, including 10 wins against top-25 opponents.
In his only season at LSU, Pinkins worked with Ben Simmons, the NBA's top overall draft pick in 2016. Simmons was the consensus 2016 National Freshman of the Year and rated among the SEC's top five in points (19.2), rebounds (11.8), assists (4.8) and steals (2.0) per game. During his time at Ole Miss, Pinkins coached the program's all-time leading rebounder in Murphy Holloway and the program's all-time leading shot blocker in Reginald Buckner. Holloway came away with an All-SEC First-Team selection, while Bucker tucked away SEC All-Defensive Team honors in 2013. The Rebels secured the 2013 SEC Tournament title, a NCAA Tournament berth and matched a program single-season record with 27 victories.
Pinkins started his coaching career at Middle Tennessee State from 2003-11 where he was involved in all aspects of the Blue Raiders program. MTSU advanced to postseason play in the 2010 CollegeInsider.com event.
As a player, he began his collegiate career at Chipola Junior College in Florida from 1993-95 where he averaged 17.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game over his two seasons. He then transferred to North Carolina State after his sophomore season and secured 9.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. His NC State team advanced to the 2017 NIT Second Round.
Following his collegiate career, Pinkins played professionally with Team Baleno in Zaragoza, Spain where he averaged 22 points and 9.0 rebounds in 1998. He also played for the Raleigh (N.C.) Cougars in the United States Basketball League (USBL) in 1998 and for Minot (N.D.) in the International Basketball Association (IBL) where he captured Most Valuable Player honors. Following his IBA stint, Pinkins played overseas and picked up 29 points and 11 rebounds per game in the Qatar Basketball Association along with an 11-point, 8-rebound averages in the Chinese Basketball Association.
Pinkins earned his bachelor's degree in sociology from NC State in 1998. He and his wife, Kara, have three sons: Patton, Pryce and Penn.
Job Titles:
- Director of Player Development
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Chief of Staff
- Coach
Job Titles:
- Executive Associate to the Head Coach
Briana Whitaker is in her first year with the Texas Tech basketball program where she is the executive associate to head coach Mark Adams.
A Brea, California native, Whitaker serves as a liaison for the coaching staff to various areas within the athletics department and coordinates the recruiting travel arrangements for the coaching staff.
Prior to Texas Tech, Whitaker worked at the University of New Mexico as the administrative assistant to the head coach Paul Weir. While working directly for the program's head coach, Whitaker had a variety of responsibilities throughout the program that included managing the daily calendar and operations for two seasons.
Whitaker began her career in collegiate athletics at Fullerton College as the Director of Football Operations from 2011-13. She worked with scouts to help create recruiting reports and also was in charge of scheduling. She would make a return to Fullerton to work as the Assistant to the Athletic Director from 2016-19. In her role, Whitaker worked with all athletic programs in a variety of roles that included assisting the athletic director, coaches and student-athletes.
Between her experiences at Fullerton, Whitaker worked as the club administrator for the CDA Slammers FC and as an administrative assistant at Total Global Sports from 2014-19. At Total Global Sports, she worked with CEO Steve Patterson by scheduling and coordinating meetings and travel arrangements along with working with prospective clients.
Whitaker earned her associates degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Self Development and Social Behavior from Fullerton College.
Job Titles:
- Head Athletic Trainer - Basketball
Job Titles:
- Coordinator of Basketball Operations
Cooper Anderson is in his sixth season with the Texas Tech men's basketball program and first as the Coordinator of Basketball Operations.
Anderson had worked as a graduate assistant in operations and equipment the past two seasons before earning the promotion from head coach Mark Adams. He also served as a student manager during the Red Raider runs to the 2018 NCAA Elite 8 and 2019 NCAA National Championship and during the COVID-shortened season of 2019-20.
He earned his bachelor's in 2018 and master's degrees (2022) from Texas Tech in Sports Management. A Wylie, Texas native, Anderson was a student assistant for the Collin County Community College basketball program from 2014-16 before transferring to Tech.
Anderson works directly with Adams, the basketball staff, graduate assistants, student managers and the student-athletes on a daily basis.
Corey Williams is in his first season at Texas Tech where he is as an assistant coach for the Red Raiders.
A star player at Oklahoma State from 1989-92 and member of the 1993 NBA Champion Chicago Bulls, Williams most recently worked as an assistant coach at the University of Arkansas the past two seasons after being the head coach at Stetson University for six.
A Macon, Georgia native, Williams played point guard at Oklahoma State and had a lengthy career as a professional player before embarking on his coaching career. Williams was a second-round draft pick of the Chicago Bulls and was also selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 12th round of the 1992 NFL Draft despite not having played football since junior high.
At OSU, Williams played for Hall of Fame coach Eddie Sutton and was a teammate of Sean Sutton who is entering his fifth season on the Texas Tech staff. Along with playing for Sutton, Williams has worked with Phil Jackson, Bill Self, Leonard Hamilton and Eric Musselman during his career as a player and assistant coach.
At Arkansas, Williams helped lead a resurgence where the Razorbacks went 45-19 in his two seasons including reaching the Elite 8 last season. Williams helped Arkansas land the fifth-best recruiting class in the nation for 2020 that led to the program advancing to the Elite 8 where its season ended after an 81-72 loss to eventual national champion Baylor. The Razorbacks eliminated the Red Raiders from the tournament with a 68-66 win in the second round to reach the Sweet 16.
Williams spent six seasons as head coach at Stetson (2013-19). During his tenure, several players broke long-standing records as Divine Myles became the program's all-time leading scorer, Angel Rivera set the record for career assists and Luke Doyle established the mark for career three-pointers made.
Job Titles:
- Head Strength & Conditioning Coach
Darby Rich is in his first season at Texas Tech where he leads as the men's basketball strength and conditioning coach. Rich played college basketball at Alabama before beginning his coaching career where he has helped lead nine teams to the NCAA Tournament and 14 players to the NBA.
"I'm really excited about this opportunity at Texas Tech," Rich said. "I've been following what this program has been able to accomplish and have been nothing but impressed by the success. It's exciting for me to be able to be a part of continuing to build this program even more."
Rich arrives in Lubbock after working the past two seasons at the University of Memphis with head coach Penny Hardaway following eight seasons at Texas A&M. Widely regarded to be at the top of his profession, Rich also worked at the University of Oklahoma (2004-09) and South Carolina (2002-04). He began his career in 1994 as an assistant basketball coach at Hutchinson Community College which won the 1994 NJCAA national title.
"My approach everyday is hard work, toughness, accountability and mental toughness," Rich said. "At the same time, with my background as a player and basketball coach, I try to make the weight room an extension of the basketball floor. I don't want them coming in here just to get bigger and stronger, I want them coming in here to become better basketball players because of the work we are doing in here. Every exercise that we do has a basketball purpose. The understanding and purpose creates extra motivation to put forth more effort into everything we are trying to accomplish."
A Greer, South Carolina native, Rich played five seasons at Alabama where He was a member of the Crimson Tide's 1989, 1990 and 1991 SEC championship teams. He served as a tri-captain his senior year (1992) and was teammates with future NBA stars Robert Horry and Latrell Sprewell. Rich was a three-time SEC academic honor roll selection for head coach Wimp Sanderson. He was an All-State basketball player at Riverside High School in South Carolina before joining the Crimson Tide.
"We think we have hired one of the best strength and condition coaches in the nation," Adams said. "Coach Rich comes highly recommended from people at the professional and college level and brings in a lot of experience that will help our program reach the next level. With his background of being a college player, college coach and working as a strength coach at high-level programs throughout the country we are excited to see the impact he makes for our program."
In two seasons in Memphis working with Hardaway and the Tigers, Rich helped develop NBA 1st Round Draft selections James Wiseman (2nd overall) and Precious Achiuwa (20th overall). Along with helping Achiuwa and Wiseman reach professional goals after one season, Achiuwa earned American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors in 2020. This past season, Moussa Cisse was named the AAC's Freshman of the Year and the Tigers earned back-to-back 20-win seasons and the 2021 NIT championship.
During his time in College Station working on Billy Kennedy's staff, Rich helped nine players earn all-conference accolades. He also worked with first round NBA Draft selection and two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year Robert Williams, NBA All-Star Khris Middleton, Danuel House and NBA champion Alex Caruso. Along with individual success and development, the Aggies won the SEC championship in 2016 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in 2016 and 2018.
Rich also spent five seasons (2004-09) as the strength and conditioning coach for the University of Oklahoma men's basketball team. During his tenure working with head coach Kelvin Sampson, the Sooners made the NCAA Tournament four times (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009) and claimed the 2005 Big 12 Championship. In his final season in Norman, OU went 30-6 and advanced to the NCAA Elite 8.
At Oklahoma, Rich worked with Blake Griffin, who was selected first overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2009 NBA Draft. He left following the 2008-09 season to work as a personal strength coach for pro golfer Anthony Kim, who won the 2010 Shell Houston Open and was third at the 2010 Masters.
Rich joined the Oklahoma program after serving the previous two seasons as South Carolina's men's basketball strength coach, where he helped the Gamecocks to 35 wins and the program's only NCAA Tournament berth in the previous 14 seasons. Rich also served as USC's women's basketball strength coach during that time, working with an NCAA Tournament team in 2003.
Before his stint with South Carolina, Rich spent a year and a half as a strength and conditioning intern with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. He began that position, working under legendary strength coach Joe Jurazsek, in May 2001.
Ahead of making the temporary move to football, Rich spent three seasons (1998-99 through 2000-01) as an assistant coach at Sam Houston State. Working for head coach Bob Marlin, he helped the Bearkats win the school's first Southland Conference title (2000) and recorded the school's highest Division I victory total for a season (22 in 2000). Rich rejoined Marlin at SHSU in December 2009 as a volunteer assistant coach, helping Marlin's team win the 2010 Southland Conference regular season and tournament championships and to the program's second NCAA Tournament appearance.
Rich began his college coaching career at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, serving from 1994 to 1998 as an assistant coach. Along with his assistant coaching responsibilities, Rich also served as HCC's strength and conditioning coach. Hutchinson was 117-24 during his tenure and won the 1994 NJCAA national title.
Job Titles:
- Director of Player Development
- Director of Player Personnel
- Graduate Assistant - Player Development
Darryl Dora is back at Texas Tech where he serves as the Director of Player Personnel. Dora played for the Red Raiders under legendary head coach Bob Knight and returned to TTU as a graduate assistant before working two seasons as an assistant coach at Austin Peay University.
"My family and I couldn't be more excited about being back at Texas Tech and having this opportunity to work with Coach Adams and our players," Dora said. "Working directly with the guys in a role where I can help them become successful is what I really like. I see myself as a big brother and mentor to them, but I will also keep them accountable and push them to become better. There's some hard love there because I've been in their position before and know what it takes to be successful."
Adams added: "Darryl is a great addition to our program. He has experience as a player here at Texas Tech and also professionally. I trust him and he does a great job of developing trust with each player he works with. His connection to past players is also very important to us as we continue building our program."
Dora played for Knight at Texas Tech from 2004-07 before pursuing a professional that began in France and came to an end with the Miyazaki Shining Suns from 2011-13 in Japan. A Gonzales, Texas native, Dora graduated with a bachelor's degree in human sciences from TTU in 2016 and earned his master's degree from the University in interdisciplinary studies in 2019. In his first return to the Tech basketball program, Dora was a graduate assistant for player development from 2016-19 where he helped the program reach the 2018 Elite 8 and 2019 NCAA National Championship Final.
"This is home for me and a place I want to be," Dora said. "Working with Coach Adams and the staff he's putting together is a great opportunity. The people of Lubbock and West Texas took care of me from the first day I got here to play and over the years. I've had so many opportunities at Texas Tech as an athlete and now as a coach. I owe this place everything and I'm back here to help keep it going."
At Austin Peay, Dora worked two seasons under head coach Matt Figger who recently accepted the same position at Texas-Rio Grande Valley. Dora was responsible for recruiting, coaching, scheduling and film study for the Governors who had two winning seasons with him on the coaching staff. Dora helped Terry Taylor develop into a two-time Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year selection.
Before accepting his first full-time coaching role at Austin Peay, Dora was an integral part of the most historic seasons in Texas Tech history as a graduate assistant. Along with team success of advancing to the Elite 8 for the first time ever in 2018 and to then the 2019 Final Four, Dora helped the rapid progression of Zhaire Smith and Jarrett Culver who would become first-round selections in the NBA Draft. Dora also helped numerous other Red Raiders develop while at Tech and pursue professional careers in the G-League and overseas. Smith was selected No. 16 overall in 2018 after his freshman season, while Culver became a 2019 NBA lottery pick at No. 6 following his all-American sophomore campaign.
Dora played four seasons at Tech during his collegiate career where he averaged 5.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in 129 games played. He led the Red Raiders in blocked shots as a senior with 16 and finished his career with 52 blocks. As a junior in 2005-06, he scored a career-best 7.6 points per game in a season where he started 26 of 30 games. Dora finished his career with 111 assists in Big 12 games which is the 10th most in program history.
George Neilson is in his second season at Texas Tech where he is the men's basketball Director of Scouting.
Neilson arrived in Lubbock after spending the previous two seasons as the video coordinator at Cincinnati following serving three seasons as director of men's basketball operations at Santa Clara. He worked as the Tech video coordinator in his first season with the program.
Neilson assisted at Arizona State for two seasons as the video coordinator (2014-15) and a graduate assistant (2013-14). He earned a master's degree in liberal studies from Arizona State in 2014.
Along with experience with collegiate programs, Neilson spent the 2015-16 season as basketball operations assistant with the NBA's Chicago Bulls, creating personnel reports and video edits on opponents while assisting in player development workouts.
A Tuscaloosa, Alabama native, earned a degree in physical education from Alabama in 2011 while serving as a student manager his final two years. He worked as a volunteer assist video coordinator with the Crimson Tide during the 2011-12 season and a graduate assistant at Drake in 2012-13.
He married Michelle Belleville in August 2019. The couple has one child, Grace Kaylyn, who was born on July 6, 2021.
Job Titles:
- Academic Advisor
- Academic Advisor ( Men's & Women 's Basketball )
Jamaal Scott is in his first season as the Texas Tech men's basketball program's Academic Advisor.
An experienced educator and athletics leader following a decorated playing career which includes being named a McDonald's All-American and the 2000 Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year, Scott will provide the Red Raider program personal, vocational, educational, and advanced counseling and training at both the individual and group levels. Scott is pivotal in the management of counseling programs for the men's basketball program by assisting with course selection to ensure degree progress and completion along with serving as the contact between student-athletes and the coaching staff regarding academic progress.
Scott is a graduate of the University of Richmond where he played for the Spiders from 2002-05 and was an Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference Team selection and a two-year team captain. After beginning his collegiate career at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo and earning Big West Conference Freshman of the Year by averaging 15.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, Scott transferred to Richmond where he would score 1,150 points and help lead the team to on NCAA Tournament appearance and two NIT appearances.
He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Richmond before earning a Master of Education degree from Grand Canyon University in secondary education. Scott was the head basketball coach at Cactus Shadows High School in Cave Creek, Ariz. from 2010-17 where he led the program to five state tournament appearances and a section championship title. He also taught business and finance in the Career Technical Education Program for the Cave Creek Unified School District during that time. Along with his role at Cactus Shadows, Scott worked as a trainer at the Desert Foothills Athletic Club from 2006-17 where he planned and implemented development programs for athletes.
Scott most recently worked as a secondary school teacher at the Gyeonggi Suwon International School (Suwon, South Korea), providing academic support and mentorship to guide students towards success in the classroom. Along with academics, Scott coached basketball and taught the game to students during his two years in Korea. He returned to the United States and worked as a secondary school teacher at Mountain Sky Middle School in Phoenix, Ariz. where served in the role of Teacher of Entrepreneurship last year.
As a high school player, Scott averaged 19.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game as a senior at Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix and was honored by being named a McDonald's All-American and the Arizona High School Player of the Year. He was listed as a Top-100 prospect by Basketball Times and Hoop Scoop Magazine following his senior season. He would start all 28 games as a freshman at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo before transferring to Richmond where he played for John Beilein and Jerry Wainwright. The Spiders advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2004.
Job Titles:
- Men 's Basketball Assistant Coach
Job Titles:
- Sports Dietitian - Men 's Basketball & Volleyball
Job Titles:
- Head Strength & Conditioning Coach - Basketball
Job Titles:
- Special Assistant to Coach Beard
Job Titles:
- Executive Associate to Coach Beard
- Senior Administrative Assistant to Coach Beard
Job Titles:
- Director of Player Development
Luke Adams is in his first season as the Texas Tech men's basketball Director of Player Development after a successful run as the head coach at New Mexico Junior College the past four seasons. Adams, who played guard for the Red Raiders from 2012-15 and was an Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection, joins the Red Raider program led by his father, head coach Mark Adams.
"It's really exciting to come back and have an opportunity to make an impact on the program," Luke Adams said. "I had fun and gained a lot of experience coaching at the junior college level. It helped me develop as a coach and learn how to help build a winning culture. This is a dream come true for me. I've always wanted to coach with my dad and work together in the same foxhole. We've always enjoyed talking to each other about our teams but now to be on the same team officially is really awesome."
Luke Adams led New Mexico Junior College to 63 wins in three seasons of competition as the head coach, including going 19-13 overall and 10-6 in conference play last season. The 2020-21 season was canceled for NMJC due to COVID. His team advanced to the Region V semifinals to end last season and finished third in its conference standings. During his coaching career, Luke Adams has had 14 all-conference performers, two all-Americans, eight all-region selections and has helped 41 student-athletes sign to play Division I college basketball.
"Luke loves Texas Tech like I do and wants to do everything he can to help our program win," said Mark Adams who led Tech to the 2022 Sweet 16 and an 18-0 home record in his first season as the program's head coach. "He's a really hard worker and has shown that dedication during his time coaching junior college. His roles in junior college coaching gave him a wealth of experience that he can bring back here to help our players develop their full potential. I'm really excited to have him back here and to have the opportunity to work with him."
In his first season of 2018-19, Adams led the Thunderbirds to a 21-10 record, including wins over two top-10 ranked teams before going 23-9 and once again reaching the regional tournament semifinals in 2019-20. He finished his run as the program's head coach with an impressive 63-32 record.
The Thunderbirds also made it to the Region V Conference Tournament in his first season where they advanced to the semifinals. The Thunderbirds finished 12th in the country in points against, only allowing 66.3 points per game. Adams coached four players that signed with Division 1 programs including Ryan Murphy (Pittsburgh), Sean Rhea (Texas Rio-Grande Valley), Darnell Rogers (UMBC), and Hall Elisias (Bryant). Gideon George was selected was selected All-Conference, All Region, and Freshman of the Year in the WJCAC.
Before coming to NMJC, Adams spent one season as an assistant coach at Seward County, where he coached under head coach Jason Sautter. While at Seward County, Adams worked with a program that finished last (14th Place) in the Jayhawk West in 2017 and pushed them to an eighth-place finish with a completely new squad of 11 freshman and two sophomores. The Saints earned their first home playoff game in four years, defeated Butler 63-61 to advance to the Region VI Tournament Quarterfinals for the first time since 2015. Seward had one of the biggest finished turnarounds in the country finishing 18-14 on the season, a nine-win improvement from the previous year.
Adams also previously spent two seasons at South Plains College, where he coached under legendary head coach Steve Green for the Texans. South Plains put together a third-place finish at the NJCAA National Tournament after going 29-0 in the regular season. In two seasons with the Texans, Adams helped the program to a 53-11 overall record.
As a collegiate coach, he helped four players to be selected as freshman of the year in Mouhamed Mbaye (NMJC), Gideon George (NMJC), Jordan Brangers (SPC) and Jerron Love (SPC).
During his playing career, Adams played four seasons at Tech for Billy Gillispie and Tubby Smith. He played in 64 games, including starting seven games as a freshman in the Big 12. He scored a career-high 15 points against Kansas State. He arrived in Lubbock after earning All-State honors at Big Spring High School where he averaged 26.9 points, 3.5 assists and 3.8 steals per game as a senior. He was the Class 3A scoring champion during that season and ranked sixth throughout Texas in points per game.
Luke Adams is a Texas Tech graduate having earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise and Sports Science and a Master of Science in Sports Management.
Steve Green is in his first season at Texas Tech as an assistant coach for the Red Raiders after he led South Plains College to three national championships in 22 seasons as the program's head coach.
Green has a 706-192 record as a head coach, including going 552-152 at South Plains where he began in 2000. He is a three-time NJCAA Men's Basketball National Coach of the Year and was inducted into the NJCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame on March 16, 2015. Green led South Plains to the NJCAA Men's Basketball National Tournament 12 times, winning the 2008, 2012, and 2018 national titles.
"I have a ton of trust and respect for Coach Green," Texas Tech head coach Mark Adams said. "He has a great basketball mind and is as genuine of a person as there is. He's a proven winner who understands the process it takes to win. He is a great offensive coach who will help us a lot on that side of the court along with being a great recruiter. He's built relationships with coaches throughout the country and internationally for years. This is a great hire for our program."
"Mark and I have a great relationship that developed through us competing against each other for so long," Green said. "We've learned a lot about the game through each other. He's helped develop Texas Tech into one of the best programs in the nation and I'm excited to be here to help. Texas Tech is full of great people that I've following for 20 years. It was a difficult decision to leave South Plains, but this is a great challenge in a big-time atmosphere that I'm really looking forward to."
Green is one of four coaches to win three national championships in NJCAA history. He also led SPC to national runner-up honors at the 2015 national tournament. Along with national success, Green and the Texans won eight conference titles and seven regional championships. In 2012, Green led South Plains to a 36-0 record, claiming its second NJCAA National Championship and becoming just the sixth NJCAA undefeated champion.
Mark Adams led Texas Tech to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and a 27-10 record in his first season where he earned the 2022 Associated Press Big 12 Coach of the Year and the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year.
A West Texas native and Tech graduate who has now earned 581 wins as a head coach, Adams has was named the 18th men's basketball head coach in program history by Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt on April 6, 2021. The Red Raiders went 18-0 at home for the first time in program history, earned the third seed in the Big 12 Championship tournament where they reached to the finals for the second time in program history and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time since the expansion of the national tournament. His 27 wins are the most by a first-year head coach in Tech basketball history.
Adams was also one of four finalists for the Naismith National Coach of the Year in a season where the team began the year unranked before finishing at No. 12 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. Tech's success came with Adams constructing a new coaching staff that rolled out a team of eight newcomers and five returners. Under Adams, Texas Tech finished at No. 1 in the Kenpom.com adjusted defensive efficiency rating and was ninth nationally by holding opponents to only 38.6 percent shooting and 11th with teams averaging 60.6 points per game. The Red Raiders went 12-6 in conference play, including a 9-0 record against Big 12 teams at home.
An assistant and associate head coach within the program over the past five seasons, Adams has won at every level where he had recorded a 554-244 career record as a head coach before taking the Tech position. His list of accomplishments over the five years as Tech's associate head coach includes helping the program to 112 wins, making three straight NCAA Tournaments for the first time in history, winning the 2019 Big 12 regular-season championship and advancing to the 2018 Elite 8 and 2019 NCAA National Championship final.
"It's a great opportunity that I've looked forward to my whole life," said Adams when accepting the job. "To lead this program is a great honor. I just want to make a difference and make everyone proud. We are going to do everything we can to win big and compete every day. To be the head coach of this program has been a dream of mine my entire life."
A 1979 graduate of Texas Tech and Brownfield, Texas native who led Howard College to the 2010 NJCAA National Championship, Adams has extensive head coaching experience on his resume. His head coaching success includes Clarendon College (1981-82), Wayland Baptist (1983-87), West Texas A&M (1987-92), Texas Pan-American now Texas Rio Grande Valley (1992-97) and Howard College (2004-13). He was inducted into the Wayland Baptist Hall of Honor in September 2017 and to the NJCAA Men's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020. He spent the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons as Tech's Director of Basketball Operations before returning for the 2016-17 season as the lead assistant and being promoted to associate head coach in 2019.
"It is an exciting day for Texas Tech University, our basketball program and the Red Raider Nation," Hocutt said. "Coach Adams' experience, pride and commitment to this program and university make him the ideal leader to continue our journey to get back to Monday night of the NCAA Tournament Championship."
Widely regarded as one of the best defensive coaches at any level of basketball, Adams led Tech to the nation's top defensive efficiency rating during the run to the 2019 NCAA National Championship Final and leading the Big 12 by limiting opponents to only 63.2 points per game last season. The Red Raiders, who won the 2019 Big 12 Conference regular-season championship for the first time program history, were second in the country by holding teams to 37.0 percent shooting, third by limiting the opposition to 59.5 points per game and led the Big 12 with opponents only shooting 29.8 percent on 3-pointers during the run to the Final Four and the National Runner-Up finish. Tech was coming off a banner season in 2017-18 on the defensive end where it limited their opponents to 64.8 points per game and a 40.1 shooting percentage to pace the Big 12 conference in 2017-18. Both marks were ranked inside the NCAA's Top 20, and it marked the first time in program history that Texas Tech ended the season as the Big 12 leader in both defensive categories.
The Red Raiders have held the opposition to 60 or less points on 59 occasions over the past five seasons with Adams as an assistant coach. Tech held four opponents in the 2019 NCAA Tournament to under 60 points, including earning a 63-44 win over Michigan in the Sweet 16 and then a 61-51 win over Michigan State in the Final Four. The 2020-21 team limited 13 opponents under 60 and finished at No. 20 in adjusted defensive efficiency, including securing a 65-53 win over Utah State in the NCAA Tournament first round. As an assistant, Adams is now 9-3 in the NCAA Tournament at Tech and 10-4 overall.
The Red Raiders finished the 2017-18 season with a 27-10 record, the program's first NCAA Elite Eight appearance and a program-best No. 6 final ranking in the USA Today/Coaches Top 25 poll. Texas Tech also captured a program-best second place finish in the Big 12 regular season and set a program single season mark with 11 Big 12 victories before it was broke the next season.
Adams served as an assistant coach on Chris Beard's Little Rock staff during the 2015-16 season. The Trojans started a historic campaign with 10 straight wins and finished with a 30-5 mark. Little Rock claimed the Sun Belt regular season and tournament titles, and the Trojans knocked off No. 12-ranked and fifth-seeded Purdue by an 85-83 margin in double overtime at the NCAA Tournament. The 15-game improvement for Little Rock was tied for the NCAA's top spot in 2015-16.
Job Titles:
- Director of Recruiting
- Title / Director of Recruiting
Matt Scherbenske is in his second season at Texas Tech where he is the men's basketball Director of Recruiting.
Scherbenske, who played at the University of Kentucky and Oral Robert, spent the past six seasons coaching at the University of Central Arkansas.
While at UCA, Scherbenske played a pivotal role in helping turn the UCA program around. In 2017-18, the Bears had a record-breaking season and won the most games in Bears D-1 history and also won their first post season game ever, an overtime thriller at Seattle. For the first time in the school's history, the Bears have also gone to the Southland Conference Tournament three years in a row. In 2018, Scherbenske was ranked as the #57 best recruiter in the nation, out of 1400 Division one coaches, on 247 Sports. Scherbenske helped recruit three 3 star players to UCA to include, Khaleem Bennett (Sunrise Academy), Jaxson Baker (Brophy Prep), and Eddie Kayouloud (Oak Hill Academy). In 2018, UCA's recruiting class was ranked 107th in the nation on 247 Sports, the highest of any Southland team.
Scherbenske played high school basketball at the perennial number one high school program in the nation, Oak Hill Academy, under Hall of Fame Coach, Steve Smith. While At Oak Hill, Scherbenske played with future All-Americans and NBA players, Nolan Smith, Ty Lawson, and Michael Beasley. He helped the team to a 40-1 record and a #2 USA Today ranking at the end of the season, while shooting 48% from three point range on the year. After playing at Oak Hill, Scherbenske played one year at Oral Roberts University under coach Scott Sutton and then transferred and played with the Kentucky Wildcats.
Scherbenske then served as a graduate assistant at Cal Berkeley in the PAC-12, under Hall of Fame Coach, Mike Montgomery. After his internship year, he served as a DOP at the Citadel under Chuck Driesel, but after three months, he was invited by Coach Montgomery to be the video coordinator for the Cal Bears, of which he served for 2 years. During his time at Cal, Scherbenske helped the Bears reach two NCAA Tournaments, and assisted with the development of NBA draft picks, Allen Crabbe and Jabari Bird.
Job Titles:
- Director of Player Development
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Athletic Trainer
- Associate Athletic Trainer - Men 's Basketball
Michael Neal is an Associate Athletic Trainer and has been full time with Texas Tech University since August 2019. He currently provides athletic training services to Texas Tech Men's Basketball.
Job Titles:
- Senior Athletic Academic Advisor - Men and Women 's Basketball
Job Titles:
- Strength & Conditioning Assistant
Job Titles:
- Men 's Basketball Assistant Coach
Rick Cooper is in his first season as the Texas Tech men's basketball Chief of Staff.
Cooper arrives in Lubbock after working as the athletic director at Wayland Baptist University since 2014 following an illustrious coaching career where he earned 546 victories as the head coach at WBU and West Texas A&M. Cooper is the all-time winningest coach in both program's histories, racking up a 152-47 record at WBU before going 394-195 leading WT. As an administrator at WBU, Cooper was named the 2017-18 Sooner Athletic Conference Athletics Director of the Year.
"I'm thrilled to be a piece of something special that coach Adams is putting together here," said Cooper, who is in the WBU and WT Hall of Fame. "I've known Coach Adams for a long time and know that he is going to do a great job leading this program. I'm here to help him in the process. I'm a basketball junkie who has coached college basketball almost all of my life. This is a great opportunity for me and I can't wait to help the entire staff as we continue building this program into one of the best in the nation."
Adams added: "We have developed a lot of trust between each other over the years. We've worked together in the past and have a great friendship. He's someone who understands how to build a great program and work with people. Rick is a great addition to our program because of his experience and ability to handle anything that comes his way."
A Bridgeport, West Virginia native and Wayland Baptist graduate, Cooper began his career as an assistant at Idalou High School before returning to Plainview where he worked as an assistant for five years for Ron Mayberry and then Adams. With Adams leading the program and Cooper on staff, the Pioneers reached the NAIA national finals. He would take over the program in 1987 before moving to Canyon to take over the WT program in 1993.
Cooper would coach the Buffs for 20 seasons where he amassed the .693 winning percentage. WT would win four Lone Star Conference Championships under his leadership, advance to 10 NCAA National Tournaments and an Elite Eight appearance. He was selected as the LSC Coach of the Year six times, tabbed as the South Central Region Coach of the Year two times.
Before beginning his coaching career, Cooper played at Wayland Baptist where he would average 13.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. His playing career ended with him having scored 1,209 points which ranked 14th in program history at the time. Cooper earned his bachelor's and master's degree from WBU.
Job Titles:
- Advisor / Player Development
- Advisor to Coach Adams
- Advisor to Coach Beard
- Advisor to the Head Coach / Player Development
Sean Sutton is in his fourth season on the Texas Tech men's basketball staff as an Advisor. In his current role, he is also responsible for player development.
Sutton possesses 24 years of collegiate coaching experience and has either coached or played with 25 NBA players over his career. He has been a part of 15 NCAA Tournaments, nine NCAA Sweet 16s, five NITs, five NCAA Elite Eights and three NCAA Final Fours as a student-athlete and coach.
Sutton has piled up 533 victories during his coaching career after helping lead the Red Raiders to the 2019 NCAA National Championship Final and 2018 NCAA Elite Eight.
He turned in a 39-29 mark as Oklahoma State's head coach during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons with both teams securing NIT bids. The Cowboys racked up 11 seasons of 20 or more wins during Sutton's 15-year tenure as an assistant coach, associate head coach and head coach. He was designated the national recruiter of the year by Rivals.com in 2005 and twice had the nation's No. 1 recruiting class.
Steve Green is in his first season at Texas Tech as an assistant coach for the Red Raiders after he led South Plains College to three national championships in 22 seasons as the program's head coach.
Green has a 706-192 record as a head coach, including going 552-152 at South Plains where he began in 2000. He is a three-time NJCAA Men's Basketball National Coach of the Year and was inducted into the NJCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame on March 16, 2015. Green led South Plains to the NJCAA Men's Basketball National Tournament 12 times, winning the 2008, 2012, and 2018 national titles.
"I have a ton of trust and respect for Coach Green," Texas Tech head coach Mark Adams said. "He has a great basketball mind and is as genuine of a person as there is. He's a proven winner who understands the process it takes to win. He is a great offensive coach who will help us a lot on that side of the court along with being a great recruiter. He's built relationships with coaches throughout the country and internationally for years. This is a great hire for our program."
"Mark and I have a great relationship that developed through us competing against each other for so long," Green said. "We've learned a lot about the game through each other. He's helped develop Texas Tech into one of the best programs in the nation and I'm excited to be here to help. Texas Tech is full of great people that I've following for 20 years. It was a difficult decision to leave South Plains, but this is a great challenge in a big-time atmosphere that I'm really looking forward to."
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Sports Operations
- Manager of Sport Operations
- Title / Assistant Director of Sports Operations
Taylor Sinclair is in her second season as the Assistant Director of Sports Operations after working for five years as an administrative assistant for the Texas Tech men's basketball program.
A Lubbock native, Sinclair graduated with a bachelor's degree in Sport Management from Tech in 2018 before earning her master's degree in Sport Management. She helps coordinate recruiting travel, official visits, game day operations and camps.
Job Titles:
- Men 's Basketball Head Coach
Job Titles:
- Men 's Basketball Assistant Coach