Texas Tech men’s basketball coach Mark Adams resigned Wednesday after facing accusations that a Bible reference he used in a conversation with a player was “racially insensitive.”
Although athletic director Kirby Hocutt “determined that Adams’ comment was unintentional and an isolated incident,” the coach chose to step down so as not to be a distraction to the team, according to ESPN.
“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,” Adams said in a statement. “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.”
The incident Adams referenced was a recent conversation between him and a player about the importance of listening to your coaches. Adams reportedly cited a Bible verse about slaves submitting to their masters to prove his point, a rhetorical move that Texas Tech officials later described as “racially insensitive.”
“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,” explained a March 5 statement from the school announcing that Adams had been suspended.
Before his resignation, Adams seemed frustrated by the school’s actions. In an interview with Stadium, he argued that he was not being racist and was, instead, simply “quoting the Bible.”
“I said that in the Bible that Jesus talks about how we all have bosses, and we all are servants,” he told Stadium, noting that he was willing to explain himself but not apologize to his players after the conversation became public.
Even before his suspension, Adams appeared to be on thin ice with Texas Tech, since the men’s basketball team had a “disappointing” season, ESPN reported.
“North Texas’ Grant McCasland and Oral Roberts’ Paul Mills ... are expected to be top candidates to replace Adams,” the article said.